The Master's

The United States of America is an amazing country, which means, quite obviously, that it is sometimes difficult to gauge. The Master of American Studies is designed to get an intellectual grip on the richness of American society. With a total of 8 courses, ranging from law and economics to history, politics and various expressions of culture, together with a final thesis, this full-time programme will allow students both to develop a general overview and to focus on specific topics.

Courses are offered in English by a group of mainly Belgian and American specialists. The programme is an advanced Master’s (or in Dutch, ManaMa), organized jointly by the Universities of Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels (VUB) and Leuven (K.U.Leuven). Classes are taught at the Center for American Studies in Brussels, which is conveniently located in the Royal Library (Kunstberg / Mont des Arts, third floor), right next to the Brussels Central Station.

My profile

The competencies to be obtained by the Master’s student in American Studies have been stipulated officially. At the end of the programme, he/she:

1. Knows the history of the field of American Studies and is familiar with the key terms of the discipline;
2. Understands the position of the discipline of American Studies in the larger group of disciplines that seek to understand a specific geographical unit;
3. Knows the possibilities and the limits of the interdisciplinary approach as it is practised in the field of American Studies;
4. Is capable of gathering a wealth of information in connection with any item related to American Studies, and also of evaluating and judging that information;
5. Can evaluate American current events, not least thanks to his or her command of American history. The term “current events” applies to the political, the social, the economic as well as to the cultural realms;
6. Is able to communicate this evaluation in a logical and coherent way, either in writing or orally;
7. Knows the channels that allow for this communication;
8. Can analyze coverage of the USA in the media;
9. Is aware of the ideological position he or she inevitably takes up with his or her evaluation and analysis;
10. Is capable of using his or her knowledge to enhance the objectivity of the image of America, either in Flanders, Belgium or abroad.

Study programme

Students are required to take 8 thirty-hour courses and to write a final thesis of some 10-12,000 words (worth one third of the total marks). If necessary, the degree can be spread over two years on a part-time basis, on condition that students make sure to take all four core courses (economy, law, institutions, history).

Career prospects

The emphasis will be on knowledge that enables the student to maximize his or her chances when applying for a U.S.-related job in the cultural sector (e.g. journalism, higher education), or business at large.

Application and Admissions

Detailed information on application procedures and admission requirements depends on your preceding qualifications, etc.

• You will find more information on application matters here.

American Studies - Impressionen vom Masterstudium

Übersicht der Masterstudiengänge - KU Leuven

• Adapted Physical Activity
• Advanced Business Studies
• Advanced Medical Imaging
• Advanced Studies in Economics
• Advanced Studies in Linguistics
• Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion
• American Studies
• Archeology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Bioethics
• Bioinformatics
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomedical Sciences
• Business Economics
• Canon Law
• Chemical Technology
• Chemical Technology (Engineering Rheology)
• Chemistry
• Conservation of Monuments and Sites
• Criminology
• Cultural Studies
• Cultures and Development Studies (CADES)
• Earth Observation
• Economics
• Economics and Management of Network Industries
• Educational Studies
• EIT-KIC Energy
• Electrical Engineering
• Endodontics
• Energy
• Estudios Ibéricos e Iberoamericanos
• European Social Security
• European Studies:Transnational and Global Perspectives
• Financial and Actuarial Engineering
• Financial Economics
• Food Technology
• Forensic Odontology
• Geography
• Geology
• Human Settlements
• Information Management
• Junior programmes in European Culture and Society (PECS)
• Langue et Littérature françaises
• Law
• Laws (LLM)
• Laws in Energy and Environmental Law (MEEL)
• Laws in European and International Taxation (MEIT)
• Linguistics and Literature: English
• Literary Studies
• Master of European Politics and Policies (MEPP)
• Materials Engineering
• Mathematics
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Molecular and Cellular Biophysics
• Molecular Biology
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Erasmus Mundus)
• Nuclear Engineering
• Oral Health Research
• Orthodontics
• Paediatric Dentistry and Special Dental Care
• Periodontology
• Pharmaceutical Research
• Philosophy
• Philosophy (MPhil)
• Physics
• Quantitative Analysis in the Social Sciences
• Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy
• Restorative Dentistry
• Safety Engineering
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Social Policy Analysis (IMPALLA)
• Society, Law and Religion
• Space Studies
• Statistics
• Sustainable Territorial Development
• Theology and Religious Studies
• Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling
• Tropical Natural Resources Management
• Urbanism and Strategic Planning
• Water Resources Engineering
• Western Literature