PhD MA Graduate Certificate Program in Public History   The American Culture Studies program offers students the opportunity to critically explore the cultural and intellectual traditions that have historically shaped and defined American identity. The program challenges students to think of culture as a dynamic and contested domain, whose definition and deployment are negotiated in the context of complex power dynamics and struggles. It invites students to consider the role of mass media and mediated images of subjectivity in the formation of cultural identity. It also invites students to explore the ways in which American identity has been historically gendered and racialized in myths of nation-making, nationalism, and national identity. Additionally, we encourage students to consider these struggles over identity in their larger transnational and diasporic contexts. The American Culture Studies program is interdisciplinary and comparative in nature. It emphasizes the development of critical analytical and scholarly skills, and offers training to prepare students for academic and professional careers.

 

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Download PhD Handbook (PDF) The PhD program in American Culture Studies is directed by an intellectual community made up of over sixty faculty members. The program features two broad interdisciplinary academic tracks from which students choose their major concentration: (1) Critical Studies in Media, Film, and Culture; and (2) Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Identities. These are designed to allow our students to be exposed to and to address contemporary cutting-edge research and debates in the field of Cultural Studies. They also reflect the unique academic strengths of our graduate faculty, who are deeply involved in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary teaching and research. The American Culture Studies program includes faculty members from the following departments and graduate programs: Communication Studies, English, Ethnic Studies, History, Philosophy, Popular Culture, Sociology, Theatre/Film, and Women’s Studies. Recognizing that American culture is complex and multifaceted, this program requires work in a variety of subject areas, encouraging students to reflect on both the historic heritage and contemporary expression of our national experiences. General Requirements: Requirements for the doctorate in American Culture Studies are: (1) the completion of at least 70 semester hours beyond the master's degree; (2) including a maximum of 16 hours of credit for research on the dissertation. The PhD program contains the following components: (1) -- Common Core Requirement (13 hours): Theories of American Culture Studies, Genealogy of American Culture, Publication and Professional Development, Key Debates in Cultural Studies. (2) -- Interdisciplinary Major Concentration (21 hours): Either (a) Critical Studies in Film, Media, and Culture, or (b) Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Identities. (3) -- Minor Concentration (12 hours): Either a disciplinary minor, such as Communication Studies, English, History, etc., or an interdisciplinary minor, such as Film Studies, Museum/Archival Studies, etc., or a graduate certificate program, such as those in Ethnic Studies, Women’s Studies, Performance Studies, etc. (4) -- Electives (8 hours): Chosen by the student from a variety of courses, including pedagogical seminars, lecture series, and other topics of individual interest. (5) -- Dissertation Research (16 hours): Including a 3 hour seminar in Dissertation Research and Writing. (6) -- Professional Activity: During their course of study in the PhD program, students are encouraged and expected to participate in a range of professional activities aimed at preparing them to successfully compete on the academic job market. These include such activities as presenting papers at professional conferences and professional publication in scholarly journals and edited volumes. The ACS Program assists students in the pursuit of these scholarly activities through offering financial aid to offset the cost of travel to conferences and registration.

Preliminary Examination: Successful completion of the Preliminary Examination, which is given in the Fall semester of the third year of full-time study, is required for formal advancement to PhD candidacy. The preliminary examination is intended to test the student’s mastery of the content, theories, and methodologies covered in the American Culture common core required courses and in the student’s interdisciplinary major area of concentration. Dissertation: The dissertation topic should be consistent with the candidate's planned profession and is subject to the approval of the ACS PhD Executive Committee. The dissertation is the culmination of the candidate’s academic study, and should make a contribution to the candidate’s academic area of study. American Culture Studies dissertations normally employ an interdisciplinary methodology. Doctoral committees in the American culture program will consist at a minimum, of three affiliated faculty members from the American Culture Studies Program and a representative of the Graduate College. Other appropriate faculty, including faculty from other institutions, may be included with the approval of the ACS PhD Executive Committee. Typical Course of Study: FALL FIRST YEAR ACS 602 Teaching American Culture Studies ACS 730 Theories of American Culture Studies ACS 680 Popular Culture and Media Theory OR ETHN 620 Theories of Race, Ethnicity, Multiculturalism Major/Minor Course Pedagogical Seminar     SPRING FIRST YEAR ACS 740 Genealogy of American Culture ACS 760 Critical Approaches in Film Studies OR WS 620 Feminist Theory Major/Minor Course   SUMMER FIRST YEAR Major Course Major/Minor Course   FALL SECOND YEAR ACS 745 Publication and Professional Development Major Course Minor Course     SPRING SECOND YEAR ACS 750 Key Debates in Cultural Studies  Major Course  Minor Course     SUMMER SECOND YEAR ACS 798 Readings for the Preliminary Exam Major/Minor/Elective Course     FALL THIRD YEAR ACS 799 Dissertation Hours     SPRING THIRD YEAR ACS 782 Dissertation Workshop ACS 799 Dissertation Hours     FALL & SPRING FOURTH YEAR ACS 799 Dissertation Hours     To Apply: Visit Application Page

 

return to top > GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN PUBLIC HISTORY   BGSU’s graduate certificate program in Public History offers advanced graduate training for professionals in the public history profession in the three-state region of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.  The program is practical and career-focused in its design, featuring courses in historical museum management, museology, local history, archival administration, and preservation studies taught by academic specialists in these topics and by expert practitioners in the field of public history/historical museum management.  The program of study is capped by an internship experience to give students actual hands-on experience in the field. ADMISSION PROCEDURES Students must apply to the Graduate College for general admission.  GRE scores are not necessary for the stand-alone certificate. In addition to the application required by the Graduate College, applicants to the certificate program must submit the following to the History Department: (1) two letters of recommendation from recent instructors, employers, or other individuals qualified to evaluate probably success in the program; (2) a personal statement of intent delineating the purpose for enrolling in the program and outlining career goals (2-3 pages).  Careful attention is given to these materials. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Students who wish to be admitted to the graduate certificate program in Public History must meet at least one of the following requirements: Be enrolled in an appropriate graduate program at BGSU (History, ACS, or other related field), with a current graduate GPA of 3.0 or better.   Or, for the stand-alone certificate: Hold a bachelor degree in an appropriate field of study (History, American Studies, or other related field) with a 3.0 minimum grade point average, or Have already completed a graduate degree in an appropriate area of study.   TIME TO COMPLETION OF DEGREE The graduate certificate in Public History must be completed within four years from the semester date that the first course is taken.  The certificate is awarded upon the completion of all degree requirements, including the internship.  The graduate certificate in Public History will appear on the student’s official transcript.   CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS The certificate program consists of seventeen academic credit hours of work.  These must include fourteen-sixteen hours of course work (described below) plus two-three hours of approved internship credit as a capstone experience as the completion of the graduate certificate program.  The program of course work includes two required courses: HIST/ACS 654   MUSEOLOGY  (4 HRS) HIST/ACS 657   HISTORICAL SOCIETY ADMINISTRATION  (4 HRS)   These two courses are each offered every other year, normally during the Fall semester of each academic year on a rotating basis.  Both of these courses must be successfully completed for the certificate program degree. The program of study also includes a requirement that students successfully complete any two of the following three courses: HIST 610   LOCAL HISTORY  (4 HRS) HIST 656   ARCHIVES ADMINISTRATION  (4 HRS) TECH 586   PRESERVATION STUDIES  (3 HRS)   These three courses are also offered on an every-other year basis, with TECH 586 normally being offered during the Summer semester, the other two courses normally being offered during the Spring semester. Finally, the program includes a requirement that students successfully complete a capstone internship, to be arranged with the graduate directors of the History/ACS programs at an approved historical museum, historical society, or other professionally appropriate worksite. ACS 689/789 or HIST 688   INTERNSHIP  (2-3 HRS)              The internship will normally be taken during the second year of study in the graduate certificate program, following the completion of all course work for the certificate, but may be taken somewhat earlier in the certificate program as circumstances dictate and with the approval of the graduate director of the ACS or History program.  BGSU requires that for each hour of academic internship credit, students must complete 45 hours of supervised on-site work.  INFORMATION For more information about the BGSU Graduate Certificate Program in Public History, please contact: Donald McQuarie, Director American Culture Studies Program Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH  43402 419-372-8886 dmcquar@bgnet.bgsu.edu

 

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Download MA Handbook (PDF) The interdisciplinary MA program in American Culture Studies is designed around the concept of culture, which serves to unify study of the many discrete aspects of our historical, social, intellectual, and artistic heritage. The program invites students to explore particular themes, issues, and periods from an interdisciplinary perspective. This program offers a foundation in the study of American culture for students with a variety of interests or goals. Primarily, we seek to communicate a sense of the complexity and diversity of our national culture based upon a systematic analysis of its elements. This approach is relevant equally to students who might pursue a career in education in some aspect of American culture; those who might engage in such professions as journalism, public relations, advertising, government, marketing, etc., where a knowledge of American culture is important; or those seeking enrichment of their understanding of American culture. While the American Culture Studies component of the curriculum assures a common experience in culture study, the remainder of the courses are selected from traditional disciplines to allow an individualized educational experience. Requirements For the Master's Degree: Individual programs are designed in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and based upon a combination of courses in American Culture Studies and in related fields according to the interests, needs, and background of the student, his/her future plans and goals, and the interdisciplinary philosophy of the program. Thirty-three semester hours are required for the degree, including the required seminar in ACS 630-Methods and Theories of American Culture Studies. The remaining hours are selected from appropriate courses in American Culture Studies, Art History, Communication Studies, English, Ethnic Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Popular Culture, Sociology, Telecommunications, Theatre, Women's Studies, and other related fields. No more than fifteen hours should be taken in a single department or program other than American Culture Studies. Plan I: Thesis Option: The candidate must write an interdisciplinary thesis in keeping with the philosophy of the program. Under Plan I, students complete 30 hours of course work and receive three hours of credit for the accepted thesis for a total of 33 semester hours. For most students, completion of the Plan I option requires two years of full-time study in the American Culture Studies MA program. Plan II: Comprehensive Exam Option: The basic requirements are the same as Plan I, except 33 hours of course work are required. After the completion of one year of full-time coursework, the student electing Plan II will sit for a four-hour written examination, covering periods in American cultural history, the student's course work, the relationship of American Culture Studies to the traditional disciplines, American Culture Studies methodology, and important themes in American culture. The examination will be based upon each student's individual course of study. The exam is normally taken in July of each year. The Plan II option normally requires one year of full-time study in the American Culture Studies MA program. To Apply: Visit Application Page

 

The American Culture Studies Graduate Program is closely affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Culture and Society, a research center on the BGSU campus whose primary goal is to promote scholarly and creative projects in the humanities and arts, as well as related areas of humanistic inquiry in the social sciences and education. The Institute provides our graduate students unique opportunities to work collaboratively with faculty and other students in a variety of academic research settings. Institute for the Study of Culture and Society web site