About the Master

“What, then, is the American, this new man?”

(J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, 1782)

Description of the discipline

American Studies is a vibrant, challenging and exciting field of studies. First established as an academic discipline in the United States in the 1920s, American Studies is now recognized internationally as one of the most stimulating degree programs in cultural studies. Despite cynicism and censure in some quarters, there is no denying that in terms of its global impact American culture is the world’s only “super-culture.” It is inconceivable that one can come to an effective understanding of the complexity of today’s world without a thorough analysis of the history and culture of the nation that has in various degrees impacted on the way we live and the way we think about the world and ourselves.

Exploring the cultural domain called “the United States of America,” American Studies starts from the premise that “America” was shaped as much by its literature, arts, folklore, music, film, philosophy, commerce, entertainment, media, education, science and religion, as by its Constitution, its laws, political treaties and wars. Initially, American Studies explored the question of what constituted America’s common national identity. In the course of the 1960s the focus of study shifted more and more to America’s racial, ethnic, social and regional diversity, as well as to exploring and theorizing the cultural and ideological processes that have generated, mediated and institutionalized this diversity. Besides studying “high culture,” the discipline increasingly began to analyze aspects of the culture of everyday social practice—film, music, fast food, the media and other forms of “popular culture.” What has not changed since the 1920s is the awareness that none of the academic monodisciplines (history, literature, sociology, art history, philosophy, and so on) is sufficiently equipped to offer a comprehensive account of the complex dynamics of American culture. Interdisciplinarity has therefore always been a key defining characteristic of American Studies. Not surprisingly, American Studies has been at the forefront of developments in the broader field of cultural studies.

Aims of program

The program fully complies with the mission statements and bench marks drawn up by American Studies programs at universities in America, and the aims of the program have been formulated in accordance with the Agreed aims and objectives for American Studies of the British “Quality Assessment Agency of Higher Education” (QAA). The aims of the MA program American Studies can be summarized thus:

• to equip students with multidisciplinary and, where appropriate, interdisciplinary knowledge and theoretical insights to enable them to develop an informed and critical understanding of the culture and society of the United States, past and present;
• to allow students to engage with the highest quality up-to-date research on the United States in a variety of disciplines;
• to encourage students to apply multi- and interdisciplinary paradigms in  independent research.

The program distinguishes itself from most similar programs in that all courses are offered exclusively to students in American Studies (no code sharing with other programs) and that is has been designed on the basis of a central unifying principle: “The Dynamics of Cultural Change: Nationhood and National Identity in the US.” Approaching the idea of culture as “the process of production of meanings, signs and values in social life,” the program in addition offers students challenging theoretical insights into the idea of culture in general.

Outline of program

The total duration of the program is 12 months, equivalent to a total workload of 60 ECTS credits, spread over two semesters. In the first semester students take three research seminars. In the second semester students take another research module, and write their Master’s thesis. Courses vary each year, but in recent years, courses offered have included 'Identity in Post-Ethnic America; A Comparative Analysis of Chicano/Native American Culture', 'Winning the Hearts and Minds: America's Cultural Foreign Policy during the Cold War', 'We hold these truth to be self-evident: A Textual History of America ca. 1620-1840' and 'The Past Was Not Dead: Cultural Memory in the American Novel'. Click here for a course overview.

Teaching takes place in regular tutorials, which provide opportunities for discussion and debate. Each module is assessed by coursework, examination, or project (or a combination of these elements). There are no final examinations at the end of the degree program. 

Staff

The courses are taught by highly qualified members of staff, who are experts in the fields of modern American history, literature, media studies, and cultural theory, and who have published widely on these subjects. Most members of staff have taught for some time in the United States before, and have done research there. The Department of American Studies participates in the “Distinguished Chairs Program” of the US Fulbright Organization, which means that visiting professors from various American academic institutions teach in the MA program on a regular basis, as do other visiting scholars.

Career prospects

The degree program in American Studies is highly relevant to those students who wish to pursue a career in international journalism, business communications, media, and various branches of management (governmental and non-governmental organizations). Some of our graduates work in teaching, publishing, or advertising. Other students go on to undertake further study, either for a higher degree, or in vocational or professional training.

Benefits of the American Studies degree program

• All classes designed uniquely for the American Studies program
• All professors have international experience in teaching the subject
• Truly interdisciplinary curriculum
• Personalized supervision (class sizes capped at 15)
• Competitive fee structure
• Internationally recognized degree

Admission requirements

The program is designed for advanced students in the Humanities (History, English, Political Science, and the like). Admission to the Master’s program is highly selective. To be admitted to the program, students must have an internationally recognized bachelor’s degree in American Studies, English, History, Political Science, Cultural Studies, or equivalent. Students must provide proof of a high level of language proficiency (a minimum of 620 TOEFL score).

Tuition fees

The tuition fee for EU-EEA students is approximately €1565. The tuition fee for non-European students is approximately €7600. Tuition fees do not include costs of travel, accommodation, living and incidental. The University of Groningen and the Dutch government offer a few highly competitive tuition scholarships. (See www.nuffic.nl/study/index.html for information about government grants). Additional information about your registration and the tuition fees can be found here.

Application

The deadline for the application is 1 May. Students with a non-Dutch diploma have to apply online. Students will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail. Applicants will be notified within approximately two months whether they have been accepted or not. Students with a Dutch diploma will have to contact the department directly: a.everaarts@rug.nl

Further information

The Faculty of Arts Information Guide for International Students is available from the Admissions Office. This office can also provide you with information on visa procedures, insurance and housing. Foreign students will be assisted in finding accommodation.

If you need to apply for a visa, we advise you to arrange this via the Admissions Office in order to shorten the procedure. You can also contact the International Service Desk: isd@rug.nl, tel. +31 (0)50 363 8181.

For more details about the program contact the academic director Prof. Wil Verhoeven at w.m.verhoeven@rug.nl

 

Admissions Office
Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen
Harmoniegebouw, room 15/ 214
P.O. Box 716
9700 AS Groningen
The Netherlands

tel: +31 (0)50 363 5968 / 5917
fax: +31 (0)50 363 7422
e-mail address: admissions.office.let@rug.nl