Are there any programs at the Masters level out there dealing with the USA in regard to their history, culture, politics or economics? I remember that the University of London External Programme announced such a program, but later withdrew it from its list. How is it that the most powerful nation in the world is apparently ignored as a subject per se? One can find some programs dealing with Asia, and China in particular, but this $11 trillion a year behemoth, with an astounding history, with a constitution so influential it is still seen as a model for most countries, apparently is not considered interesting by universities with DL Masters. I only know of a Bachelors at Skidmore College, but nothing else. Perhaps some of the members have better info on the subject. joi
Joi, If not mistaken, I ran across an Australian university that offered a degree in US History...and we all know history involves culture and politics too! If you want a Masters degree in US history you may have to take classes from a U.S. university/college. Two people I recommend you asking for advice is: Ted Heiks and Tireman44. You can ask them in this forum of by personal message. Ted has fantastic internet search skills...the best Ive seen, simply phenomenal, he can muster up a twenty links in about 5 seconds and is studying for his Masters in a very specialized field of Civil War history at AMU Likewise Tireman44 is very, very knowlegable in US History, he is the old school type studying for his Ph.D in the traditional manner, if not mistaken at the University of Houston and is being tapped for information in a upcoming PBS movie about the Federal Writers Project. Good luck, Gavin
Get your Ph.D. in American Studies and you can write like Tom Wolfe. Seriously, I think you'll find what you seek under the heading of American Studies.
In the US, American Military University www.apus.edu offers an MA in American History. In Australia, the University of Melbourne www.unimelb.edu.au and the University of New England www.une.edu.au offer the MA in American Studies. There was one UK school offering an MA in US Studies, but I can't seem to recall whether that was the University of London www.lon.ac.uk or Open University www.open.ac.uk .
A couple of reasons for the relative dearth of programs in American Studies and United States Studies are: (a) in the US itself, many of the older profs that run things dislike interdisciplinary studies; and (b) on the other side of the puddle, the US is seen as a young stripling among nations, being without history. (The US has barely 200 years of history, while even England has a 1200-year history.)
Re: Re: Masters in USA Studies? Hi, Ted. Always a pleasure to see you in a thread. How are things with AMU? Do you think you can continue your degree with them? As for Melbourne, their website is not exactly user-friendly. They do not have an outright list of postgraduate programs. UNE does have a Graduate Diploma in American Studies, but apparently not a MA, according to ther website. As for AMU, they offer MAs not only in American Studies, but in Asian, European and Islamic Studies aswell. I don't like 2 things about AMU, though: 1. They still don't have RA (although I acknowledge they are very well regarded) 2. The Masters are too war-focused (with the exception off American Studies) AS for the USA lacking history, well, I totally disagree, but I don't want to deviate from the thread's focus. What about the UK, Ted? Nothing that you know? How did you learn such research skills, Ted? How can I learn? I feel I really need them Buckwheat, thanks for posting. I already know Ted, and he does have impressive research skills. I don't know Tireman, though, but I have read his posts. I'll try to contact him. Decimon, thanks for posting as well. I have already conducted my research using the American Studies title, but obviously there are very few programs. joi
http://www.fairfield.edu/x1117.xml Fairfield University in Connecticut offers an MA in American Studies, but it's nights and weekends more than it is online.
Another option that any of us could use would be a tailored Masters degree, such as the one from Skidmore(although in my case travelling abroad at this moment is simply out of the question) Are there any other tailored Masters degrees?
Ted, Isn't your assessment a VERY Euro- or Anglo- centric view of American history? What about the history of the indigenous people? They were here 1000s of years before we were "discovered" by the Europeans.
Indeed. But the histories of the 500 nations that were here long before white bread crashed upon the scene is generally covered under the nomenclature Native American Studies.
I am reluctant to pass judgment on what academic nomenclatures have "gone out of fashion," especially after what happened to me as a relative newbie on this board when I once upon a time announced that "Biblical Archaeology" had been "largely replaced" by "Syro-Palestinian Archaeology." Be that as it may, one could search for Pre-Columbian Studies, Native American Studies, American Indian Studies, or any seemingly related nomenclature one wishes.
decimon, thanks for the link. This is basically a list of ALL programs in American Studies in the US. I'll try to search again for online programs. joi
Ted, how do you conduct your research? How can i learn similar skills? Thanks for your help, joi PD: I would like to read your opinions on the thread"Most prestigious UK Online Masters
It is really quite simple. Basically, when composing a list of degrees, I start with my Bears' Guide, go to the Subject Index in back, and while my computer is open to the Post Reply page of Degree Info, type in the names of schools offering such and such degree with Bears' Guide page numbers and then flip through Bears' Guide to find the schools' weblinks (except where I've already memorized a school's web address). Some people have the mistaken notion that I have good online search skills. DesElms would be the one to ask about good googling skills.
