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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.

 

 

 

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core courses

AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS 2020–2021

For additional information on the American Studies courses, please contact our Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca.
For last year’s (2019/20) course offerings click here.


SUMMER 2020


USA401H1F: Topics in American Studies: – Spin! Media, Marketing and Managing the Future
Instructor: Dan Guadagnolo
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 25

This course examines the marketing experts, public relations advisors, and image management consultants who make it their business to manage an uncertain future. It explores the histories behind the strategies these specialists have used to manage public perception and to inform public opinion about corporations, CEOs, politicians and more. By putting in conversation both classic public relations, marketing, and advertising texts and more recent work in these fields, we will examine how these professions have both succeeded and failed in accomplishing their work. In doing so, we will track how the rise of public relations, marketing, and image management transformed not only public life, but our collective sense of the past and future as well.

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: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)


FALL  2020


USA200H1F: Introduction to American Studies
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Thursdays, 12:00 – 2:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 60 (Online Synchronous)

This course is inspired by one central question – what is America and how do we study it?  To get at an answer, we’ll examine issues that have animated the discipline of American Studies and the nation itself.  Is the ideal republic found in a teeming metropolis or in rolling “fields of amber grain”?  Why does the frontier loom so large in the American imagination? What does it mean to try to be a nation and an empire?  We’ll tackle these questions and more by reading contemporary scholarship – such as Michelle Alexander’s work on mass incarceration – as well as historical texts – such as witness testimony from the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.  Throughout the course we’ll explore issues and ideologies central to the republic including racialization, exceptionalism, precarity and the changeable status of citizenship.  Required for majors and minors, but open to all who meet pre-requisites.

USA311H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Epidemic: The History and Culture of American Contagion
Instructor:  Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 25 (Online Synchronous)

From the smallpox epidemic which ravaged the nation during the Civil War and led to the emergence of new burial practices, to the AIDS crisis which galvanized LGBTQ+ politics, American history and culture has been shaped by epidemic.  This class will examine the history, rhetoric and politics of these outbreaks.  We’ll read Susan Sontag’s reflections on the stigma of sickness in Illness as Metaphor, study the emergence of the telethon as a key fundraising and education apparatus, and explore techo-modern innovations such as the iron lung – which saved the lives of thousands of children infected with polio.  Throughout the course, we’ll interrogate America’s disease cultures and consider how the republic imagines pandemic, ‘public’ health, individual rights, risk and contagion in times of fatal communicability.

USA312H1F / SMC301H1F / POL378H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Trump and the Election
Instructor: Sam Tanenhaus 
Thursdays, 3:00 – 5:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 30 spots-American Studies / 138 spots-SMC / 30 spots-Political Science (Total=198) (Online Synchronous)

The 2020 presidential election will be one of the most important in modern U.S. history, as the public decides whether to give President Donald Trump a second term after a first term marked by controversy and partisan dispute that has been reflected in and indeed intensified by media responses. The election, and the sharp conflict between and within the Republican and Democrat parties, and between their nominees for President, is sure to increase the pressures on political media and its role in reporting, interpreting, and even shaping events in a democracy of more than 300 million citizens. In this course, we will examine various aspects of the relationship between Trump and the Media across the full range of platforms – from legacy print media (books, magazines, newspapers) to cable TV and radio as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of Trump.

USA313H1F / POL377H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Truth, Reconciliation, and Settler Colonialism
Instructor:  Uahikea Maile
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 15 spots-American Studies / 55 spots-Political Science (Total=70) (Online Synchronous)

This course examines settler colonialism in reconciliation policies and their regimes of truth. We explore theories and critiques of settler colonialism through the truth and reconciliation commission. A comparative study in Indigenous politics, the class engages truth, reconciliation, and settler colonialism in Canada, South Africa, Hawai‘i, and elsewhere.

USA403H1F / POL433H1F: Topics in American Studies:  Presidential Politics in America
Instructor:  Lawrence LeDuc
Mondays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 8 spots-American Studies / 16 spots-Political Science (Total=24) (Dual Delivery)

The November 2020 presidential election will be a major event in shaping the future direction of American government and politics. In the first part of this course, we will examine the events leading up to the election, the unique characteristics of U.S. political institutions, and the issues and dynamics of the campaign. Following the election, we will analyze the outcome and consider its implications for the direction of US public policy over the next four years and the potential significance of political changes in the United States in world affairs.


WINTER  2021


USA300H1S: Theories and Methods in American Studies
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Thursdays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Tutorials 12-1 pm and 1-2 pm; Enrollment Cap: 60 (Online Synchronous)

This class sets out to answer Henry Nash Smith’s field-defining question: ‘Can American Studies develop a method?’  As we explore exactly how to ‘do’ American Studies, we’ll read scholarship from a wide range of theorists across a variety of disciplines, including demography, history, political science, geography, literary studies, sociology and visual culture.  And because theory needs an object, this class pairs discussion of LGBTQI citizenship with the lurid covers of dime store novels, or analysis of Cold War geography with Lyndon Johnson’s infamous anti-nuclear ‘Daisy’ campaign ad.  We’ll also examine how scholars use techniques such as ethnography, quantitative analysis and close reading to illuminate the American experience.  By analyzing the methods, history and theories of American Studies, we’ll trace the invention of the field and explore controversial debates over the discipline’s future.  Required for majors and minors, but open to all who meet pre-requisites.

USA310H1S: Approaches to American Studies:  Man of the People: Populism and Demagoguery in American Culture
Instructor:  Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays,  11:00 am – 1:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 25 (Online Synchronous)

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Barack Obama and thousands of tweeters have all called Donald Trump a populist and a demagogue.  But what do these terms mean – in both the American present and the American past?  This class will examine the figure of the demagogue and the ideology of populism, considering how appeals to ‘the people’ mobilize rage and resentment in American politics.  We’ll delve into the history of these movements and leaders – both left and right – from Alexander Hamilton’s fears of demagoguery to Occupy Wall Street’s fizzle to Luke Bryan’s pick-up truck anthems.  Along the way we’ll interrogate the techniques which pit the ‘average American’ against corrupt institutions and privileged elites and ask just what emerges in the aftermath of a populist movement.

USA312H1S: Approaches to American Studies: Advertising, Politics and Popular Culture
Instructor: TBA
Wednesday, 3:00 – 5:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 45 (Online Synchronous)

What is a brand? This American Studies class examines how marketers, merchandisers, and other commercial experts have constructed brands and brand strategies, from the rise of mass magazines in the early twentieth century to contemporary social media platforms today. We will explore theories of consumer desire, market research, and the design strategies which advertising and marketing professionals have used to develop both the idea of brands and brands themselves—looking at both successful, well-recognized brands and brands that dramatically failed. This course looks at the branding process for consumer products and celebrities and politicians alike, to understand how brand consciousness figures into our day to day decision making.

USA402H1S / HIS1802HS / HIS404H1S: Topics in American Studies:  Slavery in North America
Instructor:  Max Mishler
Thursdays, 1:00 – 3:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 7 spots-American Studies / 8 spots-History Undergraduate / 5 spots-History Graduate (Total=20) (Online Synchronous)

Slavery has existed in many human societies throughout history. Beginning in the sixteenth century, European empires pioneered a new system of racial chattel slavery predicated on enslaving Native Americans and the transportation of enslaved African captives to plantation zones in the Americas. This course examines the history of slavery in British North America and the United States (c. 1619-1865). We will explore both the Atlantic and domestic slave trades; Indigenous and Atlantic slaveries; the codification of racial difference that accompanied slavery’s expansion; gender and the reproduction; enslaved people’s lives and politics; the economic history of slavery; the politics of slavery in the United States (1776-1865); and the destruction of chattel slavery during the Civil War (1861-65). We will conclude by taking up what Saidiya Hartman calls the afterlives of slavery in post-war American history.

USA403H1S / POL443H1S: Topics in American Studies: Land and Indigenous Politics
Instructor: Uahikea Maile
Tuesdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 8 spots-American Studies / 15 spots-Political Science Undergraduate / 10 spots-Political Science Graduate (Total=33) (Online Synchronous)

This course examines Indigenous politics through land. We explore transnational Indigenous politics by focusing on how land struggles are animated by and cultivate relationships between Indigenous communities and their social ecologies. Discussing geontologies of land, water, and air, the seminar is oriented around material struggles over and relationalities with a sacred mountain, lakes and rivers, the atmosphere, and more.


Eligible courses

Updated MAY 2020

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
USA300H1 Theories and Methods in American Studies
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
CIN335H1 American Animation after 1950
CIN374Y1 American Filmmaking in the Studio Era
CIN431H1 Advanced Study in Cinema as Social and Cultural Practice
CIN490Y1 Independent Studies in Cinema
CIN491H1 Independent Studies in Cinema
CIN492H1 Independent Studies in Cinema

Economics

ECO306H1 American Economic History

English

ENG250H1 Introduction to American Literature
ENG235H1 The Graphic Novel
ENG270H1 Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Writing
ENG355Y1 Transnational Indigenous Literatures
ENG360H1 Early American Literature
ENG363Y1 American Literature to 1900
ENG364Y1 American Literature 1900 to the present
ENG365H1 Contemporary American Fiction
ENG368H1 Asian North American 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
GGR359H1 Comparative Urban Policy
GGR458H1 Selected Topics in Urban Geography

History

HIS106Y1 The African Diaspora in the Americas, 1492-1804
HIS202H1 Gender, Race and Science
HIS221H1 African American History to 1865
HIS222H1 African American History from 1865 to the Present
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
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
HIS376H1 The United States: Now and Then
HIS377H1 20th-Century American Foreign Relations
HIS378H1 America in the 1960s
HIS379H1 Vietnam at War
HIS389H1 Topics in History
HIS389Y1 Topics in History
HIS396H1 The Progressive Era and Rise of Big Business in America
HIS400H1 The American War in Vietnam
HIS401Y1 History of the Cold War
HIS404H1 Topics in U.S. History
HIS411H1 Great Trials in History
HIS463H1 Cloth in American History to 1865
HIS464H1 Religion and Violence in Comparative Perspective
HIS465Y1 Gender and International Relations
HIS473H1 The United States and Asia since 1945
HIS479H1 US Foreign Policy Since World War II
HIS484H1 The Car in North American History
HIS487H1 Animal and Human Rights in Anglo-American Culture
HIS497H1 Animal Politics and Science

Indigenous Studies

INS302H1 Indigenous 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
POL326Y1 United States Foreign Policy
POL379H1 Topics in Comparative Politics III
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

*NEW* Sociology

SOC306H1 Economic Sociology
SOC386H1 New Topics in Sociology: Sociology of Hip Hop

*NEW* Caribbean Studies

NEW324H1 The Contemporary Caribbean in a Global Context
JLN427H1 Advanced Topics: The Hispanic Caribbean – Revolution and Culture in Cuba

program REQUIREMENTS

Major in American Studies (Arts program)

Completion Requirements: As of 2020-2021 Academic Year

7.0 full courses or equivalent to a total of 7.0 FCEs, specified as follows:

1. 1.0 FCE from the gateway courses in English ( ENG250H1 and either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science (POL386Y1), or Cinema Studies ( CIN270Y1).

2. USA200H1 and USA300H1 (total of 1.0 FCE).

3. 1.0 FCE from at least three disciplinary/thematic clusters, categorized as follows (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 approved by the CSUS Program Director, to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning competency requirement of the program.

5. Additional eligible courses from the Recommended Courses listed on the Centre for the Study of the United States website (https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/csus/undergraduate-program) 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 program 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 pre-requisites for the gateway course required, and/or enroll directly in USA200H1 as a first year student. Of the required second-year disciplinary survey courses, only one– POL386Y1–has a pre-requisite of a course that deals substantially with politics; students interested in this course, therefore, should confer with the instructor as to whether their course work includes a pre-requisite for POL386Y1. Other recommended courses at the first year level include: HIS106Y1.

Second Year:

USA200H1
HIS271Y1 (or) ENG250H1 AND either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1 (or) GGR240H1 AND GGR254H1 (or) POL386Y1

Second, Third, and Fourth Years:

USA300H1, plus other eligible courses, to a total of 7.0 FCEs. At least 2.0 of these courses must be at the 300-level or above. At least 1.5 of these courses must be in 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 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 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 300+ series course in at least two disciplines)

Second year:
1. 1.0 FCE from the gateway courses in English ( ENG250H1 and either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science (POL386Y1), or Cinema Studies ( CIN270Y1).

Third year:
2. Students must take USA200H1 (0.5 FCE).

Second, third, and fourth years:
3. 2.5 courses from the eligible courses listed below 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.

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: Fall & Winter 2019

The CSUS Director, Prof. Nic Sammond, will be holding office on Wednesday 3-5pm, or by an appointment. To make an appointment please email: 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 Current Executive (2019-2020)

President: Alex Fraser (alexx.fraser@mail.utoronto.ca)
Vice President Academic: Aisha Assan-Lebbe (aisha.assan.lebbe@mail.utoronto.ca)
Vice President Social: Jackie Emick (jacqueline.emick@mail.utoronto.ca)
Treasurer: Adam Stasiewicz (adam.stasiewicz@mail.utoronto.ca)
Executive-at-Large: Riona Nansi (riona.nansi@mail.utoronto.ca)

Click here to go to the USAS Facebook page.

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 2019-20 JOURNAL:
Coming Soon


To view copies of past journals, please follow the links below:

Click here to view the 2018-19 Journal.

Click here to view the 2017-18 Journal.

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.

Click here to view the 2010-11 Journal.

Click here to view the 2009-10 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/

Support the Growth of CSUS

Make a charitable donation to the Centre

Our Next Events

  • Mar 11

    1:00PM - 2:00PM

    2021 Bissell-Heyd Public Research Event: “Racisms in the United States” – Session 1: “The Indian Question in the United States”

  • Mar 18

    1:00PM - 2:00PM

    2021 Bissell-Heyd Public Research Event: “Racisms in the United States” – Session 2: “Survival of Indigenous and Communities of Color in Los Angeles During a Global Pandemic and Ongoing Racial Violence”

  • Mar 25

    1:00PM - 2:00PM

    2021 Bissell-Heyd Public Research Event: “Racisms in the United States” – Session 3: “The Interconnected Histories of South African and American Sociology: Knowledge in the Service of Colonial Violence"

  • Mar 30

    3:30PM - 4:30PM

    Empire online: The US government’s reterritorialization of cyberspace after 9/11

View All Events

Connect with us

CSUS on Facebook Follow @CSUSUofT

Visions: The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies, volume 14, 2018-2019

Check it out

The Undergraduate Society of American Studies (USAS) is the course union that represents American Studies students at U of T

Connect with USAS on Facebook

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