Faculty of Arts
American studies

Search : Index : Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Arts

1. Prerequisites
2. Requirements for a major
2.1. American studies subjects
3. Combined honours entry
4. Combined honours requirements
5. For more information
Subject Lists
Fourth-year subjects

Convener: Dr David Goodman (History)

The American studies program is coordinated by the Department of History, one of the leading history departments in Australia. The importance of the United States in the contemporary world and the richness and diversity of American scholarship make American studies a stimulating and practical choice for many students. The program provides students with an interdisciplinary perspective on American society, culture, history and politics. Students have the opportunity to enrich their academic experience by studying on location in Boston and New York with the popular subject 131-018 Searching for the American Dream. Students of American studies are in an excellent position to explore a variety of career pathways that will draw on the analytical and research knowledge gained in American studies. Students interested in expanding their interests and knowledge in this area are provided with an articulated structure of higher degree options at Melbourne.

American studies focuses on the historical and contemporary frameworks within which American politics, society and culture has developed. American studies subjects are offered by the departments of history, English, art history, cinema studies, political science and the Australian Centre.

1. Prerequisites

The American studies program commences in second year. The general prerequisite for entry is the completion of 50 points of first year from any area of study within the Faculty of Arts.

Please note that you should choose your first-year subjects carefully to ensure that you have the appropriate prerequisites for the areas of study that offer the subjects within the program.

2. Requirements for a major

A major in American studies usually consists of nine 12.5 point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

two first-year subjects in any area of study (25 points); and
a minimum of five second/third-year subjects (62.5 points) from the list of core subjects; and
the remainer from the list of optional subjects.

The first-year 131-145 USA Today: Society, Culture, Identity is recommended for students intending to take American studies at second and third year.

2.1. American studies subjects

The following subjects are part of the American studies program. Students must consult the relevant area of study entries in this Handbook to make sure that they meet the prerequisites, if any, for these subjects.

First year

Recommended subject		Semester
	131-145 USA Today: Society, Culture, Identity	2

Second/third year

Core subjects		Semester
	106-022 City Cultures: Urban Stories	1
	106-049 American Liberals and Moderns	2
	106-061 American Voices	1
	106-068 Imagining Hollywood	Not Offered
	131-079 Slavery & Freedom in the USA: 1790-1900	1
	131-018 Searching for the American Dream	2
	131-080 American Modern: USA 1890-1990	2
	131-220 Rebels and Revolution in Latin America	2
	166-016 American Politics and Society	1
	166-023 Issues in American Foreign Policy	2

Optional subjects
	100-003 Australia and America	1, repeat 2
	106-031 Modernist Fiction	Not Offered
	106-033 Writing After Empire	2
	107-076 Contemporary Hollywood Cinema	Not Offered
	131-053 The Irish Abroad: Australia, UK & USA	2
	166-040 Constitutional Design and Change	Not Offered
	Other subjects with significant American content taught within the Faculty of Arts may be taken with prior approval of the course coordinator and the Associate Dean (Academic Programs).

The following subjects can be taken at fourth year as part of combined honours in American studies.

Third/fourth year and fourth year

Art history		Semester
	107-420 Art and Mass Culture in the 1960s	Not Offered
	107-466 Postmodern Culture: Art in New York	Not Offered

History
	131-416 Current Themes in American History	2
	131-458 American Nation	Not Offered
	131-462 Reading African-American History	1

English
	106-426 Post-War American Fiction	2
	The following subjects contain significant American content. They may be taken as part of the combined honours program in American studies on the condition that;
	a) students identify themselves to the coordinator of the unit as American studies honours students
	b) students undertake to write their major piece of assessment for the subject on American topics.

Art history
	107-425 Sound and Vision: Art & Popular Music	Not Offered

Cinema studies
	107-427 Film Criticism and the Canon	Not Offered
	107-431 Postmodernism and the Cinema	Not Offered

Political science
	166-444 The Emerging World (Dis)Order	1

3. Combined honours entry

Currently, there is no pure honours program in American studies. This means that students must combine fourth-year honours in American studies with another area of study.

The prerequisites for entry to combined honours in American studies are:

completion of all the requirements for the BA;
completion of a major in American studies;
an average grade of H2B or higher over the second/third-year subjects within the major; and
admission to honours in another area of study within the Faculty of Arts.

Entry to fourth-year honours must be approved by the convenor of American studies and the Faculty of Arts honours course adviser.

4. Combined honours requirements

Students undertaking combined honours in American studies and another area of study must complete:

131-538 American Studies Thesis or 131-537 American Studies Thesis (MYE) for students commencing in Semester 2; and
two honours subject in American studies from the list above (25 points); and
three honours subjects in the combined area of study (37.5 points).

an honours thesis in the combined area of study (37.5 points); and
two honours subjects in the combined area of study (25 points); and
three honours subjects from the list above (37.5 points).

5. For more information

Dr David Goodman
Department of History
Third Floor, John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Tel: +61 3 8344 5963
Email: d.goodman@unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.history.unimelb.edu.au

Fourth-year subjects

131-538 American Studies Thesis
131-537 American Studies Thesis (MYE)
131-458 American Nation