PhD

“The most meaningful opportunities BGSU’s ACS PhD program offered me were teaching experience, alternative and non-academic work, and mentorship. With just a few semesters of previous teaching assistant experience in my master’s program, I came to BGSU with an assignment to teach my own course.”
-Ben Thomason, Ph.D student

The most meaningful opportunities BGSU’s ACS PhD program offered me were teaching experience, alternative and non-academic work, and mentorship. With just a few semesters of previous teaching assistant experience in my master’s program, I came to BGSU with an assignment to teach my own course. Our graduate secretary Beka Patterson worked with me to find administrative, archival, service, and other teaching positions in my upcoming third and fourth years to diversify my CV and expand potential job opportunities in and beyond academia. To get the most out of the program, you need to figure out what you really want to do, what you need to get there, and keep jumping on opportunities where you can find them. We have committed staff and faculty like Beka, Dr. Kim Coates, Dr. Jeremy Wallach, and Dr. Cynthia Baron who can be invaluable mentors. I had many concerns shifting my research topic after my first year to focus on internationally touchy subjects of contemporary US propaganda, information warfare, and media imperialism. These mentors helped me think through risks and opportunities and gave me the encouragement and insider knowledge I needed to pursue funding and publications for important work I am passionate about.  

The PhD program in American Culture Studies features two broad interdisciplinary academic tracks from which students choose their primary concentration:

1) Critical Studies in Media, Film, and Culture

2) Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Identities

These tracks are designed to immerse students in contemporary 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:

  • Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies
  • Sociology
  • Theatre and Film
  • Ethnic Studies
  • English
  • History
  • Popular Culture
  • Philosophy
  • Communication 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 (ACS) are the completion of at least 61 semester hours beyond the master's degree including at least 16 hours of credit for research on the dissertation. The Ph.D curriculum contains the following components:

  • Common Core Requirement (12 hours): Theories of American Culture Studies (ACS 7300), Genealogy of American Culture (ACS 7400), Publication and Professional Development (ACS 7450), and ACS Methodologies (ACS 7100).
  • Interdisciplinary Primary Concentration (15 hours): Either (a) Critical Studies in Film, Media, and Culture, or (b) Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Identities.
  • Secondary Concentration (12 hours): Either 12 hours in a disciplinary area or the completion of a graduate certificate program (e.g., Women's Studies, Ethnic Studies, Public History, Performance Studies, Graduate Certificate in Spanish or French, etc.).
  • At least 3 credit hours in a designated methodology course offered in an academic unit other than ACS but related to the primary or secondary concentration is strongly encouraged.
  • Elective (3 hours).
  • Dissertation Research (at least 16 hours).
  • ACS 7750 (3-hour seminar in Dissertation Research and Writing).

  • Professional Activity: During their course of study toward the Ph.D, students are encouraged and expected to participate in a range of professional activities aimed at preparing them to compete successfully on the job market. These include activities such as professional conference presentations, publication in scholarly journals and edited volumes, internships, and/or other professional activities related to their chosen field. The ACS Program assists students in the pursuit of these activities, including the supervision of internships.
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.

Updated: 09/26/2022 12:38PM