American Studies programs

[CWS2017]

Hey all,

I plan on applying to American Studies, and other interdisciplinary PhD programs, for fall 2017. I've done plenty of research on my own, but wanted to know if any of you had suggestions for programs that have professors who research in the critical whiteness studies realm. I plan on doing my research primarily on whiteness in social movements in the U.S. (allyship, "woke"ness), as well as study political correctness, and white masculinity. 

My academic profile is 3.86 undergrad GPA (History major, Philosophy minor), co-founded undergrad journal, 1 paper published, 2 conferences. Fulbright ETA, Humanity in Action fellowship, and worked on Bernie Sanders campaign as field organizer. Although not totally related, I was also a freelance journalist for NY Daily News in HS sports. Will be taking GRE in October. I expect to have strong references, and I'm a good writer, so I'm not very concerned about writing solid POS/SOP.

Any advice on programs would be much appreciated! Thanks!

[NoirFemme]

The easiest way to figure out which professors are working in your field is to read academic journals and books. Do you have access to JSTOR? Search for your topics of interest and pay attention to where the authors teach or were taught.

[kekology4]

@CWS2017 I hope you found some professors who do that work! And good luck with applications. I'm applying to 3 American studies programs: harvard, yale and nyu. so nervous!

[The Shade King]

The American Studies thread seems quiet this year. I have already applied to three American Studies programs with about 5 more to come in January. Good Luck to everyone!!!

 

@kekology4I am also applying to Yale and Harvard. I decided not to apply to NYU even though I love New York.

[kekology4]

@The Shade King right, i wanted to liven it up a bit. good luck!! If you're okay with sharing, where all are you applying? and why didn't you apply to nyu? 

[gradkid]

@CWS2017Consider Roediger's legacy and spaces he's influenced. But also bear in mind that while it's critical to study whiteness, some faculty or departments resist the critical whiteness model because it yet again centers whiteness. I'd look at programs with great critical race theorists (of which there are many). I sat in on a lecture at UMD and thought they were doing outstanding work. As for your background, you're a strong candidate, but it's all about fit. Make sure your interests align clearly with at least two faculty and the departmental mission. 

[NoirFemme]

After much hemming and hawing, half of the ten schools I'm applying to are for American Studies. Do I even need to name them? Lol

Edited December 15, 2016 by NoirFemme

[cypressknee]

19 hours ago, NoirFemme said:

After much hemming and hawing, half of the ten schools I'm applying to are for American Studies. Do I even need to name them? Lol

Six of the nine programs I'm applying to are American Studies! I don't know very many people applying to AMST programs, but I'm coming from English. Which ones are you applying to? I'm applying to Yale, Harvard, and Brown, to which I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into, as well as UNC Chapel Hill, BU, and UT Austin. 

[haughtysauce007]

How competitive is it to get into the American Studies program at Harvard? Does anyone know? JW...

 

[NoirFemme]

2 hours ago, cypressknee said:

Six of the nine programs I'm applying to are American Studies! I don't know very many people applying to AMST programs, but I'm coming from English. Which ones are you applying to? I'm applying to Yale, Harvard, and Brown, to which I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into, as well as UNC Chapel Hill, BU, and UT Austin. 

Yale, Brown, Harvard, Rutgers, and University of Michigan.

I contemplated Bowling Green State University, Boston University, and UMass Amherst's American Studies track in their English department, but I had to ruthlessly prune my list to places where I truly felt I'd thrive.

[NoirFemme]

2 hours ago, tahmoney007 said:

How competitive is it to get into the American Studies program at Harvard? Does anyone know? JW...

 

Based on the website, it appears that they want students doing exciting projects that are rooted in interdisciplinary work. I spoke with a GSAS recruiter, and all she kept saying was Harvard does whatever it wants. So just apply and see what happens. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by NoirFemme

[PetiteFilleNoire]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to pop in. I'm applying to U of Maryland - College Park, Yale, and NYU for AMST; UCSB for feminist studies; and Cornell, Northwestern, Berkeley and UCLA (MA) for African-American Studies. 

[heyyDW]

Hey folks, just stoppin in to say I applied/am applying to four Communication Studies programs and the Bowling Green State University American Culture Studies program. I like the faculty and the kinda work they do. I'm interested in disability advocacy, especially re: how the internet has shaped it.

Edited January 5, 2017 by heyyDW
program type

[cypressknee]

This thread is so quiet compared to last year's American Studies thread. Do you think the applicant pool is smaller this season, or that more people are just lurking? 

[cypressknee]

On 12/15/2016 at 9:27 PM, NoirFemme said:

Yale, Brown, Harvard, Rutgers, and University of Michigan.

I contemplated Bowling Green State University, Boston University, and UMass Amherst's American Studies track in their English department, but I had to ruthlessly prune my list to places where I truly felt I'd thrive.

Same here. I also noticed that some American Studies departments were ambiguous about funding, and to those that were I didn't even bother applying. 

[NoirFemme]

 

2 hours ago, cypressknee said:

This thread is so quiet compared to last year's American Studies thread. Do you think the applicant pool is smaller this season, or that more people are just lurking? 

I've been moving between the various humanities subforums, and the 2017 threads in every discipline appear to be a fraction of the size of previous years. Maybe the applicant pool is smaller. I mentioned in the history thread that newspapers say grad school applications rise and fall with the economy. The past 2-3 years haven't been as brutal as 2008-2011...but we might see a jump in the 2018 cycle.

2 hours ago, cypressknee said:

Same here. I also noticed that some American Studies departments were ambiguous about funding, and to those that were I didn't even bother applying. 

Same here. The job market for American Studies is already nebulous. Financial stress during my studies is already enough.

[The Shade King]

3 hours ago, cypressknee said:

This thread is so quiet compared to last year's American Studies thread. Do you think the applicant pool is smaller this season, or that more people are just lurking? 

I lurked last year it could be that or folks were over 2016 like most of us are. I know it does seem small but I did hear the private sector had increased a lot money wise for some industries so people could be wating before going to grad school or scared off by job prospects. 

[The Shade King]

57 minutes ago, NoirFemme said:

 

I've been moving between the various humanities subforums, and the 2017 threads in every discipline appear to be a fraction of the size of previous years. Maybe the applicant pool is smaller. I mentioned in the history thread that newspapers say grad school applications rise and fall with the economy. The past 2-3 years haven't been as brutal as 2008-2011...but we might see a jump in the 2018 cycle.

Same here. The job market for American Studies is already nebulous. Financial stress during my studies is already enough.

Funding at state schools seems to be the most up in the air ,private schools are where the guaranteed money at if you get in. Thats is one reason why I tried to do a mix of both as I wanted  a place with stable funding, especially summer funding. Sadly because many governors that came in around 2010 were a group who just slashed funding for their state colleges. 

[cypressknee]

9 hours ago, NoirFemme said:

I've been moving between the various humanities subforums, and the 2017 threads in every discipline appear to be a fraction of the size of previous years. Maybe the applicant pool is smaller. I mentioned in the history thread that newspapers say grad school applications rise and fall with the economy. The past 2-3 years haven't been as brutal as 2008-2011...but we might see a jump in the 2018 cycle.

If the applicant pool is indeed smaller, I wonder if it has more to do with the election than the economy, or that people are less willing to continue with their education because of student loans. Perhaps it's some combination of all those things. 

[towonderland72]

Lurker here.

I applied back in October (!) and have finally resorted to obsessively stalking gradcafe, so I thought I'd say hello.

I applied to Harvard, Brown, Yale, and BU, and am now totally kicking myself for not applying to more places. I'm a bit skeptical about the whole process, as I'm British and have very little frame of reference for how this works beyond what I did for my masters (somewhat off the beaten path, I did the now-defunct MPW at USC). My undergrad isn't American Studies, either- I have a History degree from Cambridge (graduated in 2013, so am about to get my conferred masters degree from there, but that's a whole 'nother story) with a dissertation in American History.

TL;DR I'm driving myself nuts. When do we get put out of our misery?!

[The Shade King]

6 hours ago, towonderland72 said:

Lurker here.

I applied back in October (!) and have finally resorted to obsessively stalking gradcafe, so I thought I'd say hello.

I applied to Harvard, Brown, Yale, and BU, and am now totally kicking myself for not applying to more places. I'm a bit skeptical about the whole process, as I'm British and have very little frame of reference for how this works beyond what I did for my masters (somewhat off the beaten path, I did the now-defunct MPW at USC). My undergrad isn't American Studies, either- I have a History degree from Cambridge (graduated in 2013, so am about to get my conferred masters degree from there, but that's a whole 'nother story) with a dissertation in American History.

TL;DR I'm driving myself nuts. When do we get put out of our misery?!

No worries we are in a similar boats lol .. uncertainy breeds a bit of craziness. I am curious thought, why didnt u apply to a few history programs, have your interests shifted that much? Chicago, Northwestern, Columbia were all programs I looked at when I thought I might be able to apply to history before I realized they would hate me and my work lol.

[kekology4]

@towonderland72 I think most of us are driving ourselves nuts lol i know i am. for what its worth, im applying to yale as well and in the past theyve sent their acceptances out in late february. so long to wait !! 

[NoirFemme]

On 1/5/2017 at 8:32 PM, cypressknee said:

If the applicant pool is indeed smaller, I wonder if it has more to do with the election than the economy, or that people are less willing to continue with their education because of student loans. Perhaps it's some combination of all those things. 

I've seen more people in my circles and in acquaintance circles (of various ages) snark on the point of attending college and grad school. The student loan crisis and the trouble with obtaining employment after graduation from 4 YR university has soured a lot of people on higher ed...which will probably have even more impact on the adjunct crisis!

[NoirFemme]

To get back on topic a bit--what work are you doing in American Studies that you want to explore at the graduate level? 

What is your dream program and why?

[kekology4]

Great questions. I want to continue developing feminist critiques of state power and security. My work draws on transnational feminisms and black feminist theories of the human to critique state violence done in the name of nation-building. 

My dream program is NYU, because I've seen some work being done there on security and sovereignty which lines up with my work. 

What about you, @NoirFemme?