Graduate Program

Director of Graduate Studies
Varies, contact department office.


Admission Information

Applicants to the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs in American Studies should hold a bachelor’s degree and/or a strong background in American Studies or a related field. In making their application, candidates are expected to submit a substantive letter of intent with a clear statement of their American Studies research interests and their goals in pursuing such investigations on at the master's- or doctoral-level. Only candidates who show purpose and promise, and whose research needs can be appropriately met, are admitted by a committee of the department faculty.

Application Deadlines

Annual: January 15.
NOTE: Early application is recommended. No new applications are accepted after January 15.


Degrees Offered

  • Master of Arts in American Studies (M.A.)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies (Ph.D.)

American Studies is an interdisciplinary graduate program focused on the critical analysis of the United States and U.S empire. Students in American Studies are given flexibility while creating their own path through the program with the assistance of faculty. While American Studies encompasses a wide-range of topics, faculty in the program specialize in the following focus areas: Environmental and Social Justice; Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies; Southwest and Borderlands Studies; Critical Legal Studies ; Critical Indigenous Studies; Cultural Studies, Visual Culture and Popular Culture; Colonialism and Decolonization; and Critical Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies.

Students consult with department faculty to develop individual, interdepartmental programs of study in the humanities and social sciences that focus on these or other significant aspects of the United States and U.S. empire.


Master of Arts in American Studies

Requirements

Taking into consideration the experience and purposes of each student, individualized programs are planned to focus in two major areas of interest with supplementary work in other areas.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in American Studies is offered under Plan I (thesis), Plan II (non-thesis), and Plan III (coursework only) as described in The Graduate Program section of this Catalog. The master’s program, in any case, requires an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental grouping of courses for the study of American culture. 

Plan I: completion of at least 27 credit hours of coursework in addition to at least six (6) thesis credit hours.
Plan II: completion of a minimum of 33 credit hours of graduate coursework culminating in a comprehensive examination.
Plan III: completion of a minimum of 33 credit hours of graduate coursework with no final examination or project.

All graduate students must take the following in their first three semesters in the program:

  • AMST 500: American Culture Study Seminar (in the first fall semester)
  • AMST 501: Theories and Methods in American Studies (in the first spring semester)
  • AMST 502: Research Methods Practicum (in the second fall semester)

Students must also take at least four other American Studies seminars during the completion of M.A. coursework.


Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies

Requirements

General guidelines for completion of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in American Studies are set forth in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. Taking into consideration the experience and purposes of each student, individualized programs are planned to emphasize three major areas of interest with supplementary work in other areas.

At least 48 credit hours of coursework, exclusive of dissertation, are required for the Ph.D. in American Studies:

  • Required introductory graduate sequence: AMST 500, 501, 502 (9 credit hours);
  • Seminars in American Studies (18 credit hours);
  • Electives chosen from any department or program (15 credit hours);
  • Independent study in preparation for comprehensive qualifying examination (6 credit hours).

Students that hold an M.A. degree may transfer up to 18 credit hours at the discretion of the American Studies department.

Foreign Language: In addition to the coursework requirements, students must fulfill the department's foreign language requirement either through the various options approved by the Graduate Studies office or through satisfactory completion of an alternative methodology option to be determined by the student in consultation with the student’s committee on studies and the chairperson of the department.

Comprehensive Qualifying Examination: The comprehensive qualifying examination is taken after completion of coursework. The primary purpose of this written exam is to determine the student's ability at synthesizing the subject matter and various methodologies covered during his or her time in the program. Detailed guidelines for the comprehensive examination are available at the American Studies department.

Dissertation: 18 credit hours of AMST 699 Dissertation are required. The dissertation concerns itself with at least three disciplines in a specific area of American life.


Graduate Minor in American Studies

The graduate minor in American Studies is only available to Master’s-level students. To complete the minor, students must earn 9 credit hours of 500-level courses (seminars) under Plan I. Under Plan II, students need 12 credit hours of 500-level courses. Under either plan, 1–3 credit hours of Independent Study with a faculty member in American Studies can count toward the minor.


Courses in American Studies (AMST) are categorized in areas of interest. The category for each course appears in parenthesis at the end of the course description according to the following legend:

General (G); Cultural Studies (C); Environmental and Social Justice (ESJ); Gender Studies (GS); Popular Culture (PC); Race, Class and Ethnicity (RCE); and Southwest Studies (SS).


Courses

AMST 1110. Introduction to Environmental and Social Justice. (3)



AMST 1120. Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and U.S. Empire. (3)



AMST 1130. Introduction to Politics in Popular Culture [Introduction to American Popular Culture]. (3)



AMST 1140. Introduction to Critical Race and Indigenous Studies [Introduction to Race, Class and Ethnicity]. (3)



AMST 1150. Introduction to Southwest Studies. (3)



AMST 1996. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



AMST 2996. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



AMST 303. Law, Violence, and Empire. (3)



AMST 309 / 509. Topics in Social Movements. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 310 / 510. Topics in Cultural Studies. (3, may be repeated once Δ)



AMST 315. Radical Religions and American Transformations. (3)



AMST 320. Topics in Environmental and Social Justice. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 321. Science, Nature and Anxiety in the Zombie Films of George Romero. (3)



AMST 330 / 530. Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 331. Politics of Sex. (3)



AMST 340/540. Topics in Popular Visual Culture and Critique. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 341. Topics in Film. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



AMST 350 / 550. Topics in Critical Race Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 357. Topics in African-American Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 360 / 560. Topics in Southwest Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 361 [346]. Religion in New Mexico. (3)



AMST 370 / 570. Topics in Critical Indigenous Studie. (3, may be repeated fours times Δ)



AMST 371. Indigenous Film. (3)



AMST 380 / 580. Topics in Latinx Studies . (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 385. The Problem of America: Theories and Methods. (3)



AMST 400. Topics: Community-Based Activisms in American Studies. (3, may be repeated once Δ)



AMST 485. Senior Seminar in American Studies. (3)



AMST 497. Individual Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



AMST *498. Internship. (1-6)



AMST 499. Honors Thesis. (3)



AMST 500. American Culture Study Seminar. (3)



AMST 501. Theories and Methods in American Studies. (3)



AMST 502. Research Methods Practicum. (3, may be repeated once Δ)



AMST 509 / 309. Topics in Social Movements. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 510 / 310. Topics in Cultural Studies. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



AMST 515. Secularism and U.S. Empire. (3)



NONE 516. Religion, Race, Revolution. (3)



AMST 517. Visual Culture. (3)



AMST 519. Topics in Cultural History. (3, may be repeated once Δ)



AMST 520. Topics in Environmental and Social Justice. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



AMST 530 / 330. Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 540/340. Topics in Popular Visual Culture and Critique . (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 541. The Politics of Visual Culture. (3)



AMST 550 / 350. Topics in Critical Race Studies . (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 554. Migration, Immigration, and Asylum. (3)



AMST 560 / 360. Topics in Southwest Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 570 / 370. Topics in Critical Indigenous Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 580 / 380. Topics in Latinx Studies . (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



AMST 597. Individual Study-Master's Degree. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



AMST 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



AMST 697. Individual Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



AMST 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



Course Search:




Keyword Search:

Office of the Registrar

MSC11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809