GRADUATE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN STUDIES
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Master's Degree Program in American Studies MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN AMERICAN STUDIES 2007
The MA program in the Graduate School provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the study of the United States along with an opportunity to engage in intensive, focused study in a chosen research area. With a wide range of courses that cover such fields as history, politics, culture, society, economics, literature, religion, law, and foreign policy, the Graduate School provides an ideal environment for the study of most topics relating to the United States. A low faculty/student ratio allows for small class sizes and very close interaction with principal advisers and other faculty members. The requirement to write an MA thesis (or comparable research paper) provides students with a chance to delve deeply into a topic of their choice, and to engage when appropriate in directed field study in the United States or elsewhere. Many of our students have attained interesting jobs in Japan, joined the PhD program at the Graduate School, or gone on to top-ranked PhD programs in the United States. With a lively student body and diverse faculty, the Graduate School provides a stimulating setting for cultural exchange between America and Japan, not to mention the other countries that are now part of the broader field of American Studies. Regular visitors from abroad are integrated into the curriculum, and provide a unique opportunity to interact closely with some of the finest scholars in North America and Japan. Requirements
The regulations of the Graduate School of Doshisha University stipulate that a "Master's Degree will be conferred upon those who complete more than 30 credits as regular students for more than 2 years, submit Master’s Theses under supervision of the faculty, and pass their final examinations. Final examinations will center on the Master’s Thesis and related areas of study. Students in the Graduate School of American Studies, however, are not required to stay 2 years, but may complete the program in 1 year so long as they demonstrate excellent academic achievement." In spite of the above regulations, students in the Graduate School of American Studies may also complete the Master’s Degree by submitting research papers on specific research topics in lieu of a Master’s thesis when the faculty consider it appropriate. Two Ways to Obtain a Master's Degree in American Studies 1. Master's Degree with Thesis: the completion of more than 30 credits, including all the required courses (A Group and B Group) and the submission and successful examination of a Master’s Thesis; or 2. Master's Degree without Thesis: the completion of more than
38 credits, including all the required courses (A Group and B Group),
and no Master’s Thesis. Students in the Master’s program are encouraged to take
the following courses in sequence: (2) American Civilization I. Required 2 credits. First Semester (3) American Civilization II. Required, 2 credits. Second Semester (4) American History I. 2 credits. First Semester (5) American History II. 2 credits. Second Semester (6) Research Seminar. 2 credits. Second Semester (7) Fieldwork. 4 credits. Third Semester (8) American Studies Seminar. Required, 2 credits. Third Semester (9) Master's Thesis. Fourth Semester With the approval of the faculty or an Associate Dean, students can take the same courses for credit twice. This is particularly relevant to Research Seminar (“enshu”). Course Descriptions This team-taught course is designed to provide the opportunity for students to be exposed to the possibilities and problems of "American Studies," and to find direction and research topics while acquiring research skills necessary for academic research and writing. Students are introduced, first, to the origin and history of "American Studies" in the United States, and second, to the search for possibilities of "American Studies" in Japan--which may include Japanese-American relations. Furthermore, students are expected to learn how to make use of the voluminous research materials at the Library of the Center for American Studies and the Graduate School of American Studies, Doshisha University, such as books, microforms, CD-ROMs, etc., as well as databases available through the internet. They are also expected to learn how to write papers and theses. By the end of the lecture sessions, students are required to submit a revised copy of the "Research Proposal" (Kenkyu keikaku) which they originally submitted for application to the Graduate School of American Studies. When they submit the final "Research Proposal" at the end of the semester it should show their response to the criticisms and suggestions provided during their oral presentations, and incorporate ideas gained through their consultation with a faculty member (or faculty members) whose field of study is closest to theirs. Students are expected to make progress in research according to their "Research Proposal" and by participating in a "Research Seminar," beginning in their second semester, under the guidance of their primary adviser. Students are required to present their research results in the "American Studies Seminar" during their third semester, and develop their "Research Proposal" into a "Research Paper" (Kenkyu kadai ronbun) or "Master's Thesis." Oral Presentations The aim of oral presentations is to stimulate further improvement and the completion of individual research by encouraging students to incorporate into their proposals the criticisms and suggestions made during the discussion of their presentation. Each student has 15 minutes: the first 5 minutes for oral presentation, and the remaining 10 minutes for comments and discussion by all faculty members and students. AMERICAN STUDIES SEMINAR This seminar seeks to help a student sum up his/her research results conducted on the research proposal since admission. In the seminar each student is required to present his/her research results orally, followed by questions and answers from all of the faculty, as well as other students. All Graduate School of American Studies students are encouraged to take part in the American Studies Seminar. At the end of the seminar, students who are registered are required to submit a revised "Seminar Paper" or "Thesis Paper" [kenkyu kadai] which incorporates their response to the questions, criticisms and suggestions offered during the seminar sessions. The revised "seminar paper" is no longer a research proposal but it has become a research result, i.e., the end product of research results, with conclusions. Oral Presentation Sessions of the Seminar Oral presentation sessions are designed to prompt and improve the research work of students through a question-and-answer period. Each student has 45 minutes--15 minutes for a concise oral presentation of his/her research results, followed by 10 minutes of comments from 2 student-discussants and 20 minutes of general discussion by all of the faculty and participants. Each student prepares a one-page abstract or summary with bibliography (in English and in Japanese) in advance to hand out in the seminar (copies can be made at the Office of the Graduate School of American Studies, free of charge). The original "Seminar Paper" submitted at the beginning of the semester is on reserve at the Office of the Graduate School of American Studies. All students in the Graduate School of American Studies, registered or not for the seminar, are welcome to attend. Completing the Master's Degree Requirements without a Thesis A student who plans to complete his/her Master's Degree requirements by submitting his/her "Seminar Paper" without doing a Master's Thesis is required to make all of the proposed revisions suggested by his/her adviser and submit one copy of the final revised “Seminar Paper” to the Office of the Graduate School of American Studies. This paper is kept as a permanent record in the Graduate School of American Studies. INDEPENDENT STUDY (FIELDWORK) Fieldwork is a kind of research, usually conducted in the United States, which contributes to the writing of the Master's thesis. Each student should work out a fieldwork research plan with the advice and supervision of his/her adviser. All expenditures related to fieldwork (transportation, accommodation, tuition, etc.) must be borne by the student, although limited financial support is sometimes available. The Fieldwork Research Plan A fieldwork research plan should be proposed and formulated following the guidelines for the Introduction of American Studies. It should show the ways in which research skills, sources, computer resources and fieldwork will be combined to produce a quality fieldwork research paper. Guidelines for Fieldwork Research 1. The research period should be at least two weeks long. The research period could be divided into no more than two segments. Registration for Fieldwork is necessary each semester, if the fieldwork extends into more than one academic year. 2. Fieldwork can start in the second semester after admission. It can be done during spring and summer breaks. 3. A student is required to purchase overseas travel insurance for his/her fieldwork period. 4. A student can request a letter of introduction in advance of
his/her fieldwork from the Office of the Graduate School of American
Studies (this is free of charge, regardless of issues). Further information is available on this site:
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INTRODUCTION
TO AMERICAN STUDIES