American Studies research degrees
The length of programme registration will be longer as it includes the maximum writing-up phase. See further details on how research degrees are structured at Hull and thesis submission expectations.
Hull pioneered American Studies in Britain and our department continues to be at the forefront of postgraduate research into the subject.
About our American Studies research degrees
Here, we've been teaching American Studies for half a century and we've built has one of the finest collections of American resources of any British university. This is a superb archive for postgraduate research students on our PhD courses.
Our academic staff have distinguished national and international reputations for teaching and research, and, like the University of Hull as a whole, American Studies at Hull is known as one of the friendliest departments in the country.
One of our strengths is our ability to carry our research across disciplinary borders best illustrated through recent PhD projects such as 'How Can One Tell the Truth About My Lai?', which examined how historians, novelists, journalists, filmmakers, and the US Army sought to ‘explain' the notorious Vietnamese massacre of 1968. Another recent project drew upon cultural studies, gender studies and political history to analyse Cold War history to explore 'Masculinity and Myth in Marvel Comics, 1961-74'.
Many of our successful PhD candidates have published books or have gone on to become lecturers at universities including Cambridge, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bangor, Manchester and Northumbria. Others have entered teaching, publishing, arts administration and broadcasting.
Research topics
Our academic experts welcome applications for postgraduate research across a broad range of topics.
Our principal areas of historical expertise include: Gang culture and the incarceral society; History on film; Mexican-American history; African-American history; The Civil Rights movement; The Civil War; and War and 20th-century American society.
In literary and cultural studies, our main areas of research activity include: Cinematic and televisual narratives; American gothic and horror literature and culture; Modern American poetry; Modernist and Postmodernist aesthetics; Race, gender and sexuality in contemporary American culture; 20th-century visual art (painting, photography, sculpture and architecture); and Radical culture.
The Postgraduate Training Scheme
It is now widely recognised by employers, professional bodies and research funding agencies that specialist expertise alone is not sufficient preparation either for research or a subsequent career. With this in mind, we require all our postgraduate research students to follow a research training programme relating both to their particular field of study and to generic skills; for example, information technology and communication skills.
Programme structure
Masters structure
| Full time | Part time |
|---|---|
| 1 year of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required | 2 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required |
PhD structure
| Full time | Part time |
|---|---|
| 3 years of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required | 6 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required |
Writing up and thesis submission
A standard full-time PhD programme comprised three years of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation (also referred to as “writing-up”). Part-time is six years plus up to 24 months thesis finalisation if needed. Full-time standard Masters programmes are comprised one year of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation needed; and part time Masters programmes have two years of research with up to two years of thesis finalisation.
For full-time students, the thesis finalisation phase should take three months but may be extended to one year without further paperwork. For part-time students, thesis finalisation should take six months, but may be extended to two years without further paperwork. The maximum thesis finalisation period is included in your overall programme length, which means that international PGRs will not need to apply for an additional visa to cover this phase.
If you need to move into the thesis finalisation period of your research degree, you must enrol for this phase and you will be liable to pay a continuation fee.
Thesis submission timelines
It is expected that you will submit your thesis within the timeframes outlined below:
Masters degrees
- Submission by one year and 3 months full-time.
- Submission by 2 years and 6 months part-time.
Doctoral degrees
- Submission by 3 years and 3 months full-time.
- Submission by 6 years and 6 months for part-time.
Entry Requirements
What do I need?
You should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or international equivalent, in a related discipline appropriate to your intended research.
Contacting your prospective supervisor before you submit your application is not essential but may be helpful.
Typical offer
2:1 in a relevant subject area
Fees & Funding
How much is it?
Ready to get started?
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