Degree Programs

American studies is one of the oldest PhD programs in the United States and, as a result, our department has trained many outstanding scholars in the social sciences and other fields. We have diverse, multigenerational faculty who work in a broad range of fields and use many different approaches to the study of the United States within a global context.

Although we are a relatively small department, we graduate among the highest number of PhDs yearly in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. We believe that our students' success stems from our commitment to financial support, our cultivation of a student-advisor bond, and our emphasis on a strong student community. We also promote intellectual and professional development by encouraging graduate student research.

As a graduate student, you have the opportunity to design and teach your own course, as well as assist in large courses where you may teach a section. Many of our students also hold a national fellowship at the pre- and post-doctoral levels.

Our graduates teach in both small liberal arts colleges and large research universities. Graduates have worked in a variety of educational fields, including museums. Some of our recent outstanding graduate students work are in the areas of popular culture, comparative racial formations, feminist studies, sexuality studies, and transnational immigration, among others.