Vanderbilt University's Program in American Studies offers a graduate certificate designed to complement students' disciplinary training, expose them to larger interdisciplinary traditions and academic literatures, and enhance their professional careers. The certificate offers a structured introduction to the questions and methods of American Studies. It provides students with a valuable credential and strengthens their ability to compete for jobs as well as national fellowships and postdoctoral awards.
The certificate in American Studies is open to any student enrolled in graduate study at Vanderbilt University. Students wishing to enroll must complete an Intent to Enroll form, which must be signed by the student, the director of the program, and the director of the graduate program (DGS) for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. A signed copy of the form should then be submitted to the Graduate School ([email protected]) and to the Office of the University Registrar ([email protected]).
Acceptance to the program requires the approval of both the graduate director of the student's home department and the director of the Program in American Studies. Students must also submit an application that includes (1) a one-page rationale for their course of study to the American Studies graduate committee for approval, and (2) a plan of study focused on a specific theme, forming an intellectually coherent whole.
Graduate courses successfully completed at Vanderbilt University prior to admission to the program may be counted toward the certificate requirements with the approval of the director of the program if the course can satisfy one of the curriculum requirements of the program. An undergraduate course may be substituted for a graduate course required by the program's curriculum with the approval of the director of the program and the Graduate School.
The awarding of a certificate requires a cumulative GPA of 3.3, of B+ or better in AMER 8000, completion of all course requirements, and satisfactory completion of the practicum project requirement. Please contact the American Studies program for more information at [email protected].