UMass Boston

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in appropriate courses 
• Two letters of recommendation
• A writing sample demonstrating analytic ability in fields relevant to American Studies

Deadlines: March 1 (priority deadline; applications received by this date will receive preference for admissions review and allocation of available funding) and June 1 (final deadline) for fall; December 1 for spring.

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Estimate Your Program Cost: Get a feel for your expected program costs using the Graduate Program Cost Calculator.

Program Cost Information: For more detailed information on costs, please visit the Bursar's website or send an email to Bursar@umb.edu. Please refer to Graduate Student Financial Aid for more information on financial aid.

Core Courses (3 Credits)

All students are expected to complete the core course in American Studies.

• AMST 601 - Intro Amer Studies 3 Credit(s)

Electives (21 Credits)

Complete at least 2 graduate-level semester-long courses in American Studies.

Five additional courses are selected in consultation with the the faculty advisor and drawn from the American Studies Program as well as Africana Studies, Anthropology, Asian American Studies, Critical Ethnic and Community Studies, English, History, Latino Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Political Science, Public Policy, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, or other related area, with permission of the Graduate Program Director.

Final Project (6 Credits)

Completion of a final project based on original research. The capstone may take a variety of forms, including a research paper, curriculum unit, thesis, or other format.

• AMST 688 - Final Project 3-6 Credit(s)
• AMST 691 - American Studies Summer Institute 3 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Upon completion of the MA in American Studies, students will be able to:

• Apply an interdisciplinary framework to the historical, cultural, and political realities and artistic expressions of the United States.
• Use multiple methodological approaches to produce their own research projects.
  Analyze how race, ethnicity, migration, and sexuality structure American culture.
• Locate and analyze primary sources to develop appropriate historical and analytical frames.
• Engage relevant secondary literature to construct a scholarly argument.

Complete 30 credits from ten courses including 1 core course, 7 electives, 2 capstone project course.

Residency: Before enrollment in the program, students should consult with the graduate program director regarding transfer credits or UMass Boston undergraduate credits if these are intended to satisfy degree requirements. The program does not accept transfer credit for any of its required core courses; transfer courses may be applied to the program’s electives.

Capstone: Completion of a final project based on original research. The capstone may take a variety of forms, including a research paper, curriculum unit, thesis, or other format.

Statute of limitations: Five years.

Graduate Program Director Aaron Lecklider
aaron.lecklider [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-6771

Administrative Assistant Shauna Manning
shauna.manning [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-6776