
American Studies

The American Studies certificate program prepares matriculated students to teach and research in American studies.
EnrollDegree Offered
Advanced Certificate in American Studies (GC Students Only)
Available only to matriculated Graduate Center students
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.
Recent News
Jul 14, 2020
Scholars Featured in Eldridge & Co. Interview: Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, An Important Reform
Ronnie Eldridge interviewed Kate Mogelscu, Sharon White-Harrigan, and Michelle Fine to discuss the impact of the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.
May 21, 2018
'Reconstruction' Review: A Dream Deferred
The Wall Street Journal, 5.21.18
- Press Coverage
Aug 11, 2015
Duncan Faherty Named Inaugural Director of the Early Research Initiative
Professor Duncan Faherty (GC/Queens, English/American Studies) has been named the inaugural director of the Graduate Center's new Early Research Initiative (ERI), which will provide opportunities for doctoral students to do exploratory research early in their graduate careers.
- Faculty News
Jul 14, 2015
The Brooklyn College Listening Project
Associate Professor Joseph Entin (GC/Brooklyn, English/American Studies) is co-leading an oral history project called the Brooklyn College Listening Project.