Master of Arts in American Studies

As of fall 2021, admission to the graduate program in American Studies has been suspended.

Applications to the program are not being accepted at this time.

Program Director

Dr. Daniel Ayana
541 DeBartolo Hall
(330) 941-1609
dayana@ysu.edu

Program Description

The Master of Arts in American studies program is designed to provide students with train­ing in the content, theory, and methods for studying the history and culture of the United States and is designed to provide both training and experience in developing and implementing public humanities and educational programs. Special emphasis is placed on the application of the hu­manities in community, museum, and school settings. The program offers a core of courses in American studies, art and literature, history, working-class studies, and public practice, along with opportunities to work in local museums, schools, community projects, and other public hu­manities programs. Courses for the program have been drawn from five different colleges, provid­ing students the chance to gain a truly broad and diverse education while deepening their knowl­edge of American culture. The M.A. in American studies also offers a teaching track designed for secondary school teachers.

As of fall 2021, admission to the graduate program in American Studies has been suspended.

Applications to the program are not being accepted at this time.

Admission Requirements

Students must have a cumulative grade point average in undergraduate study of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). The bachelor’s degree may be in any field, but students should have taken at least 12 hours of upper-division coursework in some combination of the arts, humanities, and/or social sciences. Applicants must include a personal statement detailing goals and decision for pursuing graduate study in American Studies.

Graduate Faculty

John M. Hazy, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Community/behavioral health (drugs and crime); methodology and assessment; life course and cultural issues; teaching effectiveness

Martha Pallante, Ph.D., Professor
Early American studies; material culture; pedagogy

As of fall 2021, admission to the graduate program in American Studies has been suspended.

Applications to the program are not being accepted at this time.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete 36 semester hours of coursework at the graduate level.

COURSE TITLE S.H.
Required Core Courses
AMER 6900
Independent Project 1
Practice Area
Select two credits from one of the following tracks:6
Teaching Track
Select two of the following:
Teaching of Literature
Teaching of Writing
English Education Workshop
Studies in English Education
Studies in the Teaching of History
Public Practice Track
SED 6935
AMER 6930
Focus Area
Select at least four courses from one of the following areas:12
Cultural Studies
Special Anthropological Problems
Twentieth Century Art to 1960
Twentieth Century Art from 1960
Early American Studies
Nineteenth-Century American Studies
Twentieth-Century American
Working Class Literature
Studies in Film
Seminar
American Architectural History 1
American Architectural History 2
Oral History
Special Sociological Problems
American History
Readings in American History
Research Seminar in American Colonial History
Research Seminar in 19th-Century America
Research Seminar in 20th-Century America
American Material Culture
Working-Class Studies
Working Class Literature
Labor in US History
Interpretation and Preservation of the Industrial Built Environment
Public History
Educational Leadership and Organizational Change
Document Design and Production
Publications Issues and Management
Professional Communication
Conservation of the Historic Built Environment
Applied History
Conservation of the Historic Built Environment
Applied History
Practicum in Applied History
Historical Editing
HIST 6955
HIST 6956
Special Topics in Applied History
Distribution Requirement
Select four additional course with at least one from each of the other foucus areas above.12
1

The required course, AMER 6990 Independent Project in American Studies, requires each student to complete an independent project, such as:

  • a major research project,
  • the design and promotion of a special exhibit at a museum,
  • the development of an education program at a local library, or
  • the completion of a planning project in cooperation with a local community development agency.

Students will work closely with a committee of YSU faculty and community specialists to design and implement their individual projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1.  Students will analyze the various ways in which American culture is complex and diverse. Understanding American culture requires attention to how American diversity is reflected in the ideas, events, trends, texts, and issues created and used by Americans in everyday life as well as in community life and politics.
  2. Students will explore and practice strategies for doing interdisciplinary analysis, which relies on the development of complex inquiry, selection of appropriate materials and concepts from a wide array of options, and the application of appropriate methods for interpreting and integrating diverse sources.
  3. Students will create papers and projects in courses that demonstrate their ability to effectively communicate cultural knowledge and analyze why and how their choices are effective. This requires students to make appropriate choices about format, content, organization, and the use of evidence based on one’s purpose, audience, and situation.
  4. Students will develop connections between campus and community through papers, projects, and internships that apply the academic work to realms beyond the academy.
  5. Students will plan, develop, write, and publicly present original research through their independent (thesis) projects.
  6. Students will acquire professional experiences appropriate to the field of American Studies.

Graduate Courses

AMER 6990    Independent Project    1-3 s.h.

Completion of individual project in a community or school setting. May be repeated for a maximum of three semester hours.
Prereq.: Proposal and review meeting with committee.