American Studies Undergraduate Program
The Centre for the Study of the United States (CSUS) offers a vibrant, interdisciplinary, undergraduate program in American Studies. Dedicated exclusively to American politics, culture, and society, the Centre hosts Canada’s largest concentration of U.S.-focused scholars. As a result, American Studies students have access to an extensive range of courses, in both the humanities and the social sciences, including core American Studies classes, as well as, a wide range of American themed classes in affiliated departments. With all of the benefits of a boutique program at a world class university, the American Studies program features outstanding faculty, small classes, topical courses, as well as an annual undergraduate journal. In addition to the major program in American Studies, a minor option is also available. As a double major or minor, the American Studies Program is a particularly stimulating match with other disciplines, including International Relations, English, Political Science, Geography, and History.
core courses
AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS 2018–2019
For additional information on the American Studies courses, please contact our Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca.
For last year’s (2017/18) course offerings click here.
SUMMER 2018
USA403H1F: Topics in American Studies: American Tragedy: Guns & Mass Shootings in US History
Instructor: Jooyoung Lee
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 25
Columbine. Newtown. Aurora. Virginia Tech. San Bernardino. Orlando. Las Vegas. Parkland...Recent American history is filled with examples of deadly mass shootings. How and why do these shootings seem to happen with such frequency? What can be done to stop them? And how do these tragedies redefine American identity and culture? In this course, we’ll examine case studies of deadly mass shootings, the history of the gun control and gun rights debates, the American love affair with firearms, and the most promising policy ideas (from inside and outside of the US) aimed at preventing and eliminating mass shootings altogether. My goal is for you to leave this course armed with a critical understanding of the causes and consequences of mass shootings in the United States.
Prerequisite: At least two courses (2.0 FCEs) from the American Studies list of eligible courses, or by special permission of instructor.
Distribution Requirement: Humanities or Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions
USA494H1F/S – Independent Studies / USA495Y1 – Independent Studies
Distribution Requirement: Humanities or Social Science
Breadth Requirement: None
Fall 2018
USA200H1F: Introduction to American Studies
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Thursdays, 12:00 – 2:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 60
Students in this course will examine the politics, history, and culture of the United States through a selection of “keywords” from the field of American Studies (i.e. nation, frontier, race, gender, memorials, etc.). Through a critical analysis of primary readings from American Studies scholars, as well as other academic and contemporary writing, we will interrogate and problematize the keywords in question. A central focus of our analysis will be the social, cultural, and political contexts surrounding our keywords, as well as their representation in mediated texts. The instructor will also provide a material “object of the week” which functions as a fun and engaging entry point into the issues and debates related to the week’s topic. The object and its significance will be discussed and debated by the students in conjunction with the instructor.
USA200H1F Syllabus
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
USA310H1F / HIS389H1F (L0501): Approaches to American Studies: Mass Incarceration in the United States
Instructor: Max Mishler
Wednesdays, 1:00 – 3:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 20 spots–American Studies / 25 spots–History (Total = 45)
The United States is home to five percent of the world’s population but twenty-five percent of the world’s prisoners, including a disproportionate number of African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. This vast carceral archipelago generates significant profits for private corporations while exacerbating government deficits and wreaking havoc in those communities targeted by systematic policing and imprisonment. It has also provoked public and scholarly debates about the history, ethics, and function of incarceration in the United States. In this course, we will consider the rise of contemporary mass incarceration from an interdisciplinary perspective that draws upon history, sociology, and legal scholarship.
Sample Texts: Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (2010); James Forman, Locking up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America (2017); Torrie Hester, Deportation: The Origins of U.S. Policy (2017); Laleh Khalili, Time in the Shadows: Confinement and Counterinsurgencies (2012); Khalil Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern America (2010).
Prerequisite: At least two half courses (1.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses or USA300H1
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA311H1F / SMC301H1: Approaches to American Studies: Trump and the Media
Instructor: Sam Tanenhaus
Thursdays, 3:00 – 5:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 30 spots–American Studies / 168 spots–SMC (Total = 198)
The election of President Donald Trump has transformed the relationship between the presidency and the press. But what has been the larger impact on American democracy? We will look for answers by examining a broad range of political journalism – legacy print publications, network and cable news, and newer forms of digital and social media.
Prerequisite: At least two half courses (1.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses or USA300H1.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA313H1F / POL379H1: Approaches to American Studies: Civil Liberties in the United States
Instructor: Connor Ewing
Fridays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 15 spots–American Studies / 55 spots–Political Science (Total = 70)
This course offers a survey of American constitutional law in the area of civil liberties. The general domains of doctrinal development to be covered include: fundamental rights; freedoms of speech, press, and assembly; freedom of (and freedom from) religion; rights to privacy and autonomy; the guarantees of due process and equal protection of the laws; sexual and familial rights; and economic and socio-economic rights (or their absence). To make sense of the jurisprudential developments in each of these areas, the course will also take account of broader trends in legal history, social transformation, and constitutional interpretation.
Prerequisite: At least two half courses (1.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses or USA300H1.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
USA401H1F Topics in American Studies: Stormy Weather: Natural Disasters in American History and Culture
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 22
From the unprecedented 1927 Great Mississippi Flood to the ruinous Dust Bowl to Hurricane Maria’s recent devastation of Puerto Rico, American culture, landscape, law and history have been profoundly shaped by natural disaster. This course will examine how the republic has imagined these catastrophes from the 20th century to today. We’ll explore the consequences of how America represents storm and drought, considering what happens when they’re viewed as temporary aberrations or, alternatively, seen as a disturbing new normal in the long emergency of climate change. To get at these issues, we’ll draw on the deep cultural archive of American disaster narratives. We’ll listen to Charley Patton sing the Mississippi Delta flood blues, look at Banksy’s graffiti art in post-Katrina New Orleans, read Philip Squarzoni’s innovative graphic novel Climate Changed, and watch The Rock rescue California in the blockbuster film San Andreas, all as we consider just how natural, natural disaster really is.
Prerequisite: At least two courses (2.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA494H1F / USA 495Y1 – Independent Studies
Distribution Requirement Status: Humanities or Social Science
Breadth Requirement: None
Winter 2019
USA300H1S: Theories and Methods in American Studies
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Thursdays, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Tutorials 2-3 pm and 3-4 pm; Enrollment Cap: 60
This course, required for majors and minors, but open to all who have met the prerequisites, explores a range of approaches to the field of American Studies. Students will be introduced to some of the many ‘theories and methods’ that have animated the field of American Studies, including historical methods; formal analysis of visual and literary texts; and key concepts, such as commodity chain analysis; ‘race,’ ‘commodity,’ ‘gender,’ ‘diaspora,’ and ‘affect.’
USA300H1S Syllabus
Prerequisite: HIS271Y1/ ENG250Y1/ POL203Y1/ GGR240H1/ GGR254H1
Exclusion: USA300Y1
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA311H1S: Approaches to American Studies: Monumental Controversies: American Public Monuments from the Confederate Flag to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 45
Cities across the American south have recently taken down statues of Confederate generals in the dead of night, with removal crews wearing masks to protect themselves against retribution. As the republic grapples with conflicting histories, this course will examine the politics of memorialization. We’ll ask what gets remembered, by whom, for how long, and what form public commemoration takes. Reading statues, plaques, monuments and museums, we’ll consider the relationship between commemoration and amnesia as we explore how American memorials engage in both remembering and forgetting. To that end, we’ll consider the long and contentious history of American monument making: from the Mall in Washington D.C., America’s official memory palace, to the controversial Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Alabama’s new monument to victims of lynching, all as we consider how public memorialization makes and unmakes American history.
Prerequisite: At least two half courses (1.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses or USA300H1.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA400H1S / HIS473H1S: Topics in American Studies: The United States and Asia since 1945
Instructor: Cindy Ewing
Tuesdays, 3:00 – 5:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 9 spots–American Studies / 9 spots–History (Total = 18)
This course examines the interactions and conflicts between the U.S. and Asia from the end of the Second World War to the present. Concentrating on East Asia and Southeast Asia, we will explore war, politics, money, violence, art, race, religion, sex and gender in the history of these relations with special attention to their global contexts.
Prerequisite: At least two courses (2.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA403H1S / POL433H1S: Topics in American Studies: American Political Development
Instructor: Connor Ewing
Mondays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 8 spots–American Studies / 16 spots–Political Science (Total = 24)
This course explores the substance and nature of American political development. It will begin by examining the methodology, mechanisms, and patterns of American political development from the founding to the present. Emphasis will be placed on divergent perspectives on the nature of political development, particularly narratives of continuity and discontinuity. The course will also address the following topics: the Constitution and the founding; political economy, trade, and industrialization; bureaucracy and administration; citizenship and inclusion; race and civil rights; law and legal development; political institutions; and political parties.
Prerequisite: At least two courses (2.0 FCE) from the American Studies list of eligible courses
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
CIN431H1S – The Revolution Will/Will Not Be Televised
Instructor: Nicholas Sammond
Mondays and Tuesdays, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm; Enrollment: 5 spots available for eligible American Studies students
What were “the Sixties?” Were the 1960s a really colorful and trippy background for romantic love stories between beautiful young white people, rich in the drama of war and free love and easy drugs? (Think Across the Universe, 2007.) There are plenty of movies that say the ‘60s were just that, and we’ll watch some of them. But the ‘60s (1964-1974) were more than just a paisley rebellion powered by pretty people. The decade also produced profound changes in international relations, transformed understandings about the people’s participation in social and political life, and changed (for better and for worse) relationships between the people and their governments. And the Sixties were also a time when popular media—film, radio, television, magazines, the music industry—not only reflected these upheavals, but had to decide whether to further radical change or impede it. That is, there was a media revolution as well as a cultural and political one: popular media were seen as tools for articulating politics, and as having a politics of their own. This course explores the key issues of that era—racial equality, sexual pluralism, feminism, anti-imperialism—as they were mediated, and as they involved popular media in debates over freedom, equality, and law and order. We will look at a set of cases studies that take up the tension between the mediation of politics and the politics of mediation (with a fair amount of flowers and psychedelic lighting thrown in). This course is an opportunity to make connections across media—between film and music, between music and comic books, between radio and television—and to explore the unfolding of historical change through the ways that people experienced and produced that change in their own lives.
Prerequisite: At least 10 full-course equivalents, including CIN105Y1, CIN201Y1, CIN301Y1 or special permission of instructor. A 400-Level Seminar Enrollment Form must be submitted to the Cinema Studies Institute.
Distribution Requirement: Humanities
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations
USA494H1S – Independent Studies
Distribution Requirement: Humanities or Social Science
Breadth Requirement: None
Eligible courses
Updated March 2018 TO INCLUDE 2018/19 COURSES
NOTE: The list below is not exhaustive. In general, courses with 50% or more American content may be allowed. Students need to seek early approval of program credit for such courses from the CSUS Director.
From the Faculty of Arts and Science website: https://fas.calendar.utoronto.ca/
American Studies
- USA200H1 Introduction to American Studies (Core required course for majors)
- USA300H1 Theories and Methods in American Studies (Core required course for majors and minors, formerly USA300Y1)
- USA310H1 Approaches to American Studies
- USA311H1 Approaches to American Studies
- USA312H1 Approaches to American Studies
- USA313H1 Approaches to American Studies
- USA400H1 Topics in American Studies
- USA401H1 Topics in American Studies
- USA402H1 Topics in American Studies
- USA403H1 Topics in American Studies
- USA494H1 Independent Studies
- USA495Y1 Independent Studies
Cinema Studies
- CIN211H1 Science Fiction Film
- CIN230H1 The Business of Film
- CIN270Y1 American Popular Film Since 1970
- CIN310Y1 Avant-Garde and Experimental Film
- CIN334H1 The Origins of the Animation Industry, 1900-1950: A Technosocial History (formerly INI383H1)
- CIN335H1 American Animation after 1950 (for 2018/2019)
- CIN374Y1 American Filmmaking in the Studio Era
- CIN431H1 The Revolution Will/Will Not Be Televised (for 2018/2019)
- CIN490Y1 Independent Studies in Cinema
- CIN491H1 Independent Studies in Cinema
- CIN492H1 Independent Studies in Cinema
Economics
- ECO306H1 American Economic History
English
- ENG250Y1 American Literature
- ENG254Y1 Indigenous Literatures of North America
- ENG360H1 Early American Literature
- ENG363Y1 Nineteenth-Century American Literature
- ENG364Y1 Twentieth-Century American Literature
- ENG365H1 Contemporary American Fiction
- ENG368H1 Asian North American Literature (formerly ENG268H1)
- ENG434H1 Advanced Studies: American and Transnational Literatures
- ENG435H1 Advanced Studies: American and Transnational Literatures
- ENG438H1 Advanced Studies Seminar: American and Transnational Literature
Geography
- GGR240H1 Geographies of Colonialism in North America
- GGR254H1 Geography USA
- GGR336H1 Urban Historical Geography of North America
- GGR339H1 Urban Geography, Planning and Political Processes
- GGR359H: Comparative Urban Policy
- GGR458H: Advanced Topics in (or Special Topics in) Urban Geography: Urban Growth and Decline
History
- HIS106Y1 Natives, Settlers and Slaves: Colonizing the Americas, 1492-1804
- HIS202H1 Gender, Race and Science
- HIS221H1 African American History to 1865 (for 2018/2019)
- HIS222H1 African American History from 1865 to the Present (for 2018/2019)
- HIS271Y1 American History Since 1607
- HIS300H1 Energy and Environment in North American History
- HIS310H1 Histories of North American Consumer Culture
- HIS343H1 History of Modern Espionage
- HIS345H1 History and Film (for 2018/2019)
- HIS365H1 History of the Great Lakes Region
- HIS366H1 Aboriginal Peoples of the Great Lakes from 1815 to the Present
- HIS369H1 Aboriginal Peoples of the Great Lakes from 1500 to 1830
- HIS374H1 American Consumerism – The Beginnings
- HIS375H1 Politics and Protest in Postwar North America
- HIS376H1 The United States: Now and Then
- HIS377H1 20th-Century American Foreign Relations (formerly HIS377Y1)
- HIS378H1 America in the 1960s
- HIS379H1 Vietnam at War
- HIS389H1 Topics in History (Topic must relate to the study of the US broadly speaking)
- HIS389Y1 Topics in History (Topic must relate to the study of the US broadly speaking)
- HIS400H1 The American War in Vietnam
- HIS401Y1 History of the Cold War (formerly HIS401H1)
- HIS404H1 Topics in U.S. History
- HIS411H1 Great Trials in History (for 2018/2019)
- HIS463H1 Cloth in American History to 1865
- HIS464H1 Religion and Violence in Comparative Perspective (for 2018/2019)
- HIS465Y1 Gender and International Relations (for 2018/2019)
- HIS473Y1 The United States and Asia since 1945 (formerly HIS473H1)
- HIS479H1 US Foreign Policy Since World War II (formerly HIS479Y1)
- HIS484H1 The Car in North American History (formerly HIS484Y1)
- HIS487H1 Animal and Human Rights in Anglo-American Culture
- HIS497H1 Animal Politics and Science (for 2018/2019)
Indigenous Studies (formerly Aboriginal Studies)
- INS302H1 Aboriginal Representation in the Mass Media and Society
- INS341H1 North American Indigenous Theatre
Music
- MUS306H1 Popular Music in North America
Political Science
- POL203Y1 U.S. Government and Politics
- POL300H1 Topics in Comparative Politics
- POL326Y1 United States Foreign Policy
- POL404Y1 Public, Private and the Liberal State
- POL433H1 Topics in United States Government and Politics
- POL464H1 Urban Policy and Policymaking
Religion
- RLG315H1 Rites of Passage
program REQUIREMENTS
Major in American Studies (Arts program)
Completion Requirements: As of 2018-2019 Academic Year
7.0 full courses or equivalent to a total of 7.0 FCEs, specified as follows:
1) 1.0 FCE from the 200-level gateway courses in English (ENG250Y1), History (HIS271Y1), Geography (GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science (POL203Y1).
2) USA200H1 and USA300H1 (total of 1.0 FCE).
3) 1.0 FCE each from at least three of the following disciplinary/thematic clusters (total of 3.0 FCEs): a) Politics and Economics b) Society (Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, East Asian Studies, Geography) c) Culture (Cinema Studies, English, Music, Religion) d) History
4) 0.5 FCE in Breadth Requirement Category 5: The Physical or Mathematical Universe, or another half course (0.5 FCE) approved by the CSUS Program Director, to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning competency requirement of the program.
5) Additional eligible courses from the ‘Eligible Courses’ listed in the ‘Courses’ tab, to a total of 7.0 FCEs, including requirement #4 above.
6) At least 2.0 FCEs of the student’s 7.0 FCEs must be at the 300-level or above.
7) At least 1.5 FCEs of the student’s 7.0 FCEs must be in American Studies (USA prefix courses), at the 300- or 400-level.
Recommended Sequence of Courses:
First Year:
Students are encouraged to take any prerequisites for the 200-level gateway course required, and/or enroll directly in USA200H1 as a first year student.
Of the required second-year disciplinary survey courses, only POL203Y1 has a prerequisite; students interested in politics, therefore, should take one full POL course, a prerequisite for POL203Y1.
Other recommended courses at the first year level include: HIS106Y1 Natives, Settlers, and Slaves: Colonizing the Americas, 1492-1804.
Second Year:
USA200H1 Introduction to American Studies, HIS271Y1 History of the United States since 1607 (or) ENG250Y1 American Literature (or) GGR240H1 AND GGR254H1 Historical Geography of North America / Geography USA (or) POL203Y1 U.S. Government and Politics
Second, Third, and Fourth Years:
USA300H1, plus other eligible courses, to a total of 7.0 FCEs. At least 2.0 FCEs of these courses must be at the 300-level or above. At least 1.5 FCEs of these courses must be American Studies USA prefix courses at the 300 or 400-level. Courses must be chosen in a way that satisfies the disciplinary/thematic variety described above, plus 0.5 FCE in Breadth Requirement Category 5, or another half course (0.5 FCE) approved by the CSUS Program Director, to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning competency requirement of the program.
NOTE: Other 300+ series courses with 50% or more American content may be allowed; students should seek early approval of program credit for such courses from the CSUS Director.
MINOR IN AMERICAN STUDIES (ARTS PROGRAM)
4.0 full courses or equivalent to a total of 4.0 FCEs, including at least one 300+ series course in at least two disciplines, specified as follows:
Second year:
1) 1.0 FCE of the following 200-level gateway survey courses in English (ENG250Y1), History (HIS271Y1), Geography (GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science (POL203Y1).
Third year:
2) Students must take USA300H1 (0.5 FCE).
Second, third, and fourth years:
3) 2.5 FCEs from the ‘Eligible Courses’ listed in the ‘Courses’ tab above to total 4.0 FCEs.
NOTE: Other 300+ series courses with American content may be allowed; students should seek early approval of program credit for such courses from the CSUS Director.
For a detailed list of courses please consult the links above.
frequently asked questions
How do I declare my major in American Studies?
Enrolment is done through ROSI. You must have successfully completed four full-course equivalents but need no minimum GPA. Instructions are given in the Registration Handbook and Timetable.
May the courses I have taken for a major in another program count toward my major in American Studies?
The rule is that students doing two majors must have 12 separate courses to qualify for both majors, meaning that some double counting is possible, but usually amounting to only one or two courses. See the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar for details.
Is it possible to double count American Studies Credits with other Majors/Minors?
The policy of the Faculty of Arts and Science is as follows: “Two major programs, which must include 12 different courses OR One major and two minor programs, which must include 12 different courses” A limited amount of double counting is sometimes allowed. CSUS only has jurisdiction over the USA courses, students must check with the department responsible for the course for permission to double count.
Do I need to meet all the prerequisites?
Students are required to have completed HIS271 or POL203 or ENG250 or GGR240H1/GGR254H1 before enrolling in USA300. However, on a case by case basis, students have been allowed to take the prerequisite concurrently with USA300 or to substitute other courses with similar content to the prerequisites. The decision is made by the Director of CSUS. If a student has taken more than one of the pre-requisites, all can be counted towards the degree.
Do I need to meet the breadth requirement?
Students are required to meet a breadth requirement for a major/minor in American Studies of at least 3 disciplines, meaning course work in history, political science, english, for example. While a broader course of study is preferable, USA designated courses can be counted as a separate discipline if needed to meet the requirement.
Are there any approved courses not on the list?
The list of approved courses in the calendar is not exhaustive. Departments offer many half courses, “Topics in...”, that can change from year to year and are therefore not included on the list. Students interested in having a course approved for American Studies credit should contact the program coordinator and/or CSUS Director. The criteria for approval is at least 50% American content. Students should submit syllabi by email to the CSUS Director at csus.director@utoronto.ca, with a cc to csus@utoronto.ca, to initiate the approval process.
News for Undergraduates
CSUS DIRECTOR OFFICE HOURS
The new CSUS Director Prof. Nic Sammond will not be holding office hours during the Summer 2018 semester. If you would like to meet with him, he is available by appointment and can be reached at: csus.director@utoronto.ca. His office is in Room 326N North House, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place.
UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN STUDIES (USAS)
The Undergraduate Society of American Studies (USAS) is the course union that represents all students in the American Studies major or minor programs, or any student enrolled in 0.5 or more USA-coded classes.
USAS Annual Election will be held on Thursday, April 5th, 2018, 5:30pm – 7:00pm at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Room 202N, North House lounge.
The available positions are:
- President
- Two Co-Vice Presidents
- Secretary
- Social Media Coordinator
- Treasurer
- Executive-at-Large
If you’re interested in any of these positions, please email aisha.assan.lebbe@mail.utoronto.ca with the position(s) you’re interested in. You are eligible to run for more than one position, but you can only be elected to one. If you’re not interested in running for any position, please come by to vote and meet fellow American Studies students. We hope to see you there!
USAS Current Executive (2017-2018)
President: Samantha Odrowaz-Sekely (samantha.odrowaz.sekely@mail.utoronto.ca)
Co-Vice-Presidents: Helen Hayes (h.hayes@mail.utoronto.ca) and Aisha Assan-Lebbe (aisha.assan.lebbe@mail.utoronto.ca)
Executive-at-large: Hana Osman (hana.osman@mail.utoronto.ca)
Treasurer: Sanjana Nigam (sanjana.nigam@mail.utoronto.ca)
Media Coordinator: Rachel Wong (ra.wong@mail.utoronto.ca)
Secretary: Olivia Hilborn (olivia.hilborn@mail.utoronto.ca)
undergraduate journal of american studies
The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies, published annually, provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to present some of their high-quality independent research to a broader audience.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for the 2017-18 Journal:
Deadline: August 7, 2018
The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies is now accepting submissions for its upcoming publication in Fall 2018.
The era of President Donald Trump has shined a light on the pattern of social and political injustices throughout the history of the United States. #MeToo and Time’s Up have spurred a rejection of a social status quo that promotes a culture of sexual harassment and assault. Kneeling NFL Players and Black Lives Matter have initiated a conversation on a culture that passively condones police brutality and the discriminatory sentencing and incarceration of African-Americans. Conversely, President Trump’s seeming immunity from consequences for a pattern of unlawful activity in his business practices, and Republican hesitance to speak out regarding potential Russian collusion have demonstrated the uneven application of legal consequences. Across the political spectrum, faith in the American way of life has steadily degraded.
In light of this, the theme of this year’s journal will be “Unveiling,” a reflection on both the revelations of injustice in our historical moment, and the tradition of abuse evident throughout American history.
Students of all departments are invited to contribute to the journal, provided their submissions are relevant to this year’s theme. Only essays that received a mark of 80% or above will be considered. Submissions can range from 2 to 20 pages in length.Students whose works are accepted will work closely with the journal’s editing team to improve and polish their submission before the anticipated date of release in October 2018.
Please send submissions to Co-Editors-in-Chief Adam and Olivia at: csus.journal@gmail.com by August 7, 2018.
To view copies of past journals, please follow the links below:
Click here to view the 2016-17 Journal.
Click here to view the 2015-16 Journal.
Click here to view the 2014-15 Journal.
Click here to view the 2013-14 Journal.
Click here to view the 2012-13 Journal.
Click here to view the 2011-12 Journal.
internships and awards
CSUS either sponsors, or collaborates with other organizations, on several internships and awards each year. These opportunities are available to undergraduate students, graduate students, and/or faculty.
I. Internships for students
U.S. Consulate, Toronto
The American Consulate General in Toronto, Canada offers internship positions for students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada, in the Political/Economic and Consular Sections three times per year (during the Fall, Winter-Spring, and Summer sessions). Students chosen for the program are required to participate as an intern for at least 10 weeks on a full-time basis. The positions within this program are voluntary, without salary or benefits. The Intern Program gives students valuable work experience in a challenging foreign affairs arena. For further information, please visit their website at: http://toronto.usconsulate.gov/about-us/internship-opportunities/, or you may contact Human Resources by email at: TRTHR@state.gov, or by mail: 360 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1S4. The internships are run through the US Consulate; CSUS plays no role in the selection of interns.
U.S. Mission, Canada
Public Affairs Section (Toronto) *UNPAID INTERNSHIP*
Open to: Non-U.S. Citizen Students*. Candidates must be enrolled half-time or more in a trade school, technical or vocational institute, college, university or comparable recognized educational institute in the field of International Relations, Communications, Political Science or Public Administration, as well as related disciplines. For additional details on how to apply to this internship, please see this page.
Canadian Embassy Internship Program, Washington, DC
The Embassy offers several unpaid, full-time internship possibilities in Public Affairs: Academic Relations, Culture, Press/Media, and Information Services. There are frequently positions available in Trade, Environment, Energy and Congressional Relations. Deadlines are three times throughout the year, in relationship to academic terms. This internship is administered by the Canadian Embassy; CSUS has no formal relationship. More information is available here: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/offices-bureaux/contact-coordonnees/internships_stages.aspx?menu_id=339&view=d
Consulate General of Canada, New York City
This is a paid internship available only to students who are enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Toronto at the time of application. In the past this internship has been in the Political/Economic Relations and Public Affairs section. Interested students make an application to the Centre for the Study of the United States by the announced deadline. We then make a decision to forward two names to the Consulate General in NY; and then, the Consulate General will select the final recipient(s). This is a two-stage process and in the second stage nominees from the University of Toronto compete against candidates from other Canadian universities. ***Due to broad strategic operations reviews at all Canadian consulates, they are currently not sure which shape, if any, their internship programs will be taking in the coming year.***
II. Awards for students
Killam Undergraduate Fellowships for Canadians
The Killam Undergraduate Fellowship is a competitive award that helps support Canadian undergraduates who wish to pursue an exchange at a university in the United States for one semester or a full academic year. For more information on this fellowship, please visit the Killam Fellowships website by clicking here. If you are interested in applying to this award, please contact the Centre for International Experience at the University of Toronto.
Canada-US Fulbright Traditional Fellowship Program
Funded by Canada and the US; deadline November 15. Grants of four to nine months to Canadian students who wish to study in the US. (U.S. citizens are not eligible). Please note that this award is available for all sorts of study, including both graduate work (in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences) and in the professional fields (law, medicine, business, public policy.) In addition, note that the student aspect of the Fulbright is available to advanced undergraduates seeking to enter a graduate program in the U.S., to current MA students who are applying to PhD and professional degree programs; and to current PhD students seeking a year in the US as part of their dissertation research. If you have further interest in the program, please consult the website here: http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-students.html. Also, please feel free to make an appointment with the CSUS Director to discuss the program in more detail.
Associates of the University of Toronto Award for the Study of the United States
Administered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and open to both undergraduates and graduate students. For graduate students the usual deadline is March 15th. For undergraduate students this award is made on the basis of need and merit as an in-course award. Undergrads must be enrolled in the American Studies Program and be in their 3rd or 4th year.
Amount: $2000 for undergrads; $3000 for graduate students.
For further information about this award, please see: www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/scholarships/march/associates-of-the-university-of-toronto-awards-for-study-of-the-united-states
Graduate Research Grants in American Studies and/or the Study of the United States
For more information on our graduate research grants, please click here.
III. Awards for Faculty to go to the United States
Fulbright Scholar and Chairs Program
Available to Canadian scholars and senior professionals (who are not US citizens) who want to lecture and/or do research in the US during the following academic year. Competition opens in May of each year, and the deadline is Nov. 15th of each year. For further information about this award, please see their website here: http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-scholars.html
life after graduation
INTERNSHip opportunity for Recent graduates
The Ontario Legislature Internship Programme runs an internship for recent graduates at Queen’s Park, Toronto. The internship lasts 10 months, from 1st September – 30th June each year, and is a paid stipend, as it is an academic programme, and as such is classed as a scholarship bursary. Interns travel to the US each year to compare the two systems (Canadian and US) and gain a greater overview of world politics, but is based more at a state / province level. More information can be found at http://www.olipinterns.ca/
