General information

Why study North American Studies at Radboud University?
Specializations
Our approach to this field
International Spring Academy
Learning Objectives
Interfaculty seminars
Creative seminar projects
International internship
Honours programme
Program coordinator

The United States continues to be one of the most significant agenda-setting countries in the world. Its politics, cutting-edge media, and exciting popular culture have far-reaching influences on other societies. The world seems to love American culture while being deeply distrustful of its power and politics.

The Master’s program in North American Studies touches on subjects such as Americanization, globalization, balances of power, transatlantic transfer, cultural mobility, exceptionalism, and cultural diplomacy. You’ll come to understand what shaped Europe's image of the United States and vice versa. Our Master's gives students the opportunity to acquire solid expertise in relation to the concept of ‘America' in a variety of fields: US history, literature, culture (including literature, popular culture, film, music, and the arts) as well as political history, foreign policy, constitutional law, religion and social science. Nijmegen distinguishes itself from other American Studies programs through its emphasis on the cultural and political relations between the United States, its neighboring countries, and Europe. Current events such as the religious tension between the USA and the Middle East, American foreign policy in Latin America and challenges to approach the transnational and transcultural dimension of North American literatures and cultures form an integral part of our classroom discussions.

There’s a wide range of opportunities for graduates of this program. Your broad interdisciplinary education, expertise in research skills, and excellent command of English will help you find a job in a large variety of international settings.

Why study North American Studies at Radboud University?

• Radboud University offers two specializations (see below) within which you can choose courses that best suit your own interests and career ambitions.
• You will gain an excellent understanding of the concept of ‘America' in a variety of fields: history, literature, popular culture as well as political history, foreign policy, constitutional law, religion and international relations.
• At Radboud University, we look at the North American region as a whole and acknowledge Mexico’s and Canada’s influences on the USA, stressing the diversity of North American society.
• Thanks to our international staff, you’ll get a well-rounded multi-perspective on the American region.
• You’ll find yourself in a dynamic learning environment where the level of scholarship and communication in (American) English is extremely high.
• We believe in a hands-on approach, meaning that besides lectures you will actively engage in excursions, international internship possibilities and interfaculty seminars.
• This program is also of interest to students from North America, giving them an international perspective on their region and how their actions

Specializations

Literatures and Cultures of North America in an International Perspective
In this specialization you’ll study the production and reception of North American literature, (popular) culture and art in the 20th and 21st centuries placing them in historical, social and cultural contexts. Emphasis here is on literature and the arts, popular culture and media.

Transnational America: Politics, Culture and Society
In this specialization you’ll explore the processes of democratization, globalization, cultural transfer, and cultural diplomacy between the United States and other regions in world. Emphasis here is on political history, foreign policy, constitutional law and balances of power.

Please note: Both specializations share two compulsory courses, which will give you a broad, yet thorough view of the social, cultural and political aspects of the North American region before specializing in one of the areas above.

Our approach to this field

Master’s program in North American Studies

At the American Studies Department we believe in a hands-on approach. Therefore, besides lectures, we offer a wide variety of assignments and extra curriculum activities. Below you will find some of the interesting initiatives for you on offer:

International Spring Academy

The American Studies Department initiated a novel approach for internationalizing its MA programs: a one-week spring academy organized together with the University of Duisburg-Essen for their MA students. The goal of the Dutch-German Spring Academy is a threefold grounding of Transnational American Studies as a form of engaged comparative teaching, research, and valorization with an emphasis on multi-national perspectives in interactive classrooms.

This joint initiative investigates transnational American studies on both sides of the border. Next to researching sights of memory on American History in Nijmegen and Duisburg-Essen, participating students are encouraged to exchange ideas and research agendas and to establish new academic contacts.

This initiative will be repeated in the Spring of 2017 and may become a permanent part of the Master’s program.

Learning Objectives

Students acquire extensive knowledge of North American culture, society and politics.gain detailed insight in the position and influence of the United States on the world, especially Europe.are familiar with the theories and methodologies that have shaped American Studies research.are able to define major problems and core issues within American culture, society and politics and to analyze these independently and in interdisciplinary fashion.have the skills to report academically, and in the English language, on their research findings and acquired knowledge, both orally and in written work.

Interfaculty seminars

At Radboud University, we have the advantage of having a broad number of faculties with different disciplines that can work together because everyone is located on one beautiful, compact campus. And so, the Department of American Studies (Faculty of Art), European and International Law (Faculty of Law) and Political Science (School of Management) have joined forces to hold a number of seminars in the academic year 2015/16 on the 2016 Presidential Election in the USA. We’ll strive to offer our students these kinds of multidisciplinary initiatives based on current events in future academic years as well.

Creative seminar projects

Students can opt to do a project as electives credit. One example of such a project is “Politics & Culture of Liberation”, in which students and teachers worked together with the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek, the Regional Archive in Nijmegen and the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The project resulted in an exhibition on the impact of American culture on Europe and the Transatlantic World.

https://youtu.be/tfG4nFVjJUQ

International internship

Another option to fill elective credit is to do an internship in the Netherlands or abroad. As this is a one-year Master’s this usually entails a four to six week period. We have a wide network which you can use to find a place a suitable internship at an archive, research institute or university in

Europe or North America. Students who wish to go abroad for longer are welcome to do so, but they will need to keep in mind that this may result in some delay in their studies.

American Studies research is part of the Nijmegen research group 'Literatuur, Cultuur, Media'.

Honours programme

Since 2002, the Radboud Honours Academy offers a special supplementary programme for highly motivated Bachelor's students wishing to extend their knowledge into disciplines other than their own. There are three honours programmes for Master's students: Reflections on Science, Reflections on Professions and Beyond the Frontiers. Each year, 150 students from Radboud University Nijmegen will have the opportunity to follow one of these programmes.

Program coordinator

Prof. F. Mehring is the program coordinator for the Master's programs in North American Studies, and has the ultimate responsibility for the planning and execution of the study program in the Master's phase. If you have any questions specifically relating to a particular course, you should first consult the teacher concerned before consulting the coordinator.