The specialty area of American material culture studies features advanced study both inside and outside the American studies department. The student may pursue advanced study in American art, architecture, folklore, history, photography, cultural anthropology and museum studies. Material culture research has also become one emphasis in the current American studies undergraduate curriculum, also available to graduate students. This curriculum includes work in American film and drama, literary journalism, American humor, communications theory, folklore and oral history. Fieldwork and innovative interdisciplinary methods are encouraged in research projects.
Internships are available at local museums and historical societies.
Nearby relevant research facilities include The Newberry Library in Chicago, The Chicago Historical Society and the Henry Ford Museums in Dearborn, Michigan. Within the Department of American Studies, the University has located the W. Harold and Martha Welch Chair in American Studies. Designed to bring distinguished men and women of letters, cultural critics, and American studies scholars to the campus on a rotating basis, the Welch Chair holder plays a vital role in the department's advanced instructional program and in the professional training of its graduate students.