Admissions FAQ

Yes, but you will be admitted as a Masters student. Students are admitted under the presumption they will continue in the program through the Ph.D. The program does not currently accept applications for a terminal M.A. degree.

No. All students who enter with a B.A. must complete a Masters degree in American Studies before being admitted to the Ph.D. program. After the M.A. is completed, students are reviewed for doctoral eligibility by the Graduate Studies Committee. 

Yes, you are eligible to apply. Because American Studies is interdisciplinary in nature, we accept B.A. degrees from a number of different disciplines. Each applicant is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In most cases the answer is yes. However, there are cases where the American Studies admissions committee may feel that the student’s Masters degree has not adequately prepared the student for our Ph.D. program. In this situation, the student may be required to take additional coursework, or work towards another Masters degree in American Studies before being admitted to the Ph.D. program.

There is no minimum score requirement for the GRE. Applicants for Fall 2025 admission may request a waiver of the GRE score requirement by submitting a request for one in writing to the AMS Graduate Advisor.

Give careful consideration to the personal statement - don’t try to write it in one week. Be sure to include what you want to do, why you want to do it here, and how you got to this point. Consider how you believe the American Studies department, our faculty, and the research centers and libraries at UT are a good fit for your academic and research goals.

The writing sample should be something along the lines of a seminar paper not longer than 20 pages. It should demonstrate your capacity for research, analysis, as well as your writing abilities.

The admissions committee knows that applicants may have situations impacting their applications for which they would like to provide additional context. In the ‘Additional Information’ section of the application, you can address any information that you believe your application would be incomplete without and that sheds more light on your unique potential to succeed in American Studies program and contribute to the University community and the field or profession.

Eligible applicants are considered for nomination to a Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship. There are no special forms for you to fill out. The Recruitment Fellowships are sponsored and funded by the Office of Graduate Studies. The American Studies admissions committee will decide on nominations during the admissions review process. All files completed by December 1st will be considered.

Notification letters typically go out in February.

Yes, each offer of admission comes with a 6 year guarantee of funding through the department and the College of Liberal Arts. The funding comes from TA and AI positions and fellowships. Generally, first year students will be a TA in our department, unless they are awarded a Graduate School level first-year fellowship.

Within 48 hours of submission and payment of your application, the Office of Graduate Admissions will send you an email directing you to the Status Check website where you can upload documents.

If you can’t afford the application fee and are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident applying to pursue a graduate degree for the first time, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Fee waivers are not available for international citizens. Fee waiver requests must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions, following the guidelines outlined here.