Lehigh University
American Studies
Bethlehem, PA
Overview
Lehigh University, founded in 1865, was one of the first American institutions to offer a technical education. Its first five schools included a school of general literature and four scientific schools. The innovative concept of offering both technical and nontechnical courses of study has continued to be a successful formula at Lehigh. Today, Lehigh has a graduate school of education and three colleges: Engineering and Applied Science, Arts and Sciences, and Business and Economics. Thirty-five percent of the students are enrolled in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Women have always been admitted to Lehigh at the graduate level, and in 1971 the University began admitting women at the undergraduate level. In 1987, the campus expanded to 1,600 acres with the addition of the former Homer Labs of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.
There are 14 students enrolled in the American Studies program in 2004-05, of whom 10 are women. Students who want to continue studies at the graduate level in one of the component disciplines and feel that an interdisciplinary base for understanding American culture is necessary are encouraged to apply.
The Location and Community
Lehigh is on the north slope of South Mountain, overlooking Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley (population 300,000), with its cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. Bethlehem is a mostly residential community of 70,000. Its cultural heritage is seen in its buildings, remarkably preserved, which remain in use. Bethlehem is 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City. The Poconos are less than an hour away.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
Founded in 1999, the Program in American Studies offers the degree of M.A. in American studies. This interdisciplinary program allows students to explore American history along with American literature, delving into the many facets of American life, such as political science, religion studies, sociology and anthropology, Africana studies, philosophy, journalism and communications, art history, and music. Built on the belief that the key to understanding American culture can only be obtained through a broad, interdisciplinary program, the program seeks to enrich a student's studies in a specific area by complementing it with a variety of other related courses. Students must take at least ten courses (30 credit hours). Along with a required theory and methodology course, students must take two courses in American history and two courses in American literature or film from those offered by the History and English Departments. A special-topics seminar is required, as is a thesis. Thesis requirements can be treated as one long thesis or two thesis papers aimed at either conference presentation or publication. The typical length of study for completing the program is two years for a full-time student, although it is possible to complete the program over three semesters.
Facilities & Resources
Lehigh has two libraries with more than 1 million volumes and a full range of electronic indexes and databases. Holdings include long runs of major engineering and scientific journals that are primary resources for the history of technology and science. Lehigh's collection is exceedingly strong in mining and metallurgy, building construction, and other engineering subjects of the nineteenth century. The Honeyman collection of rare books in the history of science complements these materials.
Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $1350 per credit hour. Other mandatory fees total about $200 for the average student.
Financial Aid:
Tuition scholarships that defray all or part of tuition expenses are also available. Applications for teaching assistantships, fellowships, and full tuition scholarships should be received by January 15.
Housing/Living Expenses:
Housing is readily available in apartments in Lehigh's Saucon Valley Campus or within easy walking or driving distance of the campus. Monthly rents for campus housing, exclusive of utilities, are approximately $405 for an efficiency apartment, $470 for a one-bedroom apartment, $505 to $535 for a two-bedroom apartment, and $545 for a three-bedroom apartment.
How to Apply
All applicants must take the Graduate Record Exams. Students must also submit a writing sample and two letters of recommendation. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL. The application fee is $50. Applications for admission and partial tuition scholarships are considered on a rolling basis. Applications for teaching assistantships, fellowships, and full tuition scholarships should be received by January 15.
Who to Contact
John Pettegrew
History Department
Lehigh University
9 West Packer Avenue
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
610-758-3355
E-mail: jcp5@lehigh.edu
Faculty and Research
• John Pettegrew, Associate Professor of History and Director of the American Studies Program; Ph.D., Wisconsin, 1994. Twentieth-century U.S. intellectual and cultural history.
• Peter G. Beidler, Lucy G. Moses Distinguished Professor of English; Ph.D., Lehigh, 1968. Chaucer, medieval literature, Native American literature.
• Gail Cooper, Associate Professor of History; Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara, 1987. Women in American history, the machine in American history, Japanese history, technology, modern Japan.
• Stephen H. Cutcliffe, Professor of History and Director of Science, Technology and Society Program; Ph.D., Lehigh, 1976.
• Alexander Doty, Professor of English; Ph.D., Illinois, 1984. Film, mass culture, gay and lesbian studies, contemporary theory and criticism.
• Edward J. Gallagher, Professor of English; Ph.D., Notre Dame, 1970. Early American literature, multiculturalism.
• Norman J. Girardot, Professor of Religious Studies; Ph.D., Chicago, 1974. Comparative religion studies, Shamanism, outsider art.
• Dawn Keetley, Assistant Professor of English; Ph.D., Wisconsin-Madison, 1995. Nineteenth-century American literature and culture, American studies, women's literature and women's studies, law and literature.
• Alexander Levine, Associate Professor of Philosophy; Ph.D., California, San Diego, 1994. Philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, contemporary epistemology and metaphysics.
• Jack Lule, Professor of Journalism; Ph.D., Georgia, 1987. Online journalism; media, sports, and society; international communication.
• James R. McIntosh, Professor of Sociology; Ph.D., Syracuse, 1970. Social theory, deviance, alcohol studies.
• Seth Moglen, Assistant Professor of English; Ph.D., Berkeley, 1999. Modernism, nineteenth- and twentieth-century African-American political movements, twentieth-century American literature, African-American literature, history of American social and political movements.
• Edward P. Morgan, Professor of Political Science; Ph.D., Brandeis, 1975. American politics courses related to media, propaganda, and the 1960s.
• Monica Najar, Assistant Professor of History; Ph.D., Wisconsin, 2000. Early American history, the American Revolution, women's history, histories of gender, religion and the South.
• Michael L. Raposa, Professor of Religion Studies; Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 1987. Pragmatism.
• William R. Scott, Professor of History and Director of Africana Studies; Ph.D., Princeton, 1972. Africa, African-American history.
• Roger D. Simon, Professor of History; Ph.D., Wisconsin, 1971. United States 1870-1920, social and urban history.
• John Kenly Smith Jr., Associate Professor of History; Ph.D., Delaware, 1986. American technology, business history.
• Jean R. Soderlund, Professor of History; Ph.D., Temple, 1982. Colonial America, African-American history, U.S. women.
• Albert J. Wurth Jr., Associate Professor of Political Science; Ph.D., North Carolina, 1987. American public policy and political economy; environmental politics and policy, emphasizing environment and technology.