American Studies

The Certificate in American Studies is available to all students. Students do not necessarily have to be working toward the certificate to take courses offered by the American Studies Certificate Program.

The American Studies Certificate Program at the Graduate Center prepares students to teach and research in American Studies by providing grounding in the genealogies, key questions, and research practices comprising the field. Because American Studies is a thoroughly interdisciplinary field, students in the certificate program gain experience and training in interdisciplinary methods. Students and faculty from The Graduate Center’s Ph.D. programs participate in the certificate program, including those from Anthropology, Art History, Earth and Environmental Science, English, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Theatre and Performance, and Urban Education. Students enrolled in any of The Graduate Center’s programs are eligible for enrollment in the certificate program.

Resources for Research and Training

American Studies Certificate Program students have access to the rich and diverse resources available in New York City. These include not only the New York Public Library, with its archival collections and dedicated branches like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, but also the Morgan Library and Museum in near proximity, as well as access to the numerous major museums comprising New York City. Faculty members teaching both at The Graduate Center and across the CUNY system also serve as vital resources for American Studies students, representing as they do the enormous breadth and diversity of work unfolding within American Studies. Students also have opportunity to engage scholars from both within and outside of the CUNY system through lectures, seminars, and other events regularly organized by the program. The American Studies program at CUNY also brings American Studies scholars from outside the University to The Graduate Center in a continuing program of guest lectures and seminars.

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