PhD students must complete 48 credits of coursework (16 courses) in preparation for a general examination in three related fields of study, plus 24 credits of dissertation research. All coursework, examinations, the dissertation, and other requirements must be completed within eight years.

Students entering the program with an MA or other graduate degree in American Studies or related fields may petition the department to transfer credits toward the completion of the PhD. Petitions should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) at the end of the student’s first year of coursework. In assessing these requests, the DGS and other members of the student’s advisory committee will consider the student’s academic performance in the program, as well as his or her readiness to take the General Examination. Any transfer credits awarded must contribute directly toward the student’s preparation for a general exam field; a maximum of 9 credits may be carried into the program with departmental approval.

Coursework

Each student begins his or her program by meeting with the DGS and other faculty members to develop a comprehensive plan of study for the PhD and to establish an advisory committee. The plans of study, including coursework and preparation for the General Examination, are tailored as much as possible to match each student’s intellectual interests. They may include pertinent courses and fields drawn from other related departments (such as American literature or U.S. political history), as well as comparative courses or fields focused on a non-U.S. culture. The advisory committee consists of the DGS, the student's advisor and the faculty—usually two additional members—responsible for preparing the student for each of the three general exam fields. The student will meet with the advisory committee each fall until the general exam is completed, as a means of reviewing progress in the program.

Required Courses

Unless they enter with an MA in American Studies, all PhD students are required to take AMST 231 (Scope and Methods in American Studies) and one semester of the following courses: AMST 232 (Cultural Theory and American Studies), AMST 268-269 (Readings and Research in Cultural History).

The department strongly recommends that all PhD students complete at least one approved theory course, whether in American Studies or another GW department, as part of their coursework.

Research Requirement

All students must successfully complete at least one approved research seminar offered by American Studies or another GW department, in which they produce an article-length (25-35 pp.), primary-source-based, original research essay of publishable quality. The department highly recommends that students take one approved research seminar in each of their first two years in the program. The goal is to expose students to a range of research methods and sources and to prepare students adequately for writing a PhD dissertation. Students should consult with their advisory committee during the first semester to identify appropriate courses for fulfilling this requirement.

Foreign Language

The American Studies Department strongly encourages the acquisition of foreign language skills, especially for students interested in transnational American Studies. However, demonstration of reading competency in a language other than English is required only if necessary to pursue a particular dissertation project. In such cases, students may fulfill this requirement by passing a language tool exam offered by a GW language department, or through some other examination approved by the department.

General Examination

Students are required to complete a general examination in three related fields of study, over the course of one month, by the end of their third year in the program (although they are strongly encouraged to do so by the middle of that year). There are no required examination fields for the PhD in American Studies. In conjunction with faculty advisors, students design their own fields and are encouraged to take advantage of faculty strengths to develop a coherent, interdisciplinary program of study. Students may devote one exam field to the comparative study of a non-U.S. culture, if necessary faculty expertise is available. (Students who receive transfer credit for prior graduate study will be expected to take their general examination on an expedited schedule—as early as the end of their second year in the program.)

Dissertation

After completing the general examination, students begin work on their dissertation proposals and eventually on the dissertations themselves. In consultation with a dissertation director and at least two readers, students are expected to develop a defendable dissertation proposal. The proposal constitutes a working plan for the dissertation. Ordinarily, students should be ready to defend their proposals by the end of their third year in the program or very shortly thereafter (earlier for those with transfer credits).

After the proposal has been accepted, students begin work on their dissertations in earnest. They should aim to have a defendable dissertation by the end of their fifth year in the program and, at the very least, should produce a draft of the entire dissertation by the end of that year to distribute to their committee for comments to guide their final round of revisions. At the latest, students should plan to submit a defendable dissertation by the end of their sixth year.

For more information, consult the American Studies Graduate Program Handbookat The George Washington University and our tutorial on applying to the doctoral program.

Recent PhD Dissertations