Graduate

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:

• The applicant’s official transcripts.
• Applicants with a B.A. or B.Sc. from an accredited university and a minimum average of 3.0 are eligible for admission into the M.A. degree program. Applicants with a B.A. or B.Sc. degree who wish to do a Ph.D. must first complete the M.A. degree program prior to applying for the Ph.D.
• Applicants with an M.A. degree from an accredited university and a minimum average of 3.5 are eligible for admission into the Ph.D. degree program.
• Three letters of recommendation, preferably from members of the academic community familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.
• 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.
• For Ph.D. applicants a short scholarly writing sample
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
  
  Categories of Admission
• Regular Degree Student: Student who holds the required University degree(s) and who meets the department’s admission criteria.
• Provisional Student: 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.
  
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All credentials must be sent to:

Howard University Graduate School 
Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
2400 Sixth Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20059

The Department of African Studies accepts applications for both the Fall and Spring semesters.

February 15 is the deadline to submit a completed application for the fall semester.

November 1 is the deadline to submit a completed application for the spring semester.

GradCAS is your portal to apply to a variety of graduate level academic programs. Here you can use a single online application and set of materials to apply to multiple master's, doctoral and graduate level certificate programs offered by participating schools.

Frederick Douglass Scholars Fellowship 

The Frederick Douglass Doctoral Scholars fellowship program is awarded to new Ph.D. students who are also new to the Graduate School.  It is designed to recruit academically talented students with an interest in college or university teaching. Students may pursue Ph.D. studies in the Arts & Humanities and Social & Behavioral Science disciplines at Howard University. The Frederick Douglass award is offered on a competitive basis upon recommendation by the candidate’s prospective department chair and the Financial Aid Advisory Committee.

ELIGIBILITY

Candidates must be first time applicants to the Graduate School at Howard University in all disciplines. Howard University Graduate School admissions applications to Ph.D. programs for the Fall 2019 semester must be submitted prior to the Frederick Douglass deadline. The minimum cumulative GPA requirement from the applicant's current or most recently attended institution is 3.5.  

Learn more here.

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)

Professional Development

Preparing Future Faculty Program The Howard University PFF program prepares students to enter the nation's professoriate. Applications to PFF are collected on a rolling basis each semester.

Graduate Certificate in College and University Faculty Preparation The Graduate Certificate in College and University Faculty Preparation is designed to show that Ph.D. recipients possess some knowledge of pedagogy and learning theory, some awareness of issues challenging contemporary higher education, some skill in course delivery, and assessment of student progress.

Women's Studies Certificate Program The Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies is an exciting educational opportunity offered by the Graduate School for promising students and other individuals to think and to speak critically; to plan quality research; and to contribute to policy discussions on topics concerning women.

African Studies Association Graduate Student Paper Prize In 2001, the ASA Board of Directors established an annual prize for the best graduate student paper. The prize is awarded at the Annual Meeting for an essay presented at the previous year’s Annual Meeting. Graduate students should submit papers they wish to be considered for the prize, together with a letter of support from their faculty adviser, by March 15 to the ASA.

African Studies Association Emerging Scholars Network The Emerging Scholars Network of the African Studies Association (ESNASA) is dedicated to meeting the needs of new and recently-graduated scholars who are members of the African Studies Association. We welcome current graduate students (both masters-level and doctorate-level), recent graduates (including but not limited to those seeking academic jobs), and early-career professionals (those who are still within 5 years of receipt of a terminal degree).

Interfolio Dossier is a free online platform for scholars to collect and curate scholarly materials, request and receive confidential letters of recommendation, and prepare for upcoming evaluations.

Master of Arts

Students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours, with 30 hours devoted to course work and 6 to a thesis on an African topic. Twenty-four of the thirty hours of course work must be taken within the Department of African Studies. Six hours may be taken in other disciplines. Students are also required to complete all the appropriate courses of the core program, to pass a comprehensive examination, and to demonstrate proficiency in an African language. 

Doctor of Philosophy 

Students must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the Master's degree or 78 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including 12 hours devoted to a dissertation topic based on original research. Thirty hours of the thirty-six hours of post-M.A. work must be taken within the department. Students are also required to complete all the appropriate courses of the core program, and to demonstrate proficiency in basic computer literacy (statistics) and an African language or in two foreign languages, one of them an African language.

Each student must attend the Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop and submit the Certificate of Attendance in order to complete the M.A. or Ph.D. program.

The student, in consultation with his/her advisor, should select an African language relevant to the student’s geographical or cultural area of concentration. The language, for African students, may be the student’s first language, though coursework in other African languages is encouraged. Languages are offered in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Students may demonstrate proficiency in an African language in the following ways:

1. If a student is a native speaker of an African language, he/she must demonstrate proficiency to a faculty member at Howard University who is a speaker of that language. If the student shows proficiency, the faculty member will write a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of African Studies that will be placed in the student’s file. The student will consult the Director of Graduate Studies about an appropriate faculty member who speaks the language. If there is not a Howard faculty member who speaks that language, then the student will consult with the Director of Graduate Studies about another appropriate person who can test the student’s proficiency.

2.  Students do not have to take an African language at Howard University to fulfill this requirement. They may take courses at other institutions (either before or while registered for a graduate degree at Howard) and submit transcripts with grades or study through private tutors. In the case of the latter, the tutor will submit an evaluation of the student’s proficiency, but the Department of African Studies maintains the right to certify a student’s proficiency independently.
    
3. Students who take the equivalent of two semesters of courses in an African language and maintained a B average will have shown proficiency in that language. At the Ph.D. level, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in research methods and an African language OR in two languages (besides English), a world language (such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or German) and an African language.

In the case of the world language, the student may show proficiency through a transcript of coursework in the language or through passing an examination administered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Howard University. The Department accepts languages spoken on the African continent, but the students should consult the Director of Graduate Studies about the appropriateness of a language before proceeding with learning a language.

The Research Methods requirement can be met by taking an additional research methods course in another department, or by taking the School of Education’s Qualitative or Quantitative Methods workshops that are held at the end of the school year, in May. Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies about the appropriate documentation for fulfilling this requirement.

The Department of African Studies may approve transfer of credits for graduate courses earned in other graduate programs, where the grade is B or better. However, it must be the considered judgment of the Department of African Studies that the work is relevant and meets the objectives of comparable courses. In no case may transfer credit hours exceed the limit specified in Article V., Section 5 (Master’s degree) and Article VI, Section 5 (doctoral degrees) of the Graduate School’s regulations. Such transfer may not be used to satisfy the residency requirement specified in Article V, Section 1A and Article VI, Section 1A and must be approved by the Graduate School.

Graduate-level courses in the Department are grouped into four clusters consisting of the core program and three areas of concentration: Language, Culture and Development; Africa in World Affairs; Development and Public Policy

Core / Required Courses

1. Scope and Methods Of African Studies (230-211)
2. Theory in African Studies (230-212)
3. Public Policy and Development (230-225)
4. Africa in World Affairs (230-304)
5. Language, Literature and Arts (230-322)
6. Gender Theory and Practice in Africa (230-232)
7. Thesis Research (M.A. only) *
8. Dissertation Research (Ph.D. only) **

NOTE: * Thesis Research can be taken ONLY AFTER ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY. Since M.A. students can graduate in the same semester that they are admitted to candidacy, exceptions may be granted. A maximum of 6 credit hours of Thesis Research can be credited toward the degree. Students should register as AUDITOR for any credits hours beyond the maximum six. ** Dissertation Research can be taken ONLY AFTER ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY. No exceptions. A maximum of 12 credit hours of Dissertation Research can be credited toward the degree. Students should register as AUDITOR for any credits hours beyond the maximum twelve.

By the end of the first semester of admission to a graduate degree program in the department, the student, in consultation with the faculty member and the Director of Graduate Studies, will select his/her academic advisor.

The advisor is responsible for counseling and assisting the student in the development of a program of study. The plan shall be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for filing with the Graduate School no later than the end of the first semester in residence. The responsibility of submitting the individualized Program of Study is that of the student. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in suspension of enrollment privileges at the University.

Any changes will require a written notification to the Director of Graduate Studies. Any student who wishes to change advisors must consult first with the Director of Graduate Studies or the Chairperson of the department. The Director of Graduate Studies or the Chairperson will inform the advisor in writing if the student concludes that he/she would be better served by selecting a different advisor.

Once a semester, particularly prior to registration, the student will meet with his/her advisor to review current academic record. The advisor shall serve on every committee pertaining to a student’s program of study. In most cases, he/she will serve as the chairperson of the student’s comprehensive examination, as well as the advisor on the thesis/dissertation.

Both M.A. and Ph.D. students are required to take a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination should be taken after all core courses and a majority of related area of specialization courses have been completed. The requests should be made only after the completion of twenty—four (24) credits hours at the M.A. level taken within the Department and thirty (30) credits at Ph.D. level again taken within the Department. All required courses must be completed in order to be able to take the comprehensive examination. The G.P.A. should be at least 3.00. The examination is divided into two parts, each part consisting of four questions from which the student will select two.

Part One concentrates on the core courses and Part Two concentrates on the student’s area of specialization. Part Two will be administered one week after Part One. The Graduate Studies Committee is responsible for selecting the examination questions. Faculty evaluate essays only in their area of specialization. All students taking the comprehensive examination in a chosen semester will take the exam on the same day.

Exceptions will not be made. Evaluation is based on the following criteria:

1. Clear and effective statement of problems/issues involved in the topics.
2. Strong evidence of knowledge of theories, concepts and empirical literature on the topics.
3. Accuracy of facts.
4. Organization of ideas.

A pass in all four questions is required to pass the comprehensive examination. In the event of failure, the student may repeat the examination once and only in the specific area in which the failure occurred. A retest must take place the semester following the failure. Results of a comprehensive examination shall be reported to students within one month of taking the examination. Copies of samples of questions from past exams may be requested from the Director of Graduate Studies.

The examination will be administered twice during the academic year.

1. September in the Fall Semester
2. January in the Spring Semester

Requests must be made in writing , using the Graduate School’s “Application to Schedule a Comprehensive Examination” form. The request should also include a copy of the students transcript, and requires your advisor’s signature. Requests will be considered by the Graduate Studies committee. Notification of the committee’s decision and the specific date of examination will be sent to the student within one (1) month after the official request has been received.

Admission to the graduate program in African Studies does not automatically admit a student to candidacy for the M.A. or Ph.D. degree. A student shall be admitted to candidacy upon completion of most requirements for the M.A. or Ph.D. degree, except the thesis or dissertation, respectively. A student will be admitted to candidacy upon meeting the following requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of all required course work
• Pass the comprehensive examination
• Pass all language requirements
• Secure the expository writing certificate
• Secure the Responsible Conduct of Research certificate
• An approved thesis/dissertation proposal. The proposal must be defended orally before the thesis or dissertation committee
• Secure the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the thesis or dissertation research project ( http://www.orrchoward.com)
• Receive the endorsement of the Graduate Studies Committee of the department Submit a complete admission to candidacy form to the department to be transmitted to the Graduate School. It must include a list of graduate courses completed, those in process, and those courses in the field yet to be completed.
• Receive the approval of the Graduate School

Admission to Ph.D. candidacy must be achieved at least one semester prior to that in which the student expects to receive the degree. M.A. candidacy can be achieved in the same semester in which the student expects to receive the degree. In both cases, the deadline set by the Graduate School for candidacy is SIX WEEKS prior to the end of the semester.

Candidacy for the M.A. degree shall be valid for no more than TWO academic years. Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree shall be valid for no more than FIVE academic years. Any student seeking renewal of candidacy must apply to the Graduate School through the department for readmission. The department shall determine the conditions under which the student may be reinstated, subject to approval of the Graduate School.

The responsibility for fulfilling these requirements is that of the student. Students should consult their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies if in doubt as to any of the requirements.

The Graduate School has strict deadlines for submitting completed application packages for candidacy, oral defense and other fellowships such as the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship. Students are urged very strongly to keep these deadlines in mind and plan appropriately for comprehensive examinations, candidacy application and submission of thesis and dissertation for departmental approval and scheduling of oral examination defense.