American Studies Program

http://www.montana.edu/americanstudies/graduate.html

About the Program

The American Studies program strives to provide world-class graduate training at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels in American Studies for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of American culture. At universities in many nations around the world, American Studies is the rubric of choice for students seeking a broad understanding of American culture. American Studies examines those values and institutional structures that hold Americans together and, at times, divide them into the kinds of factions that the authors of the Federalist Papers so feared when they argued for the ratification of the US Constitution. How America is constituted really is the core subject of American Studies.

With a special focus on the American West, and concentrations in American Arts, American History, American Literature, American Pluralism, and Public Humanities, the program draws on a distinguished cohort of full-time and associated faculty with research and teaching expertise in the disciplines of Anthropology, Architectural History, Art History, English, History, Media and Theater Arts, Native American Studies, Political Science, and Sociology.

The program prepares students for careers in academic research and teaching, business, journalism, cultural resource management, museums, or government service, especially in the U.S. Department of State (primarily its information and cultural services), and agencies like the National Park Service. American Studies has long been one of the primary training grounds for American Foreign Service officers as well as journalists and business leaders who are charged with making sense of the American cultural mosaic for international audiences. Additionally, the program positions graduate students to think critically about and work in a globalized political economy, preparing them for multiple career options where depth and breadth of knowledge about American culture is essential.

Admissions

For complete information on applying to American Studies, including deadlines, please see the American Studies graduate program page

Department Location & Contact Information

Program Director -  Dr. Robert Rydell

319 Leon Johnson Hall

PO Box 170595

Bozeman, Montana 59717

Phone: 406-994-4247

Email: amerstudies@montana.edu

American Studies Graduate Website

Programs

American Studies offers the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy, with a special focus on the American West.

Five-year BA/MA Program

The American Studies program offers a unique opportunity for qualified undergraduate students allowing them to enter the American Studies Master of  Arts program after completing three years of undergraduate coursework. To learn more about this program opportunity, please visit the American Studies Undergraduate Graduate Program page.