Admission and residency in the graduate program in African Studies are guided by the General Admission Requirement and Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees in the Graduate School. Students are strongly encouraged to consult and familiarize themselves with these rules and regulations.

Applications to the Department of African Studies are evaluated on the following considerations:

1. The applicant’s official transcripts. Applicants with a B.A., B.Sc. or M.A. degree from an accredited university and a minimum average of 3.0 (M.A.) and 3.5 (Ph.D.) are eligible for admission.

2. Three letters of recommendation, preferably from members of the academic community familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.

3. An autobiographical sketch and statement of purpose indicating his/her desire to join the graduate program in the Department of African Studies. The Department concentrates in the following three areas (1) Development and Public Policy (2) Africa in World Affairs (3) Language, Literature and the Arts.

4.  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.

 Categories of Admission

1. Degree Student-Regular: Student who holds the required University degree(s) and who meets the department’s admission criteria.

2. Degree Student-Provisional: A student who does not meet the requirements for regular student, but, who, on other grounds, the Committee concludes, is capable of completing a graduate program, may be accepted on a provisional basis. The student shall be limited to take 6 credits. It is recommended that most credits be taken from the core courses of the program. After completing these courses, the Graduate Studies Committee shall review the student’s academic performance. The student will be notified of the final decision within four weeks. If a student is admitted as a regular student, the 6 credit hours will be applied to the student’s course requirements.

To apply, click HERE for information on procedures and forms