Postgraduate Study
BA (Hons)
4 Courses, One Year
The requirement for postgraduate study in American Studies is a B average in the prerequisite American Studies courses at the undergraduate level, particularly two 300-level American Studies courses.
As the University of Canterbury calendar stipulates, if you are applying from outside American Studies you may, at the discretion of the Programme Director, be admitted but will be required to include AMST 431 among the four courses prescribed.
The requirements for the degree of BA (Hons) are four courses chosen from AMST 422-440. However, one or two relevant courses in other disciplines may be substituted for courses in American Studies. Normally, the courses are completed within one year.
Not all courses will necessarily be offered in any one year. A list of courses offered this year and proposed for next year is available from the programme.
MA
Thesis alone - for those who have already graduated BA (Hons)
If, after having graduated with your BA (Hons), you then choose to go on to write an MA thesis, you would graduate with a separate MA degree; that is, you would not be graduating MA (Hons).
MA (Hons)
4 courses and thesis, two years
Doing a course-work year and thesis year together constitutes the degree as an MA (Hons). In this case, you would not take out your BA (Hons), but simply let the Registrar know that you are pursuing an MA (Hons). Both course work and thesis must be completed within three years except in exceptional circumstances.
The four courses are selected from the BA (Hons) options.
PhD
Thesis alone - for those who have already graduated MA or MA (Hons) or BA (Hons).
The American Studies Programme offers a doctoral degree by thesis only. A Ph.D. thesis is a substantial piece of independent research that makes an original contribution to knowledge and understanding in the chosen field of study. Full-time students must be enrolled for a minimum of two years. Prospective Ph.D. students should consult the University Calendar Restrictions regarding the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and contact the Programme Convenor for advice on enrolment and finding supervisors for their research. Overseas students should also contact the International Student Support Office.
Students seeking to undertake a Ph.D. are normally expected to have a Master's degree with a B+ grade or better. In exceptional circumstances, however, students with a First Class BA (Hons) degree will be allowed to proceed directly to a Ph.D.
Once supervision has been arranged, students can apply for enrolment. Such enrolment is, however, provisional as students may only formally register for a Ph.D. after their thesis proposal has been approved by the Academic Board. The thesis proposal is developed in consultation with the thesis supervisors and has to be submitted for approval within six months of commencing study. For further details about supervision, thesis proposals, completion time, submission, and examination, please consult the University Graduate Handbook or the American Studies Graduate Handbook.
Every Ph.D. candidate in the American Studies Programme delivers an oral presentation of his or her thesis proposal several weeks before that proposal is due to be registered. At the time of presentation, the proposal will be in its final stages. The presentation should run for about twenty minutes and be followed by discussion. Invitations to these presentations will go to all academic staff of the School of Humanities, to all postgraduates in the School, and to any other people identified as appropriate by the candidate and the supervisors. The Programme Convenor will consult with the supervisors and the candidate about who might chair the presentation and will be available to serve as chair if required.