Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
in American Studies
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in American Studies at Washington State University requires a previous Master's Degree in American Studies, History, English, Ethnic Studies, Women's Studies, or a related discipline in the social sciences or the humanities. The degree aims to achieve both breadth of knowledge in US cultural history, and depth of knowledge in an interdisciplinary area of specialization.
The Graduate School requires that the PhD program include a total of seventy-two (72) credit hours beyond the BA, including transfer credits (up to 17 from an MA degree) , research, and dissertation credits. A minimum total of thirty-four (34) must be graded credit hours in graduate courses. The distribution of required courses and all other requirements are indicated below.
The ENTIRE CORE COURSE SEQUENCE is required for all PhD students:
- AMST 500 COLLOQUIUM IN AMERICAN CULTURE (1cr) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum twelve (12) hours. A colloquium in which faculty and graduate students present and discuss their current research. S,F grading. All PhD students are expected to enroll in the weekly American Studies Colloquium each semester they are enrolled.
- AMST 501 READINGS IN AMERICAN STUDIES I, to 1865 (3cr) Readings in key primary and secondary texts in American culture, beginnings to 1865. Major trends in American studies and related scholarly fields.
- AMST 502 READINGS IN AMERICAN STUDIES II, since 1865 (3cr) Readings in key primary and secondary texts in American culture, 1865 to present. Major trends in American studies and related scholarly fields.
- AMST 503: CONTMEPORARY THEORIES OF RACE AND ETHNICITY (3cr) Major theoretical readings and key recent texts in United States and transnational ethnic studies scholarship.
- AMST 504: CONTEMPORARY FEMINIST THEORIES AND PRACTICES (3cr) Major theoretical readings and key recent texts in United States and transnational feminist studies scholarship.
- AMST 513 SEMINAR IN AMERICAN STUDIES THEORY AND METHOD (3cr) (R) Survey of major theories currently used to study American culture, with a special emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches and issues.
- AMST 514 RESEARCH METHODS (3cr) Major methods used in interdisciplinary social and cultural research.
- AMST 520: CRITICAL STUDIES IN SEXUALITY (3cr) Topics in queer theory and les/bi/gay/trans/queer studies.
- AMST 521: COLONIZATION, GLOBALIZATION AND DECOLONIZATION (3cr) Topics in the history of Western colonization and resistance to it.
- AMST 522: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CULTURAL STUDIES (3cr) Analysis of critical issues and social action at the intersection of race, class, gender, empire and the environment.
- AMST 523: DIGITAL CULTURES, DIGITAL DIVIDES (3cr) Critical social and cultural analysis of the impacts of various digital (sub)cultures and new media.
- AMST 524: CRITICAL STUDIES IN POPULAR CULTURE (3cr) Interdisciplinary approaches to historical and contemporary trends and issues in US popular culture.
- AMST 525: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND CULTURES (3cr) Interdisciplinary analysis of historical and current social movements as a product of and contributor to US culture.
- AMST 590: SEMINAR IN AMERICAN CULTURE (3cr) (R) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum nine (9) hours. Interdisciplinary topics in American culture arranged to match current student and faculty interests and expertise.
- AMST 596 SPECIAL TOPICS IN AMERICAN CULTURE (3cr) (R) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum nine (9) hours. Interdisciplinary topics in American culture arranged to match current student and faculty interests and expertise.
- Pass the Graduate Foreign Language Translation Examinations arranged through the Department of Foreign Languages; or
- Complete one of the following courses in the appropriate language with a B or above grade: 420-27, 434-436, 520, 522, 524, 527, 536; or
- If they are not native speakers of English, they may offer their native languages provided their advisors certify to the GSC a) that these students have achieved an appropriate level of competence and b) that they have established the suitability of the languages for their courses of study, research plans, or career goals.
- Two distinct, publishable papers based upon graduate research, preferably at least one of which has been presented at a conference. Short cover letters for each of the papers should identify possible venues for publication as well as locate the paper in relationship to the student's work overall. These papers may be revised papers originally written in the student's core, emphasis, or area of specialization courses, which have been carefully revised for publication. It is expected that selection and preparation of comprehensive portfolio papers will be accomplished over time in consultation with members of the student's degree committee.
- A position paper of 15-20 pages written after completing the core courses required of PhD students. At the PhD level, the position paper should demonstrate a student's readiness for advanced teaching, research, and writing in the field of American Studies. In the position paper, the student will demonstrate how her or his area of emphasis and area of specialization relate to the field of American Studies as a whole. Special focus on the areas of emphasis and specialization in dynamic relationship to American Studies as a field of inquiry and an area of expertise is expected. The student is expected to be able to clarify how course work in the core compliments or expands upon the work completed in areas of specialization and emphasis.
- A detailed prospectus, including a biography for the dissertation. In preparation for the preliminary oral exam, and to complete their comprehensive portfolio, PhD students must prepare a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus, typically 8-12 pages, includes a description of the dissertation topic, an outline of component parts of the dissertation (by chapter when possible), and a bibliography. The prospectus needs to be approved by the degree committee as part of the portfolio, and later submitted to the dissertation committee and to the Program director to be approved at the commencement of dissertation work. (The dissertation committee is formed after the oral exam and may or may not be composed of the earlier committee.)
- A Preliminary Oral Exam administered by the student's degree committee, and a representative of the Graduate Studies Committee of the university. Following approval of the written portfolio, the oral exam tests the candidate's general knowledge of American Studies and critical competence in cultural analysis as demonstrated through the contents of the student's comprehensive portfolio and the dissertation prospectus. The position paper and the prospectus will provide a concrete focus for the Preliminary Oral exam.
And at least two 3-credit advanced interdisciplinary seminars from the list below:
B. EMPHASIS AREA -- fifteen (15) graded credit hours:
In addition to the core requirements, PhD candidates will take an emphasis in either History, Comparative Ethnic Studies, Women's Studies, English, or another affiliated discipline. Students with an English emphasis must take Engl 512 Introduction to Graduate Study and at least four English Department seminars in American literature. History emphasis students must take Hist 581 American Historiography and at least four field courses or seminars in American History. Students with an emphasis in Comparative Ethnic Studies, Women's Studies, or another discipline work out their emphasis requirement in conjunction with their degree committee and the Director.
C. AREA OF SPECIALIZATION -- twelve (12) graded credit hours:
In addition to the core and emphasis requirements, all PhD students take at least twelve (12) credits in an Area of Specialization. Areas of Specialization will be formulated by students in consultation with the director, their advisor, and other relevant faculty members. The area must be interdisciplinary in nature. It should serve to delineate a professionally recognizable sub-specialty within American Studies and to prepare students broadly in intellectual areas germane to their dissertation. The Area of Specialization can be formulated in a variety of ways but should show significant historical depth and topical breadth. Each student constructs her/his own coherent course of study within an Area of Specialization of their own choosing with the approval of their committee and the Director of American Studies.
Areas of Specialization proposals, including a program of course work consisting of at least four graduate seminars, will then be submitted for final approval to the American Studies Advisory Committee.
D. EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCY:
Candidates at the PhD level must confer with their advisors upon entrance into the program to choose a language or languages (normally French, German, or Spanish) appropriate to a scholarly career of research and teaching. The language requirement must ordinarily be satisfied no later than the end of the fourth semester of doctoral study.
Candidates in the PhD program have the options of satisfying the requirement by offering two languages at the MA level of proficiency or by offering one language at a high level of proficiency, both established by procedures specified for the MA program.
PhD candidates who want to fulfill their language competence at an advanced level with one language must meet the following conditions:
In the development of her or his program, each candidate for the degree will normally be required to obtain credit for appropriate graduate courses in teaching. The requirement may be satisfied by the completion of one of the following courses: ENGL 598 Teaching Apprenticeship or Hist 595 The Teaching of History in College, together with the fulfillment of the duties of a Teaching Assistant. Upon evidence of a candidate's satisfactory prior experience, the American Studies Advisory Committee may waive all or part of this requirement.
E. The PhD COMPREHENSIVE PORTFOLIO:
The PhD comprehensive portfolio consists of:
Any section of the Comprehensive Portfolio unacceptable to the student's advisory committee will require redoing only that section. For PhD students who delay completing an acceptable portfolio beyond the fourth year of full time study (and for MA students beyond the third year), permission to continue in the program will depend upon the joint recommendation of the candidate's degree committee. A failed oral Preliminary or Final Exam/Defense may be retaken in the next semester with permission of the same committee. Negative recommendations in either case may be appealed to the American Studies Advisory Committee, which will review such appeals in light of the candidate's overall record in the program.
Both MA and PhD students are required to present and/or discuss one or more of the written components of the portfolio at an appropriate public forum (normally the American Studies Colloquium) either during preparation of the portfolio or after the portfolio has been approved by the student's committee.
In preparation for the preliminary oral exam, each PhD student shall prepare a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus, typically 8-12 pages, includes a description of the dissertation topic, an outline of component parts of the dissertation (by chapter when possible), and a bibliography. The prospectus needs to be approved by the student's degree committee, and then by the Program Director. The prospectus will provide a concrete focus for the portion of the Preliminary Oral exam treating future work.
G. THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION:
Following successful completion of the Portfolio, the student will take the Preliminary Examination, an oral examination, conducted by the student's degree committee and a representative from the university Graduate Studies Committee. The oral preliminary exam covers the fields in which the candidate has made graduate preparation. Normally, less than one-half of this exam is devoted to the Porfolio, with the bulk devoted to future work as outlined in the Dissertation Prospectus. The student's official Program of Study must be formally approved before the Graduate School will schedule the Preliminary Examination; upon passing it, the student becomes a formal candidate for the degree.
Following the Preliminary Examination, the candidate will prepare a dissertation under the supervision of a committee approved by the Director of American Studies. The dissertation committee must have at least three (3) members, whom must have graduate faculty status at WSU. Often this committee includes some or all members of the student's previous degree committee.
The Dissertation consists of a written manuscript (typically 200-400 pages) demonstrating in-depth command of original research on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with thier committee.
The Graduate School requires completion of the dissertation within three years after passing the Preliminary Examination.
I. DISSERTATION DEFENSE:
The Final Examination is an oral examination, conducted by the student's Dissertation Committee and a representative of the University Graduate Studies Committee; other members of the graduate faculty may attend as well. The candidate is expected to show the significance of her or his dissertation as a contribution to published research in their Area of Specialization and to demonstrate mastery of interdisciplinary methods in the study of American culture.
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