Best Programs for a 20th Century Americanist

[ndh235]

Hey y'all,

So, I'm relatively new here, and I've been dancing around the idea of applying to PhD programs since I was an itty bitty undergrad. But since I've taken a little bit of time off researching, and because I know the general rankings are based on sort of a crazy methodology, I was just wondering what programs are considered "best" for a 20th Century Americanist. I know it's not a particularly niche field, so I figure there might be more than a few out there. 

Thanks!

[Dr. Old Bill]

You're going to have to be more specific.

Way, way, WAY more specific.

 

[amstu]

I agree with Old Bill. (Although, reflexively I'll add U Chicago). Your bio says "English lit." What are you looking to do/research/study as a 20th C. Americanist? 

[echo449]

Poetry or prose? For better or worse, the answer is that, in this job environment, the "best" programs for american lit map on to the US News top 20 pretty well (with Penn State, Davis and Vanderbilt as notable programs to include). This is not to say that these are the only programs to apply to, or that they are all created equal, but that big 20th century americanists tend to come from these places. Illinois @ Chicago is a notable exception to this advice, due to the presence of people like WBM.  

(this comment is based on where faculty that seem important to this graduate student are currently, and is not a value judgement on any program in particular). 

Edited August 14, 2017 by echo449

[CulturalCriminal]

I think you'd be best served by considering what subject/genre/time period/theoretical lens you are interested in specifically within 20th century lens. Once you have a good idea about that, formulate some form of specific topic that you can focus on with your PhD. Once you have that, look at faculty bios for schools you might be interested in and see if they match up.

If you aren't sure what specifically in 20th century literature you are interested in, you might consider doing a MA first. I'm on my last year of mine and it certainly helped me get greater clarity and affirmed my desire to get a PhD.