Ph.D. in American Studies
The doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D.) in the American studies program at Washington State University requires a previous master's degree in American studies or a related discipline in the social sciences or the humanities. The degree aims to achieve both breadth of knowledge in U.S cultural history and depth of knowledge in an interdisciplinary area of specialization.
The Graduate School requires that the Ph.D. program include a total of 72 credit hours beyond the B.A., including transfer, research, and dissertation credits. The American studies program requires a minimum total of 30 graded credit hours in graduate courses. The distribution of required courses and all other requirements are indicated below.
A. Core Requirements
Ph.D. students in American studies will take the following 9 graded credit hours of core requirements in the first year of their graduate course work:
- Am St 505: Proseminar in American Cultural Studies (3cr)
Provides an introduction to critical theoretical engagement within an interdisciplinary field. Emphasizes the professionalization of students into the academy. - Am St 506: Frameworks in American Cultural Studies (3cr)
Provides a critical framework for the varied intellectual, theoretical, and political genealogies within American cultural studies. - Am St 507: Contemporary Practices in American Cultural Studies (3cr)
Provides overview of contemporary practices in American cultural studies. Identifies important concepts and major insights within the field.
B. Electives
Ph.D. students in American studies will also take 12 graded credit hours of interdisciplinary electives from the following set of courses:
- Am St 520: Colonization, Globalization, and Decolonization (3cr)
Topics in the history of Western colonization and resistance to it. - Am St 521: Critical Studies in Sexuality (3cr)
Topics in queer theory and les/bi/gay/trans/queer studies. - Am St 522: Digital Cultures, Digital Divides (3cr)
Critical social and cultural analysis of the impacts of various digital (sub) cultures and new media. - Am St 523: Environmental Justice Cultural Studies (3cr)
Analysis of critical issues and social action at the intersection of race, class, gender, empire, and the environment. - Am St 524: Critical Studies in Popular Culture (3cr)
Interdisciplinary approaches to historical and contemporary trends and issues in U.S. popular culture. - Am St 525: Social Movements in American Studies (3cr)
Interdisciplinary analysis of historical and current social movements as a product of and contributor to U.S. culture. - Am St 526: Contemporary Theories of Race and Ethnicity (3cr)
Major theoretical readings and key recent texts in United States and transnational ethnic studies scholarship. - Am St 527: Contemporary Feminist Theories and Practices (3cr)
Major theoretical readings and key recent texts in United States and transnational feminist studies scholarship. - Am St 590: Seminar in American Studies (3cr) (R)
May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 9 hours. Interdisciplinary topics in American culture arranged to match current student and faculty interests and expertise. - Am St 596: Special Topics in American Studies (3cr) (R)
May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 9 hours. Interdisciplinary topics in American culture arranged to match current student and faculty interests and expertise.
C. Area of Specialization
In addition to the core and elective requirements, all Ph.D. students take 9 graded credits in an area of specialization. Areas of specialization 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 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 chair and the director of American studies.
D. Evidence of Foreign Language Competency
Candidates at the Ph.D. 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 Ph.D. program have the options of satisfying the requirement by offering two languages at the M.A. level of proficiency or by offering one language at a high level of proficiency, both established by procedures specified for the M.A. program.
Ph.D. candidates who want to fulfill their language competence at an advanced level with one language must meet the following conditions:
- Pass the Graduate Foreign Language Translation Examination arranged through the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures;
OR - Complete one of the following courses in the appropriate language with a B or above grade: Fren 450; Ger 450, 451, 452; Span 450, 451, 452, or 600 (Intensive Spanish for graduates).
- If they are not native speakers of English, they may offer their native languages provided their committee chair and the program director certify that (a) 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.
E. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Portfolio
The Ph.D. comprehensive portfolio consists of:
- 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 overall academic preparation for presenting such papers. These papers may be a revised seminar paper from work in core classes, a paper concerning the student's area of specialization courses, or a general seminar paper or academic writing project, 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 Ph.D. students. At the Ph.D. 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 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 complements or expands upon the work completed in areas of specialization and emphasis.
- A detailed prospectus, including a bibliography for the dissertation. In preparation for the preliminary oral exam, and to complete their comprehensive portfolio, Ph.D. 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.
Any section of the comprehensive portfolio unacceptable to the student's advisory committee will require redoing only that section. For Ph.D. students who delay completing an acceptable portfolio beyond the fourth year of full-time study (and for M.A. 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.
F. The Prospectus
In preparation for the preliminary oral exam, each Ph.D. 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 portfolio, 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.
H. The Dissertation
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) WSU tenure-track faculty who hold a graduate doctoral degree comparable to the degree sought by the student. 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 their 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. 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.