Required courses for American Studies:
American Studies 801- Approaches to American Studies,1 course credit; American Studies 802 - Research Methods in American Studies,1 course credit; Either a Thesis (American Studies 954-955), 2 course credits or an Independent Research Project (American Studies 953), 1 course credit.
Total: 3 or 4 course credits
Elective courses for American Studies:
For students choosing to write a thesis:
6 courses, with at least 1 emphasizing historical approaches, 1 emphasizing literary or cultural approaches, and 1 focusing on art or architectural history, or museum studies, for a total of 6 course credits.
For students choosing to do an independent research project:
7 courses, with at least 1 emphasizing historical approaches, 1 emphasizing literary or cultural approaches, and 1 focusing on art or architectural history, or museum studies, for a total of 7 course credits.
All candidates must complete a total of 10 courses.
The degree requirements are fulfilled in three phases:
The basic American Studies seminars, American Studies 801 and 802, serve to introduce the American Studies field by applying some of its leading methods and concepts to selected problems. American Studies 801 is the "entry" course; students must successfully complete it in order to become degree candidates. Ordinarily, American Studies 802 will be taken in the semester immediately following completion of American Studies 801.
After these two American Studies seminars, students may choose electives that examine the American experience either within American Studies or from among the graduate courses offered in subjects related to American Studies by other graduate programs at Trinity, or by the Hartford Consortium institutions (Hartford Seminary, Rensselaer of Hartford, St Joseph College, and the University of Hartford). Students may, with the approval of the graduate adviser, count up to two graduate courses (2 course credits) taught at other institutions. Students may take as many as two course credits of Independent Study.
When students have completed both American Studies seminars and all electives, they are expected to design and complete their own interdisciplinary research projects, in the form of either a Master's thesis, American Studies 954-955 (2 course credits) or a shorter independent project, American Studies 953 (1 course credit).