Cultural Studies Concentration

Jonathan Nichols, 2025

While earning my master’s in English in the cultural studies concentration, I served as my program’s GAPSA representative and worked for the university’s Division of Enrollment Management, where I redesigned the admissions website and email communications to improve accessibility for prospective students. 

What was your specific area of study and how did you choose it? 

I selected the cultural studies concentration out of a desire to work with a broader range of texts. The engagement with critical theory was also a draw, as my initial encounters with it toward the end of my undergraduate program demonstrated how far one could take the application of literary analysis and critique. 

If you completed a dissertation, thesis, or capstone, please tell us about it.  

My thesis, “Urgent Questions, Strange Ideas: Conspiracy Theorizing with/in 21st-Century Literature,” analyzes the intersection of conspiracy theory and critical theory in contemporary culture and literature to argue for the usefulness of counter-conspiratorial modes of thought in left-wing politics. 

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you? 

My experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences expanded my understanding of my discipline and helped me to start finding my place in it. 

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your George Mason career? 

Certainly my thesis committee made a difference. My director, Jessica Hurley, was incredibly patient and supportive throughout the process while I refined my argument. Alison Landsberg, another member of my committee, also taught my Histories of Cultural Studies course, and the structure and rigor of that course equipped me to apply the discipline's principles to my thesis. My other committee member, Alexander Monea, was just as supportive and insightful during the editing process. 

Beyond my thesis work, I benefited greatly from the instruction and support of Amal Amireh, Keith Clark, and Michelle LaFrance. Each was willing to speak with me at length about my anxieties and ambitions regarding my writing. 

Why did you choose George Mason for your graduate studies? 

I chose George Mason for the opportunities in the area and the support the university provides employees pursuing graduate studies. 

Which accomplishments during your time at George Mason are you most proud of? 

I am proud of the completion of my thesis—it was my longest and densest academic project to date, and it helped me calibrate my expectations for what pursuing a PhD will entail. 

I was also able to present at a graduate conference hosted by George Washington University after Eric Anderson shared the application with our department. I presented alongside fellow graduate students across the US and globe, and the critiques and questions everyone posed helped me to feel like part of a broader academic conversation. 

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students? 

Don’t be afraid to dig into your work with your professors, even after a class is over. Their insights (and having someone else hold you accountable!) will help you grow as a professional and scholar. 

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals? 

I am going to continue in my current position at George Mason and pursue adjunct roles while my wife and I raise our newborn daughter. Long term, I am very invested in pursuing a PhD and am motivated by the encouragement and guidance I've received from the department’s faculty.