Program Overview

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American Studies, Ph.D.

The Department of American Studies at Saint Louis University is committed to excellence and originality in research, teaching, and service. The Ph.D. program combines the rigors of training in theory and methods with the development of skills in critical analysis, writing, and research design.

Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy is the terminal research degree in American studies. A total of 45 credits of coursework beyond the B.A. degree, plus 12 credits of dissertation writing, is required. Students with M.A. degrees may be able to count up to 12 credits of their previous relevant coursework.

Curriculum Overview

• Required Courses: 9 credits
  • ASTD 5000: Perspectives in American Studies
  • ASTD 5900: Practice of American Studies
  • ASTD 6100: Dissertation Colloquium
• Elective Courses: 36 credits
  • Select twelve graduate elective courses, for example:
    • ASTD 5010: African American Politics, Culture & Identity
    • ASTD 5020: Frontiers & Borderlands: Contact & Conquest in the American Imagination
    • ASTD 5700: Metropolitan America
    • ASTD 5930: Special Topics
    • ASTD 5980: Graduate Independent Study in American Studies
    • ASTD 6015: Many Midwests: Race and Citizenship in the Heartland
    • ASTD 6020: American Political Thought
    • ASTD 6200: Visual Culture Theory
    • ASTD 6250: The Cultural Studies Movement: Origins and Contemporary Practice
    • ASTD 6400: Transnational America
    • ASTD 6500: Visions of U.S. Empire
    • ASTD 6700: Cold War Cultural Politics and the "American Century"
    • ASTD 6910: Graduate Internship
    • ASTD 6930: Special Topics
    • ASTD 6980: Graduate Independent Study in American Studies
• Dissertation Research: 12 credits
  • ASTD 6990: Dissertation Research

Admission Requirements

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent in a humanities or social science area is required; additional prerequisite work may be required at the department's discretion.
• Students with relevant M.A. degrees may be granted advanced standing for some of that work, but all Ph.D. students will earn an M.A. as well.

Application Requirements

• Application form (no fee required)
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Résumé or cv
• Goal statement of 500 to 1,000 words
• Writing sample of 3,500 to 7,500 words
• Interview (required only of finalists, scheduled in January)

Requirements for International Students

• Demonstrate English language proficiency
• Academic records must include an English translation. Unofficial copies may be accepted in some cases for initial admission review, however official copies must be received prior to enrollment. Course-by-course transcript evaluations are accepted.
• Students must submit financial documents to be issued an I-20 for their F-1 visa application. Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Tuition

• Graduate Tuition: $1,400 per credit

Scholarships, Assistantships, and Financial Aid

• For priority consideration for a graduate assistantship, apply by the program admission deadlines listed.
• Fellowships and assistantships provide a stipend and may include health insurance and a tuition scholarship for the duration of the award.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will explain the contexts such as historical, political, geographic, literary, artistic, social, or intellectual that shape American cultural practices, expressions, and ideas.
2. Students will assess how American cultural practices, expressions, or ideas shape or are shaped by axes of power, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, nation, or ability.
3. Students will synthesize two or more disciplinary approaches in analyses of American cultural practices, expressions, or ideas.
4. Students will effectively articulate arguments and information for an American studies audience.
5. Students will identify how their research extends, diverges from, or speaks to prior American studies scholarship.
6. Students will construct a usable portfolio of professional documents, such as cover letters, CVs, sample syllabi, statements of teaching philosophy, conference proposals, and grant applications.

Non-Course Requirements

• Non-English Language Proficiency: American Studies requires the pursuit of non-English language proficiency as part of its PhD degree.
• Portfolio Paper: During their second year, all Ph.D. students will complete a portfolio paper, generally a revised and expanded version of a seminar paper, written as a publishable article.
• Comprehensive Exams:
  • Written Exam: After completing the portfolio paper, students create a three-person committee (one chair and two additional faculty readers). Working closely with the committee members, students develop three literature-review papers, each based in intensive reading in a discrete field or subject area.
  • Oral Exam: After the three-person committee has accepted the final drafts of the written exam, the student schedules a 90-minute oral exam.
• Dissertation Proposal and Proposal Presentation: Students must submit a dissertation proposal by the end of the second semester following the successful completion of their comprehensive exams.
• Dissertation and Defense: Students write their dissertations working closely with their committee. When the student and committee agree that the dissertation is satisfactory, the student schedules a public defense of the dissertation.

Continuation Standards

• Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmap

The roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for programs and assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.

• Year One:
  • Fall: ASTD 5000 (Perspectives in American Studies), two additional American Studies grad seminars
  • Spring: Three American Studies grad seminars
• Year Two:
  • Fall: Three American Studies grad seminars, prepare MA Portfolio Paper
  • Spring: ASTD 5900 (Practice of American Studies), two additional American Studies grad seminars, complete MA Portfolio Paper and Oral Exam
• Year Three:
  • Fall: Two American Studies grad seminars, select Literature Review topics and advisors; begin to put reading lists together
  • Spring: ASTD 6100 (Dissertation Colloquium), prepare literature reviews for oral exams
• Year Four:
  • Fall: Defend Literature reviews in Oral Exams, ASTD 6990 (Dissertation Research), prepare Dissertation Proposal
  • Spring: ASTD 6990 (Dissertation Research), complete Dissertation Proposal and Proposal Presentation
• Remaining Semesters: Dedicated to dissertation research and writing.