Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies

The Ph.D. degree in American studies requires the successful completion of 60 credits of work. Doctoral candidates are expected to complete 42 credits of coursework, with 6 credits in two core courses, 6 credits in upper-level reading and research seminars, and 3 credits in public humanities. Students are also required to complete 18 credits of dissertation research.

Students may enter the program with either a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or master of arts (M.A.) degree.

For transfer students who earn the M.A. outside Rutgers–Newark, up to 12 credits in coursework may be counted toward the fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree requirements. Acceptance of these credits will be at the discretion of the program director in consultation with the graduate school and will depend on the field of the student's master's degree, the appropriateness to American Studies of specific courses taken, and the rules of the Graduate School–Newark.

For students who enter the program with an M.A. earned at Rutgers–Newark, up to 24 credits may be counted toward the Ph.D. requirements. Acceptance of these credits will be at the discretion of the program director in consultation with the graduate school and will depend on the field of the student's master's degree and the appropriateness to American studies of specific courses taken.

All students, however, will be required to take the one-year-long sequence of introductory courses: Introduction to American Studies (050:501) and Research Seminar in American Studies (050:502).

Doctoral students, in their second year, must take a research seminar and a reading seminar in which they pursue their core interests in a more developed way than in their first-year seminars.

All students must, in consultation with the program director, take a 3-credit course in public humanities. This can be a research seminar, reading seminar, internship, or independent study.

With the approval of the program director, the student's academic adviser, and the course instructors, up to three Rutgers Newark undergraduate courses may be counted toward the completion of the M.A. degree. No more than one undergraduate course may be taken per semester. To receive graduate credit, the student must have been assigned and successfully completed significant additional work in the undergraduate course.

With the approval of the program director and the student's academic adviser, up to 12 credits in directed readings may be counted toward the completion of the Ph.D. degree.

It is expected that students will modify and refine the broad interdisciplinary areas as they define their particular academic interests. Each field will be followed by a more specific thematic, chronological, or methodological designation. (For example: Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society: Asian American Literature and Politics 1880-1945; or Cultural History and Artistic Production: US Literature and Society since 1945.)

Doctoral qualifying exams must be taken within six months of the completion of coursework. The student will have established approved reading lists with her or his three academic advisers in each area of focus. The student's area advisers will design the separate exams, which will be written and submitted within a week's time, followed a week later by the oral exams.

Within six months of completing the written and oral doctoral examinations, students must present and defend a dissertation proposal to three advisers.

Following are the Ph.D.'s program graduation requirements: 

Courses (42 credits)

Core sequence in the theory and methodology of American studies

   Introduction to American Studies (3 credits)

   Research Seminar in American Studies (3 credits)

Upper-level research seminar, second year of full-time study (3 credits)

Upper-level reading seminar (3 credits)

Public humanities (3 credits in consultation with program director)

Major interdisciplinary area (18 credits)

Second interdisciplinary area (9 credits)

Third area of study, more concentrated within a single discipline (9 credits)

Dissertation Research (18 credits)

Language Proficiency
Students will be required to demonstrate reading proficiency in one language other than English by taking an examination. This examination, which will be administered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, must be taken before taking doctoral examinations. To budget your study time successfully, take the language exam well before your doctoral exams.

Students will translate one passage from an intermediate-level primary or secondary text from the international language of their choice (Spanish or French are commonly taken) into English into a blue book in 60 minutes.

International students may translate a test from the language of their choice into English.

What to know before you take the test:

Students are allowed to bring a dictionary. A dictionary that helps you translate idiomatic phrases can be helpful.

There is a $20 fee for language exams. The fee must be paid in cash prior to taking the exam.

Language exams are graded Pass/Fail and can be retaken.

Contact Camille Campbell, ext. 5498 in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, 430 Conklin Hall, to schedule an exam.

Within six months of completing the written and oral doctoral examinations, students must present and defend a dissertation proposal to three advisers. These need not be the same three advisers who administered the oral and written examinations. The student is responsible for scheduling the date of the defense.