American Studies, MA

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the MA degree in American studies must satisfactorily complete 30 credits of graduate work, including a final project (AMST 688 , 3 credits) based on original research. Students may choose to do a curriculum unit, which entails doing research culminating in the presentation of a relevant and useful pedagogical document for secondary school teachers.

The curriculum is built around a core of six three-credit courses:

Note:

Elective courses may be drawn from additional graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in American studies, anthropology, English, women’s studies, Africana studies, politics, history, and public policy, with approval from the graduate program director.

Admission Requirements

Please see the general statement of admission requirements for all graduate studies programs in the Admissions section.

Applicants must satisfy general admissions requirements, including a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in appropriate courses. They must submit:

official transcripts of previous work
three letters of recommendation
a statement of purpose
a writing sample demonstrating analytic ability in fields relevant to American Studies
foreign students: TOEFL scores are required

Optional, but recommended: GRE aptitude scores

In cases in which an applicant has been out of school for many years and does not have some or all of these documents readily accessible, please speak with the American Studies Graduate Program Director about your application.

Transfer Students: You may transfer up to two courses taken as a non-degree student to count towards your degree in American studies once you are admitted to full standing in the program.

Admissions Deadlines

June 1 (for fall admission)
October 1 (Foreign students only for spring admission)
November 1 (for spring admission)

To find out more about how to apply to our program, please visit the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Graduate Admissions page. We also invite you to contact the American Studies Graduate Program Director, Bonnie Miller, to learn more about the program and the application process.