Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies

American Studies at UT Austin offers dynamic classes with award-winning teachers and scholars who are dedicated to understanding the complexities of American culture. We ask questions about the history of the nation in a global context, the construction of borders, and the significance of representations in order to interrogate beliefs, policies, and structural inequalities. Our classes draw on interdisciplinary approaches in a variety of fields, including Anthropology, Art History, Ethnic Studies, Film and Media Studies, Gender/Queer Studies, Geography and Urban Studies, History, and Sociology. Classes incorporate a variety of texts, including novels, music, dance, film, comics, and memes, to interpret ideologies about race, class, gender, sexuality, and dis/ability.
Students admitted to our PhD program are guaranteed funding packages of six years, through employment in the College of Liberal Arts as a Teaching Assistant or Assistant Instructor, with the possibility of full fellowship support when available. These packages include a monthly stipend, full tuition, and student health insurance. Additional funding to support research and travel to academic conferences is also available. Our graduate students are also offered the opportunity to work as Assistant Instructors, where they can develop pedagogical skills and build their teaching portfolio. Unlike some departments where graduate students will teach a large introductory survey course, our students are able to design and teach a small, seminar-style course on a topic of interest to them.
The Graduate Program in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of the myriad historical and contemporary cultures of the United States, in both domestic and transnational settings. We endeavor to produce sophisticated cultural analysts who are able to navigate a wide range of cultural texts and diverse sources--from Puritan sermons to reality television shows--to gain holistic insights into complicated and often disparate cultural phenomena and trends. As part of our desire to cultivate a thoughtful and engaged citizenry, we train our students to become solid writers, persuasive speakers, and expansive critical thinkers. We seek to instill in our students a broad understanding of our multicultural society's political, economic, cultural, and social complexity.

Writing Sample
Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose
The Department of American Studies requires three letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation should informatively address the applicant's academic achievement and potential for graduate study.
The Department of American Studies understands that applicants are experiencing hardships due to the pandemic and that these challenges may affect your ability to take the required GRE test.
An applicant must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited United States institution or proof of equivalent training at an institution outside the United States.
College seniors should upload their current transcript.
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
A 3.0 or higher GPA in upper-division coursework
Official TOEFL or IELTS score(s), if applicable.

TOEFL: 79 on the Internet-based test (iBT)
IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination