Department of African Studies

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. – Guinean Proverb

The Department of African Studies at Howard University is one of the oldest African Studies departments in the United States, housed in one of the largest historically Black institutions in the United States. The Department of African Studies offers B.A., M.A., and Ph.D degrees in African Studies. Our department focuses on taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study of contemporary Africa. Our students go on to enter numerous fields, including but not limited to education, international development in multilateral institutions and nonprofits, civil service (in the U.S. and throughout Africa), and graduate programs in countries around the world. We provide a quality liberal arts and social science education that prepares students for a wide range of paths and careers.

We produce well-educated worldly graduates that are prepared for leadership roles around the globe. Our program helps students broaden their minds and horizons, independently seek out knowledge, think critically and constructively about contemporary problems, and gain the confidence to break down barriers, implement sustainable solutions, and make a positive difference in the world.

Undergraduate applicants should choose African Studies in the admissions application. If you have any questions about declaring African Studies as a major or minor, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Plummer, at anita.plummer@howard.edu. Click here to apply for a B.A. degree.

Graduate applicants may apply for the M.A. or Ph.D. program here. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Clark at msia.clark@howard.edu.

Mwanafunzi Wa Chuo (The Swahili Words for College Student)

African language instruction at Howard University is done in the Department of World Language & Cultures, which offers courses in Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Yoruba, Wolof, and Zulu. The Center for African Studies offers fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students who wish to study these languages.

Visit the Center for African Studies website to find Africa-related fellowships, scholarships, grants, jobs, internships, calls for papers, CfAS news and academic news.

The Center for African Studies provides Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships through funding from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program. FLAS Fellowships support students taking African languages (Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba and Zulu) and area studies coursework. The fellowships support intensive for-credit study of an African language and to promote the development of competency in African Studies either in the United States or abroad. Find out more about the FLAS Fellowship.

The Graduate School maintains a database of funding opportunities for current students.

Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship Program (Deadline is the second Tuesday in February annually)
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (Deadline is in December annually)
Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (Deadline is in December annually)
Esther Ottley Fellowship (Deadline is the third Friday in January annually)
Hawthorne Dissertation Research Fellowship (Deadline is the third Friday in January annually)
Ernest E. Just/Percy L. Julian Graduate Research Fellowship (Deadline is the first Friday in January annually)
National Science Foundation (NSF) (Provides fellowships for graduate students)
Profellow (Free subscription-based database of funding opportunities for students)
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) (Provides about 80 fellowships for postgraduate scholars)
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. FLAS Fellowships support students taking African languages (Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba and Zulu) and area studies coursework. The fellowships support intensive for-credit study of an African language and to promote the development of competency in African Studies either in the United States or abroad.

The Center for African Studies provides Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships through funding from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program. FLAS Fellowships support students taking African languages (Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba and Zulu) and area studies coursework. The fellowships support intensive for-credit study of an African language and to promote the development of competency in African Studies either in the United States or abroad.

The Rangel Program is a U.S. State Department program administered by Howard University that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers as diplomats in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State.

The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S.

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.