Thank you for your interest in the American Studies graduate programs at the University of Iowa. Unfortunately, we do not expect to have any openings for new students for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Acquire a broad familiarity with the dynamics of cultural experience and explore aspects of American life
The Department of American Studies' graduate program, offering Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, provides an interdisciplinary introduction to American culture and society, past and present.
Explore graduate programs
MA in American Studies
The MA in American Studies is a graduate program where students engage in interdisciplinary inquiry and practice the art of analyzing cultural materials in light of historical change, social justice and socio-cultural identities, communications media, and the operations of power across transnational, domestic/national and community contexts.
PhD in American Studies
The PhD program in American Studies at the University of Iowa is among the oldest in the United States. PhD students design their own plans of study with the support of the department and pursue coursework in keeping with their interests in such fields as communication studies, cinema, anthropology, sociology, English, information science, and history.
Why American Studies at Iowa?
American Studies PhD and MA students have pursued careers in community organizing, community arts administration, museums and historical societies, public broadcasting, law, sports administration, academic positions in the digital humanities, and publicly engaged scholarship at major archives, including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Library of Congress.
Many, if not more, have graduated into academic teaching positions at major universities, small liberal arts colleges, or urban private schools. American studies at Iowa has a long tradition of supporting international studies and international students; recent graduates have also accepted academic teaching positions in Europe and in Eastern Europe. Overall, the department takes a flexible, student-focused approach to individual career goals, drawing on departmental but also university resources in areas such as the digital humanities, college teacher training, and public-facing scholarship.
Courses and seminars in American Studies focus on significant cultural problems that traverse traditional departmental lines. Students acquire a broad familiarity with the dynamics of cultural experience and explore aspects of American life, including: popular and fine arts; institutions and social processes; artifacts; values, customs, and ideals; the everyday experience of Americans; regional, racial, ethnic, class, or gender identities; nature and culture; and sport and popular entertainment.