The Graduate Program of the Department of Africana Studies provides students with critical exposure to the multidisciplinary study of people and cultures of African descent in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. The graduate program consists of three branches—the fully funded M.A. degree, the Graduate Certificate, and the 4+1—that offer advanced study in the four pillars of the Department:
o Pan-African Consciousness
o Public Humanities
o Gender and Sexuality studies
o Visual and Material Culture
The M.A. degree is fully funded and multifaceted, equipping students with foundational and experiential knowledge about black life in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. Courses and professional training in the M.A. follow the above pillars. The M.A. also offers interested students the opportunity to continue in Africana Studies, History, Art History, English, or other related fields at the advanced graduate level.
The Graduate Certificate is available to current UD graduate students and community members as post-baccalaureate education.
All currently enrolled undergraduate students at UD are eligible to apply for the 4+1, as long as they meet the admissions requirements. 4+1 applicants should declare their interests in this option early in order to successfully coordinate the coursework and thesis requirements.
The Department of Africana Studies also participates in the University's African American Public Humanities Initiative, an interdisciplinary program integrating the disciplines of History, English, Art History, and Africana Studies to train students for a broad range of careers in and beyond the academy.
Individuals with graduate degrees in Africana Studies hold professional positions in government, schools, community organizations, journalism, and museums as well as academic positions in colleges and universities.
ADMISSIONS
Applicants to the AFRA@UD Graduate Program must have a minimum of an earned baccalaureate degree. Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary field, so the discipline in which the applicant received their degree is not necessarily a decisive factor in admissions.
Candidates should apply through UD's Graduate College. Admissions to the graduate program are competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
The AFRA@UD Graduate Program Committee makes all admission and funding decisions. Applicants are evaluated on several criteria: applicant's statement of objectives, grade point average, letters of recommendation, and writing sample.
Completed applications are due January 15. We offer Fall admission only. Applications from those who wish to be considered for financial aid must be submitted by January 15.
For more information on AFRA@UD's Graduate Program, email Dr. Monica A. Coleman, Professor of Africana Studies and Director of Graduate Studies, at colemanm@udel.edu.
