interdisciplinary.appstate.edu

Maria Pramaggiore, Chair
pramggioremt@appstate.edu

Appalachian Studies

appstudies.appstate.edu

Julie Shepherd-Powell, Graduate Program Director
shepherdpowellja@appstate.edu

Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies

gws.appstate.edu

Dylan Blackston, Program Director
blackstondm@appstate.edu

Appalachian’s Master of Arts program in Appalachian Studies is an interdisciplinary program offering cross-cultural learning and applied career training through engaged research, internships, outreach and classroom-based programming. It is housed in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, and supported by the Center for Appalachian Studies, a regionally recognized hub of learning on the Appalachian region whose resources include the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection and the peer-reviewed Appalachian Journal.

Students will choose from one of two concentrations:

Appalachian Culture and Music Concentration - Focuses on scholarship and research in the social sciences, humanities, and fine and applied arts, seeking to deepen understanding of the Appalachian socio-cultural and historical experience. Provides instruction and opportunities for scholarship on the varieties of music traditions that intersect in the southern Appalachian region.

Sustainability in Appalachia Concentration - Emphasizes applied research and interdisciplinary course work spanning the social and natural sciences as well as the humanities. It provides a foundation for those students who seek to develop the means for meeting the legitimate needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. For students interested in Appalachian and other highland and rural peoples, as well as other peoples threatened by the results of unsustainable practices and patterns, this course of study provides the background in the search for sustainable solutions.

The Graduate Certificate (non-degree) program in Appalachian Studies is designed for students, scholars, professionals and newcomers to the area interested in gaining sophisticated knowledge of the region and of the analyses and interpretations of the region by scholars and writers.

This certificate program will be useful to regional citizens and professionals working in community and regional services - including government, business, travel and tourism, and cultural programming. It is designed to enhance the ability to work in a professional and culturally informed way in addressing local and regional issues; to deepen understanding of and adjustment to the region in which candidates live and work; and to refine skills at conducting research on a wide range of topics. For educators, this program will facilitate the integration of Appalachian Studies components in their curricula (elementary, secondary and higher education).

The Graduate Certificate (12 hours) and Graduate Minor (9 hours) in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies are designed for students who seek training at the graduate level in gender, women’s, and/or sexuality studies and formal recognition for completing this training successfully. Both programs of study take an interdisciplinary approach to questions of power, knowledge and social justice. They are generally pursued in addition to a master’s degree in another area to provide evidence of additional specialization.

Programs

• Appalachian Studies - Culture and Music Concentration, MA
• Appalachian Studies - Sustainability in Appalachia Concentration, MA

• Appalachian Studies Graduate Certificate
• Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate

• Appalachian Studies Graduate Minor
• Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies Graduate Minor

Courses

• A_S 5000 - Bibliography and Research (3)
• A_S 5005 - Global Appalachia (3)
• A_S 5015 - Old Time Music Traditions (3) [DL]
• A_S 5020 - Colloquium in Appalachian Studies (3)
• A_S 5025 - Pedagogy for Appalachian Studies (3)
• A_S 5030 - Bluegrass Traditions (3)
• A_S 5035 - Local Music Traditions (3)
• A_S 5040 - Documentary Field Research Methods (3)
• A_S 5050 - Qualitative Research Methods (3)
• A_S 5060 - Community Based Research (3)
• A_S 5065 - Sustainability and the Arts in Appalachia (3)
• A_S 5110 - Ethnographic Field Study (1-6)
• A_S 5500 - Independent Study (1-3)
• A_S 5530-5549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• A_S 5900 - Internship (1-6)
• A_S 5989 - Graduate Research (1-9)
• A_S 5998 - Thesis Preparation (3)
• A_S 5999 - Thesis (3-6)

• GWS 5500 - Independent Study (1-4)
• GWS 5530-5549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• GWS 5650 - Feminist Theories (3)
• GWS 5700 - Seminar in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies (3)
• GWS 5800 - Teaching Apprenticeship (1)
• GWS 5900 - Internship (3)

• IDS 5500 - Independent Study (1-4)
• IDS 5530-5549 - Selected Topics (1-4)