The American Culture (AC) doctoral program is designed as a flexible, rigorous, interdisciplinary graduate studies curriculum. Students develop knowledge of both the field of American studies and of the contributing disciplinary fields. The doctoral program faculty perspectives and their courses offer the students a balanced approach to specific populations, periods, and disciplines, they also provide them with tools to embrace and engage with integrative, intercultural perspectives on scholarly praxis. Similarly, scholars in the AC doctoral program learn both the basic conceptual and methodological foundations and the intellectual history of the disciplines, and challenge the limits of those knowledge-producing tools while attending to social institutions and the politics of representation. The AC graduate curriculum tries to strike a balance between rigorous faculty guidance of students and a strong commitment to the new perspectives and originality brought into AC by students who represent the future of the field. We also aid students in developing and honing the skills necessary to their future academic careers, such as writing, public speaking, innovative pedagogy in the undergraduate classroom, and administrative service. Our curriculum provides a solid foundation in American studies and contributing disciplinary fields, while also permitting students to design a highly individualized program of study tailored to fit their needs and interests. The Ph.D. curriculum is designed as a five-year program, although some students take slightly longer.