American Studies, full-time, second cycle programme (S2-PRK-AM)

Academic areas: humanities and social science

Academic fields: history, political science, sociology, cultural studies, and literature

The leading field: cultural studies

The Program

The American Studies Center is an interdisciplinary research and higher-education institution of the University of Warsaw. Its faculty members specialize in various fields of knowledge about the US and Western Hemisphere—culture, literature, arts, film, media, history, economy, politics, history of ideas, society, and law.

The ASC has a full-time liberal arts master program. It lasts two years or four semesters. Instruction is in English by permanent, adjunct, and visiting faculty. Additionally, students are offered classes in Spanish. Among our permanent faculty are Polish professors as well as professors from the US and Mexico.

The MA Program in American Studies, with the Western Hemispheric studies component, is unique in the Polish higher education system. The program is meant to help develop research skills (especially through the system of research proseminars) and offers courses on the United States of America, also Latin American, and the whole region of the Western Hemisphere.

In addition, students have opportunities to develop skills other than those needed for conducting research; they become proficient in the so-called “soft skills” which they need both in academia and outside (e.g., self-presentation, teamwork, intercultural communication, work organization, and effective time management). Research grants allow our best students to travel abroad for research purposes to other American Studies libraries in Europe or the United States and to conduct empirical research there.

The Graduates

Our graduates are awarded MA degrees in American studies. They are familiar with facts and understand processes and cultural phenomena in both Americas. They are acquainted with theories explaining the complexity of relationships between the phenomena. They know how to identify, understand, describe, interpret, and explain the causes and the dynamics of cultural and social processes in both Americas. They know how to use various resources for this purpose and how to employ several research methods developed in humanities and social sciences. Their English is at least at B2+ level and – provided they take the Spanish language course - Spanish is at least at A2 level.

Thanks to our program, our graduates have skills and competences to collect, evaluate, and classify cultural facts and to draw conclusions. They know how to work in a team, how to develop a project, how to present its results. In short, they know how to carry out work done daily by researchers, entrepreneurs, journalists, teachers of humanities and social sciences, social activists, and specialists working at various public institutions.

Our graduates have skills and competences to continue their studies in a doctoral or PhD programs in humanities or social science with specialization in American or Western Hemisphere studies.

ASC graduates find employment in business, trade, journalism, media, cultural institutions, higher education, public administration, diplomacy, international organizations, and tourism.

The Building

We provide a comfortable environment for our students. Classes are held in a building located at Dobra 55, in Powiśle. The Main Campus of the University of Warsaw, other faculties, and University Library are located nearby.

The building is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.

The classrooms are fitted with computer equipment and Internet access. Wireless Internet (EDUROAM network) is available throughout the building.

The ASC Library collection is highly valued by students, researchers, and journalists in American studies. The library holdings include materials on both the United States and Latin America, in both humanities and social sciences.

MA Program Curriculum