The Certificate in American Studies is available to all students
matriculated in doctoral programs at the Graduate Center. Students do
not necessarily have to be working toward the certificate to take
courses offered by the American Studies Certificate Program.

The American Studies Certificate Program at the Graduate Center prepares
students to teach and research in American studies by providing
grounding in the genealogies, key questions, and research practices
comprising the field.  Because American studies is a thoroughly
interdisciplinary field, students in the certificate program gain
experience and training in interdisciplinary methods.  Students and
faculty from the Graduate Center’s Ph.D. programs participate in the
certificate program, including those from Anthropology, Art History,
Earth and Environmental Science, English, History, Music, Philosophy,
Political Science, Sociology, Theatre, and Urban Education.  Students
enrolled in any of the Graduate Center’s doctoral programs are eligible
for enrollment in the certificate program.  Upon graduation from their
doctoral programs, students who have fulfilled the requirements receive a
certificate in American studies from the American Students Certificate
Program.

Resources for Research and Training

American Studies Certificate Program students have access to the rich and diverse resources available in New York City.  These include not only the New York Public Library, with its archival collections and dedicated branches like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, but also the Morgan Library and Museum in near proximity, as well as access to the numerous major museums comprising New York City.  Faculty members teaching both at the Graduate Center and across the CUNY system also serve as vital resources for American studies students, representing as they do the enormous breadth and diversity of work unfolding within American studies. Students also have opportunity to engage scholars from both within and outside of the CUNY system through lectures, seminars, and other events regularly organized by the program.