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Catalog Home : Graduate School Catalog

American Studies

Link to a list of faculty for this program.

Contact Information—Department of American Studies, University of Minnesota, 104 Scott Hall, 72 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-4190; www.cla.umn.edu/american).

Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that apply to all major fields.

Curriculum—American studies is an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental program. The American studies graduate faculty consists of American studies core faculty members and graduate faculty members drawn from a wide number of departments. Students create a field of concentration and also pursue broad training in analyzing the development of cultural and historical processes that shaped the nation and its diverse cultures, as well as analyzing contemporary practices.

Prerequisites for Admission—An undergraduate major in a field related to American studies or other preparation acceptable to the Admissions Committee for American studies is required.

Special Application Requirements—The following should be sent to the department office: a special application cover sheet available through the department office or on the Web site, a personal statement, three letters of recommendation, an academic writing sample, scores from the General (Aptitude) Test of the GRE that are less than five years old, and transcripts of all college work. Applications must be submitted by December 1. Entry is only in fall semester.

Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).

For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.

Courses—Refer to American Studies (AmSt) in University Courses for courses pertaining to the program.

Use of 4xxx Courses—One 4xxx course in American studies, English, history, American Indian studies, or another appropriate program, may be included as one of the seminars to meet course requirements in American studies. As long as a member of the graduate faculty teaches the course, students can register for additional 4xxx courses by contracting to take the course as an AMST 8xxx directed study with appropriate additional coursework.

M.A. Degree Requirements

The master's degree is not designed as a terminal degree and students are not admitted to it. A Ph.D. student may elect to pursue the M.A. All coursework is applicable to the Ph.D.

Plan A and B require American studies core seminars—AMST 8201, 8202 (6 credits); two semesters of research seminars in American studies or in another department with approval of the director of graduate studies (6 credits); a comparative cultures course covering international or non-U.S. subjects (3 credits) and two adviser-approved courses in the field of concentration, including one focused on cultural pluralism within the United States (6 credits).

Plan A requires 10 thesis credits for a minimum of 21 course credits and a written thesis.

Plan B requires three additional adviser-approved courses in the field of concentration, (9 credits) for a total of 30 credits. The student is required to write three Plan B papers, each approved by a member of the graduate faculty. The papers are usually expanded seminar papers.

Language Requirements—Reading knowledge of one foreign language is required.

Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—For a master's minor, students are expected to choose courses consistent with or complementary to their major. Students should complete either AMST 8201 or 8202 and two more courses in American studies.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Ph.D. students must complete the following course distributions: four core American Studies courses (Introductory Seminars AMST 8201 and AMST 8202; Practicum in American Studies, 8401; and Dissertation Seminar, 8801); a minimum of three seminars, one of which must require original research; one comparative culture course covering international or non-U.S. topics; and seven adviser-approved field of concentration courses, at least one of which must focus on American cultural diversity. With adviser approval, any or all of the above listed seminars (except the required core courses) may count toward these seven courses. Twenty-four thesis credits are also required. Ph.D. students may register for 0999 no more than two semesters total without approval from their adviser and the director of graduate studies.

Language Requirements—Reading knowledge of one foreign language is required.

Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—For a doctoral minor, students must complete at least 12 credits of courses consistent with or complementary to their major, including four 5xxx or 8xxx courses in American studies, one of which must be AMST 8201 or AMST 8202.

Faculty

For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>.

Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).

Regents Professor
Sara M. Evans, History, SM
Richard D. Leppert, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, SM
Elaine Tyler May, SM

Professor
Patricia C. Albers, American Indian Studies, SM
Ronald R. Aminzade, Sociology, SM
W. John Archer, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, SM
David O. Born, Preventive Sciences, SM
Timothy Andres Brennan, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, ASM
Rose M. Brewer, African American and African Studies, SM
Hazel Dicken-Garcia, Journalism and Mass Communication, SM
Mary G. Dietz, Political Science, SM
Lisa J. Disch, Political Science, SM
Penny A. Edgell, Sociology, SM
James Farr, Political Science, SM
Donna R. Gabaccia, History, SM
Philip J. Gersmehl, Geography, SM
Edward M. Griffin, English, SM
Karen N. Hoyle, Library Collection, and Preservation (Children's Literature Research Collections), AM
Mary Jo Kane, Kinesiology, SM
Sally J. Kenney, Public Affairs, SM
Sally G. Kohlstedt, Geology and Geophysics (Science/Technology, History of) SM
Alex J. Lubet, Music, SM
Karal Ann R. Marling, Art History, SM
Judith A. Martin, Geography-Urban and Regional Planning, SM
Lary L. May, SM
Russell R. Menard, History, SM
Ellen Messer-Davidow, English, SM
Richa Nagar, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, ASM
John D. Nichols, American Indian Studies, SM
David W. Noble, SM
Riv-Ellen Prell, SM
Paula Rabinowitz, English, SM
Steven Ruggles, History, SM
Harvey B. Sarles, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, SM
Eric Sheppard, Geography, SM
David E. Wilkins, American Indian Studies, SM
John S. Wright, English, African American and African Studies, SM
Jack D. Zipes, German, Scandinavian, and Dutch, SM

Associate Professor
Lisa Albrecht, School of Social Work, SM
Bruce P. Braun, Geography, SM
Robert "Robin" Brown, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, SM
Brenda J. Child, SM
Susan Craddock, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, ASM
Jeffrey R. Crump, Design, Housing, and Apparel, SM
Maria Damon, English, SM
Roderick Ferguson, SM
Kirsten Fischer, History, SM
Vinay Gidwani, Geography, ASM
George D. Green, History, SM
Ronald Greene, Communication Studies, ASM
Douglas Hartmann, Sociology, SM
Ann Hironaka, Sociology, ASM
Erika Lee, History, SM
Josephine D. Lee, English, SM
Richard Lee, Psychology, SM
Patrick McNamara, History, ASM
Louis G. Mendoza, Chicano Studies, SM
Carol A. Miller, SM
Roger P. Miller, Geography, SM
Lisa A. Norling, History, SM
Jean M. O'Brien-Kehoe, History, SM
Joanna O'Connell, Spanish and Portuguese, SM
Daniel J. Philippon, Rhetoric, SM
Jennifer L. Pierce, SM
Jani Scandura, English, ASM
Robert B. Silberman, Art History, SM
Katherine M. Solomonson, Architecture, SM
Eden Torres, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, SM
David Treuer, English, ASM
Barbara Welke, History, SM
Michelle M. Wright, English, ASM
Jacquelyn N. Zita, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, SM

Assistant Professor
M. Bianet Castellanos, M2
David A. Y. O. Chang, History, M2
Tracey Ann Deutsch, History, M2
Kale Fajardo, M2
Karen Zouwen Ho, M2
Trica Keaton, M2
David Martinez, American Indian Studies, M2
Keith A. Mayes, African American and African Studies, M2
Kevin P. Murphy, History, M2
Hoon Song, Anthropology,M2
Brian G. Southwell, Journalism and Mass Communications, M2
Dara Z. Strolovitch, Political Science, M2
Natasha Tinsley, English, M2
David Valentine, Anthropology, M2

Senior Fellow
Harry C. Boyte, Public Affairs, AM

Other
Colleen J. Sheehy, Weisman Art Museum, AM

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