The American Studies Department at George Washington University offers three degrees: BA, MA, and PhD. The faculty and students who make up the American Studies Department combine interests drawn from a variety of perspectives and methods of inquiry: history, folklife, cultural studies, literary analysis, as well as the study of art, architecture, and visual culture. However, most faculty and students find their intellectual pursuits intersecting at some point around questions of public culture and/or public history. Students at all levels develop individualized, interdisciplinary programs of study in consultation with faculty advisors.

Common areas of research include:

• Cultural Production: Cultural forms and their audiences, including literary texts, visual arts, mass media, religious practicies and museum exhibits;

• Difference and Diversity: The social construction and social power of categories of race, especially African American, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality;

• Spatial Organization: The built environment, with particular reference to social and political developments in urban culture;

• Material Culture: The collection, display, and analysis of objects in museums and historic parks or buildings;

To support the public history/public culture and material culture interests, the American Studies Department maintains close ties with the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, and other government agencies and museums. Some courses are taught at the Smithsonian, and internships with these organizations are a common part of the training we offer. Our students leave GW for careers in a wide range of institutions, including universities, museums, libraries, media, and preservation offices.

The department does not have a printed brochure for the program as the most up-to-date information is available online. If you would like to set up a campus tour, contact the Visitor Center, and if you would like to meet with a professor or sit in on a class, please contact the professor directly.