Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

American Studies, MA


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Contact: Dr. Rebecca Hill, Director
Office: Room 2015, Social Sciences Building
Phone: (470) 578-7543
Fax: (470) 578-9141
Email:
rhill54@kennesaw.edu
Web address:
http://amst.hss.kennesaw.edu

Master of Arts with a Major in American Studies

KSU’s Master of Arts with a major in American Studies (MAST) offers an interdisciplinary study of American cultures as they exist locally, regionally, nationally, and transnationally. As the sole American Studies graduate curriculum in the University System of Georgia, KSU’s course of study introduces students to the most important and innovative scholarship dealing with the United States and the Americas and their role in the world. Students will have the opportunity to engage in practical, project-based learning linked to their own professional development needs and interests. Thus, students will not only learn cutting-edge approaches to the study of American history, politics, literature, arts, and culture, but they will also apply this knowledge through group work, collaborations with faculty, community service, and career-related capstone projects. Students also have the opportunity to pursue humanities and social science based thesis projects as preparation for further graduate training. The MA program with a major American Studies provides an infield upgrade for certified high school History and English teachers as well as middle-grades social studies and language arts teachers in the state of Georgia.

General Requirements for Admission to the MAST Program

To be considered for admission to the MAST program, the following application materials must be gathered by submitted to the KSU Graduate Admission Office:

  1. Letter of Application: The letter of application should be in the form of a narrative which describes your educational and/or professional background, your future goals, and how admission into the American Studies M.A. program at Kennesaw State University will help you accomplish these goals. The letter should be specific to the program and should be 3-5 double-spaced pages in length.
  2. Writing Sample: The writing sample should demonstrate the writing skills you have developed as a student and/or professional. The sample should be relevant to the field of American Studies broadly defined, and it should be refined and revised to fit within 5-7 double-spaced pages.
  3. GRE Scores: The GRE requirement will be waived for those students holding a graduate degree in the humanities or social sciences from an accredited college or university.
  4. GPA: The program minimum is 2.75 for all undergraduate courses from the degree-granting institution, but we expect the class will average above 3.0.
  5. C.V./Résumé (Optional).
  6. Letter(s) of Recommendation (Optional).

Transfer Credit

Up to nine semester hours of graduate work from other accredited institutions may be transferred. To be transferred, course work from other institutions must correspond to Kennesaw State’s Master of Arts in American Studies curriculum. Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi wherever possible, and the amount of credit granted will be at the discretion of the program director. Such course work may be no more than five years old.

Grades

Expectations for satisfactory graduate level student performance are detailed in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. 

Petition to Graduate

Master of Arts in American Studies candidates must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of degree requirements.

Program of Study

The Master of Arts with a Major in American Studies Program consists of 36 credit hours and fulfillment of a foreign language requirement, as follows:

Required Courses (12 hours)


These four courses consist of two graduate level survey courses in the history and literature of the Americas as well as the existing core courses in American Studies scholarship and methods.

Core Curriculum (9 hours)


Each student must take one course in the Place and Identity Studies cluster, one course in the Transnational American Studies cluster, and one additional course in either the Historical Studies cluster or the Cultural Production cluster.

Place and Identity Cluster


The following courses are part of the place and identity cluster

Transnational Cluster


The following courses are part of the transnational cluster

Electives (6 hours)


Any approved graduate-level courses can be taken as electives.

Practicum or Study Abroad (3 Hours)


  All students must take either a study abroad course, an internship or an applied research project.

Capstone Experience (6 hours)


The capstone experience includes two courses, AMST 7901 and AMST 7902.

Language Requirement


May be met by a proficiency test administered by the department of foreign languages, coursework to FL 2002 at the undergraduate level with a grade of “C” or better, graduate level coursework indicating language proficiency, or equivalent (e.g., study abroad program with a language competency component) as approved by the program director.

Transnational Concentration


The transnational concentration is an elective concentration for interested students. Students are not required to pursue a concentration in the American Studies degree. This concentration consists of 6 elective credit hours in courses with a transnational emphasis, an advanced foreign language requirement, a study abroad requirement, and a transnational capstone requirement as follows: 6 Elective Credit Hours: Students shall complete an additional 6 credit hours of graduate-level study in courses in the transnational cluster: AMST 7510, AMST 7520, graduate level study abroad. Courses outside the transnational cluster may be approved by the program director for this requirement provided the course syllabus meets the transnational course objectives. Language Requirement: Each student in the Transnational Concentration will pass a 3000-level proficiency test administered by the department of foreign languages, complete a 3000-level language course with a grade of “C” or better, or complete graduate-level coursework indicating language proficiency. Native speakers of languages other than English may apply to the program director for a waiver of this requirement. Study Abroad Requirement: Each student in the Transnational Concentration shall participate in and receive a grade of “B” or better in an approved graduate-level study abroad program. All graduate-level study abroad courses offered by AMST-affiliated faculty at KSU can fulfill this requirement. Other graduate study abroad courses offered at KSU or by other institutions must be approved by the program director. Students receiving credit for the transnational concentration must do a capstone which is approved by the program director as meeting transnational learning objectives.

Place and Identity Studies Concentration


The Place and Identity Studies Concentration is an elective concentration for interested students; students are not required to pursue a concentration in the American Studies degree. This concentration consists of 6 elective credit hours in courses with an emphasis on place and identity, a practicum or study abroad program with an emphasis on place and identity and a capstone requirement with an emphasis on place and identity as follows: 6 Elective Credit Hours: Students shall complete 6 credit hours of graduate-level study in place and identity courses beyond the place and identity studies cluster requirement: AMST 7300, 7310, or 7330. Courses outside the place and identity cluster may be approved by the program director for this requirement provided the course syllabus meets the place and identity course objectives. Practicum or Study Abroad Requirement: Each student in the Place and Identity Concentration shall complete a practicum course or graduate-level study abroad program that meets the Place and Identity learning objectives, as approved by the program director. Students receiving credit for the place and identity concentration must do a capstone which is approved by the program director as meeting place and identity learning objectives.

Cultural Production Concentration


The Cultural Production Concentration is an elective concentration for interested students; students are not required to pursue a concentration in the American Studies degree. This concentration consists of 6 elective credit hours in courses with an emphasis on cultural production, a practicum or study abroad program emphasizing cultural production and a capstone requirement with emphasis on cultural production as follows: 6 Elective Credit Hours: Students shall complete 6 credit hours of graduate-level study in courses beyond the cultural production cluster requirement that meet the cultural production course objectives: AMST 7410, 7420, 7450, or 7460. Courses not offered within the AMST cultural production cluster must be approved by the program director. Practicum or Study Abroad Requirement: Each student in the Cultural Production Concentration shall complete a practicum course or graduate-level study abroad program that meets the cultural production learning objectives, as approved by the program director. Students receiving credit for the cultural production concentration must do a capstone which is approved by the program director as meeting cultural production learning objectives.

Program Total (36 Credit Hours)


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