American Studies at NYU is one of the country’s top-ranked programs in this dynamic field. An interdisciplinary program in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, it studies United States society in national, hemispheric, and global frameworks. It draws on faculty strength in a wide range of fields, including history, area studies, literature and film, gender studies, critical ethnic studies, political economy, and urban and environmental studies. The program interprets “American” in a broad sense to include assessments of the historical role of the United States in the Americas and, more generally, in world affairs. Inasmuch as the program has a regional focus, special attention is given to studies in urbanism and to New York in particular, a global city that comprises many world cultures. Students are exposed to a range of methodologies in the social sciences and humanities, including ethnography, textual analysis, archival research, and cultural studies.
The Program in American Studies offers courses of study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy. It is designed to prepare students for advanced work and teaching in American studies. The Program also offers an undergraduate major and minor.