Master's Program

Preliminary Advising
Upon admission to the program, feel free to consult our graduate chairperson for an explanation of the courses required for the MA degree. It is important to meet with him/her prior to registration each semester to make sure you are on track and to discuss any problems. Office hours will be posted on the Chair's office door and can also be obtained from the Department office, 956-8570.

Current Information
At the beginning of each semester, please provide the department office with your current address, e-mail address, and telephone number; update these as required. This information will enable us to get in touch with you as expeditiously as possible; we will try to prevent any unauthorized use of such information as best as we can. We would also appreciate it if you provide us with your current address and e-mail address once you graduate; we often come across employment or fellowship opportunities and we would like to pass these on to you.

Required Graduate Course Work
All MA students are required to take AmSt 600 (Approaches to American Studies) and AmSt 601 (Patterns of American Cultures, covering from the pre-contact period to the Civil War); and 602 (Patterns of American Cultures, covering from the Civil War to the Present). The basic aim of Am St. 601-602 is to address major themes, events, problems and concepts in American culture and society from the early 17th century to the present.

MA students may select either the Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis) program.

Plan A students must complete 27 credits of graduate work plus 6 credits of thesis research 700. This will prepare them to write a thesis on a subject of their choice. Once completed, the student will have an oral defense of the thesis.

The composition of those 9 courses to be AmSt 600, 601, 602, plus a minimum of 2 other graduate courses in American Studies, and additional 4 courses either in American Studies or related fields. Only one (1) course can be on 400-level.

Plan B students must complete 33 credits or 11 courses of graduate work. The composition of those 11 courses to be AmSt 600, 601, 602, plus a minimum of 3 other graduate courses in American Studies and additional 5 courses in either American Studies or related fields. Only 1 (one) course can be on 400-level. Once completed, students will take a written and oral examination.

Either choice (Plan A or B) constitutes the culmination of a student's development as a professional scholar for a Master's degree in American Studies.

Students who successfully complete either plan of study are equally qualified to consider admission into the PhD program.

Planning Your Program
The purpose of the MA program is to provide students with an advanced understanding of American society and culture. Beyond the three required courses, students are free to make their own course selections. It is advisable to concentrate one's efforts rather than choosing courses at random. In making these selections students should keep in mind their basic reasons for being in the MA program. For example, if the student intends to go on to a PhD program in American Studies, it is best to focus on graduate courses. And if the student is interested in acquiring a background for such fields as law, journalism or communications, a different kind of emphasis may be justified. All courses taken at the MA level which satisfy our PhD requirements can be counted toward the PhD once the student has been admitted into the program.

Details to Keep in Mind
Credit/No Credit grades cannot be applied toward the MA degree requirements. A directed reading/research 699 will be counted as a course only if it carries 3 credits. MA students are limited to one such course. The purpose of such a course is to enable the student to study a subject that is not part of the regular course offerings of the University. Students must first discuss with the graduate chair what is to be studied, as well as justify why a 699 is the only feasible alternative.

To enroll in a 699, you must obtain the consent of a particular professor with an expertise on the topic you wish to pursue. This professor may be in American Studies or in any department. Shortly after registration, you should pick up from the department office a 699 instruction sheet or do the fillable form below, complete it and return it to the graduate secretary. Signed by you, the professor and the graduate chairperson, this agreement will determine in which particular field you will get credit for the work done.

Directed Reading Course Consent Form
American Studies 699 Course Approval Form

Courses may be selected from graduate and undergraduate offerings in related fields as well as in American Studies. In fact, we encourage students to gain some outside exposure. Listings from the various departments will be available in the graduate adviser's office. There are no specifically approved courses from other departments. In general any course that focuses primarily on some aspect of American culture will be acceptable. This would include courses in American history, art, literature, politics and political theory, the sociology of American institutions, American philosophy, etc. On the other hand, courses that are narrowly focused or technically oriented--literary theory, public administration, painting, etc.--probably would not qualify even if they make use of American materials. Ultimately, course approval is based on two questions: Does the class advance the student's course of study and/or is the primary aim of the course to understand American society as a whole, in part, or in some comparative way. The final determination will be made by the student in consultation with the graduate chair.

Graduate students are expected to maintain a B average.

Deadlines
At the beginning of the semester that students intend to finish their degree work, they must file a degree application at the Manoa Cashier's Office (Student Services Building) and notify the graduate chair and graduate secretary of their plans to graduate. The graduate chair will go over the student's records with the student and make certain that all requirements have been completed.

Admission to the PhD program is not automatic even in the case of MA students whose performance is quite satisfactory. In making a determination, the faculty will consider the student's statement of purpose and capacity for doctoral level work.

PREPARATION AND APPROVAL OF PLAN A AND PLAN B

a) Plan A: The thesis represents the culmination of a student's study for the MA degree and groundwork for potential acceptance into the PhD program. The thesis should demonstrate the student's ability to do scholarly research and to write or present a work of a high intellectual level. There is no minimum number of pages for the thesis, but successful students generally write 80-120 pages.

To begin the thesis, the student must first form a committee of three faculty members, one of whom will serve as chair. The Graduate Division has an on-line database to help students form thesis and dissertation committees. (http://www.hawaii.edu/graduate/wa/selectmember.php). In consultation with the committee, the student will put together a detailed proposal for the project. Generally, a thesis proposal should consist of an approximately10-page (double-spaced) narrative accompanied by a full bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The narrative should include: (1) an overview of the project, articulating the topic, research questions, and argument; (2) a discussion of the sources, methods, and theoretical frameworks to be employed for analysis; (3) a review the relevant scholarly literature and a discussion of how the thesis departs from, and/or add to, existing scholarship; and (4) a detailed chapter outline. Once the committee approves the proposal (by signing the Graduate Division's Student Progress Form II), the student then submits this completed Student Progress Form II to the Graduate Secretary. Upon Graduate Division's approval of Form II, student will receive a CRN from the Graduate Secretary to register for AMST 700 while completing the thesis.

The oral examination by the committee will take place four weeks after completion of the thesis. Four weeks PRIOR to the date/time of your oral defense AFTER you have conferred with your chair and committee, inform and submit "Checklist for the Thesis Defense" form to Graduate Secretary.

It is highly recommended that you work closely with your chairperson on revisions as well as on the format of the copy to be submitted to the Graduate Division (Style and Policy Manual for Thesis).

b) Plan B: Plan B students are required to take an examination in two fields of specialization. Each of these two fields should be focused enough to have depth and coherence as well as be broad enough to reflect a general coverage of a subfield of American Studies. The two fields combined must represent a broad chronological, geographical, cultural, thematic, and methodological scope. Thus, if one field focuses on the twentieth century, the other field must cover earlier periods of U.S. history. Examples of the fields with appropriate scope include: U.S. women's history, race and ethnicity in America, Asian American history and culture, historic preservation, public history, history of Hawai'i, American cinema, American environmental history, etc.

For each of the two fields, the student works with a faculty member to compile a reading list of at least twenty books per field. Once the student and the two faculty advisors agree upon the reading lists, the student must get an approval from the Graduate Chair who will determine if the fields cover an appropriate scope. Well in advance of the last day for taking the examinations (announced each semester), the student must consult with the Graduate Secretary to schedule the dates for the written and oral examinations. The written and oral examinations are usually done within one week of one another.

The student is examined on the two fields simultaneously. The written examination consists of one essay question per field. At 9 a.m. on the designated date of the written examination, the student must pick up the questions from the Department office. A typed, double-spaced hard copy of the completed examination is due in the Department office at 9 a.m., forty-eight hours later. The essays should be clearly written, analytically sophisticated, organizationally cohesive, and carefully edited. There is no minimum or maximum length for the written examinations unless the faculty advisor gives specific instructions on length; however, successful students generally write approximately 1,750 words per essay.

The faculty advisor for each field determines whether the student has successfully passed the written examination. If the student has passed, the oral examination will take place on the designated date. During the oral examination, the student may be asked to clarify or elaborate on their written examinations and/or asked to discuss issues covered by the reading lists that were not covered in the written examinations. The oral examination normally lasts 90-120 minutes.

Graduate students are required to register for at least one credit of work (either Directed Studies 500 or any other course) in the semester in which they plan to graduate. The 500 course will be offered as a one (1) credit course with a mandatory grading of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) but will not carry credit toward the degree. However, payment for one credit worth of tuition will be necessary.

Resources for financial aid within the Department are extremely limited. Each semester the Graduate Division assigns us an alottment for tuition waivers. These are used to enhance programs by attracting good students, to award students for meritorious achievement in their studies, and to offer some financial support for those who need it. Because these awards are provided by the State of Hawai'i, priority will be given to residents of the state where feasible. Also members of underrepresented groups (within the Hawai'i context) are especially encouraged to apply. Within these guidelines priority will be assigned on the basis of the academic achievements and financial need. Application deadlines are approximately April 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. These awards cannot be renewed if students fail to attain the required grade point average (3.0). Normally, students are not eligible for more than 8 awards (4 years worth).

Dual MA Program with the School of Library & Informational Studies

MA students in American Studies may simultaneously pursue a Master's degree with the School of Library and Information Studies. If the student's primary degree is American Studies, of the 33 credits required for this MA, LIS counts 9 credits at the 600 level. Thus only 33 LIS credits for the MLISc are needed instead of 42, for a total of 66 credits to both degrees. If the student's primary degree is LIS, of the 42 credits required for the MLIS, the Department of American Studies accepts 9 credits from the following so the MA requires 24 American Studies credits:

Students must apply directly to the School of Library and Information Studies for admission to its Master's program.

Job Placement
Students are encouraged to start a job placement file early in your graduate career. The Career Services at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa will maintain a job placement file for you and put your name into its computerized job bank, matching your job interests with available positions. Career Services also offers help in writing resumes, hints on interview techniques, and advice on job market potential. Interviews with campus recruiters are scheduled. If you are interested, contact Career Services at 956-8136. The office is located in the Student Services Center. Involvement with professional associations while still a student is both rewarding intrinsically and useful in meeting people who can help you find a job after graduation.

Becoming Part of the Department
Students are welcome to attend all meetings of the faculty except when personnel matters are discussed. Ordinarily meetings are held on Friday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. in the American Studies Library.

Students are encouraged to join the Hawai'i chapter of the American Studies Association, which also functions as the graduate student organization for MA and PhD candidates in this department. It works with the faculty on matters such as curriculum and departmental policy and is an important conduit for channeling your concerns to the faculty. Also it is a way of getting to know other students. They can be invaluable sources of information and advice in deciding what courses to take.

Updated 6/6/07