Matriculation: Students may be admitted to the Ph.D. program either following M.A. study at NYU or elsewhere or directly after receipt of the bachelor’s degree. In either case, the first semesters of enrollment in the Ph.D. program must confirm students’ readiness for doctoral work. Thus, students holding the M.A. upon admission must officially apply to matriculate for the doctorate after completing 12 points of course work in American studies at NYU; those entering with only a bachelor’s degree must do so upon completing 32 points of course work. Approval of matriculation is based on students’ progress to date and on recommendations from faculty familiar with their work.

Degree Requirements: To qualify for the doctorate, a student must satisfactorily complete graduate studies totaling at least 72 points, with a minimum of 32 points at the doctoral level in residence at New York University; pass qualifying examinations; and pre-sent an approved dissertation. Students who have completed relevant graduate courses elsewhere may request that such courses be credited to degree requirements within the second semester of study. Credits may be earned through courses, independent study, and group study.

Course of Study: All students must take the introductory Seminar in American Studies (G13.3301), Group Research Seminar (G13.2319), and Individual Research Seminar (G13.2306). Beyond this, students work with the director of the program, the director of graduate studies, and committee advisers to establish their course of study; at least 24 points (generally six courses) in addition to those entailed by the required seminars must be earned in courses offered by the program’s core faculty. The program offers a range of six fields: (1) culture, work, and consumption; (2) identity, citizenship, and social formation; (3) media, communications, and expressive culture; (4) social and political theory; (5) science, technology, and society; and (6) urban and community studies. Doctoral students choose to concentrate their course work in two of these fields and are examined in each. Under special circumstances, fields can be constructed for students with extraordinary interests. If they wish, students may concentrate their work in specific disciplines, although the chief purpose of the field structure is to encourage transdisciplinary study.

Foreign Language Requirements: Every matriculant must satisfy the doctoral foreign language proficiency requirement. This may be done in one of three ways: (1) demonstrate proficiency at an intermediate level in a second foreign language as described in the Degree Requirements section of this bulletin; (2) demonstrate advanced proficiency in the same language offered at the master’s level in the Graduate School foreign language proficiency examination; or (3) in special cases, complete a yearlong course (with a grade of B or better) in statistics, computer methodology, or a technical skill related to the student’s research, in addition to demonstrating proficiency in a first foreign language at the master’s level.

Qualifying Examination: Matriculated students who have completed or are completing the appropriate courses and have already demonstrated knowledge of the two foreign languages must pass the qualifying examinations. Each candidate for the Ph.D. must satisfy the requirements set by the faculty committee in two fields. For each field, the candidate prepares a substantial review essay dealing with a wide range of literature in the field, considering questions and topics central to a course of reading set in consultation with field examiners.

Dissertation: When the student has completed at least one year in residence and all course and language requirements, passed the qualifying examinations, proposed an acceptable subject for the dissertation, and been recommended by the program, he or she is formally admitted to candidacy for the doctorate, and an advisory committee is appointed. While most committees are comprised of members from the program faculty, students are permitted to work with any appropriate member of the NYU faculty. Approval of the dissertation by the committee and a defense of the dissertation examination complete the requirements for the degree.

 Back to Top