Overview
The African and African-American Studies M.A. program takes two years of full-time study. Nine upper-division and graduate courses, in addition to a thesis or additional course work for a critical creative project option, are required for the degree.
The Department of African and African-American Studies offers interdisciplinary substantive and language courses leading to the Master of Arts degree. The program has two related objectives: (1) it fulfills the educational needs of persons who seek positions with organizations in both the public and private sectors, and (2) it prepares persons who desire to pursue the terminal degrees in their field. The program emphasizes the broader concepts in the humanities and the social sciences.
The integrative focus of the curriculum is an important characteristic of the interdisciplinary nature of this program. In this regard, the candidate should develop the capacity to continue as a self-educator throughout their career. Broad background study in this field enables the graduate to assimilate newly-acquired skills and methodologies quickly. Graduates should be prepared to cope with the rapid changes in Africa and the African diaspora. The program places considerable emphasis on both the internal and external forces which affect African and African-American societies. The continuity and change in Africa and their impact on world civilizations are emphasized in both the required courses and through electives.
Accommodation exists for members of the Armed Forces to complete their studies on any and all regions of the African continent in less than two years if they are willing to study through summer.
Course Work Required
The African and African-American studies M.A. program takes 2 years of full-time study. Nine upper-division and graduate courses, in addition to a thesis or additional course work for a nonthesis option, are required for the degree—a total of 33 credit hours. There are 4 core courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | ||
| AAAS 801 | Introduction to Africana Studies: African-American | 3 |
| AAAS 802 | Introduction to Africana Studies: African | 3 |
| AAAS 803 | Research Methods in Africana Studies | 3 |
| AAAS 804 | Seminar in Africana Studies | 3 |
| Electives | 15 | |
| Students select 5 elective courses from the list of approved electives in consultation with their faculty advisor and/or Director of Graduate Studies. Students can take up to 6 credit hours outside the department in related course offerings with DGS approval. The student must incorporate a research skill course into their electives. | ||
| Thesis Hours or Critical Creative Project Electives | 6 | |
| AAAS 899 | Thesis | |
Thesis Option: The student will enroll in 6 hours of AAAS 899 to develop a high quality thesis that meets the standards of a strong academic work. | ||
| OR | ||
Critical Creative Project Option: If this option is chosen, the student will select 2 additional elective courses per the above guidance. The critical creative project is a high quality creative project containing 2 pieces of work including, but not limited to, research papers, creative/artistic works, exhibitions, and digital humanities projects. The critical creative project must meet the standards of a strong academic work. | ||
Research Skills
Students will fulfill a language/research skills requirement in accordance with their research interests. Language/research skills courses must be taken at the 500 level or above to be counted toward the 33 hours required for the degree.
- Students conducting research in African studies must obtain proficiency in an African language. Proficiency may be fulfilled by 1 of the following:
- Completing 2 years of college-level language study at KU, at an equivalent institution, or through an intensive course. Language courses offered on a regular basis at KU that count toward proficiency are Arabic, KiSwahili, Wolof, Yoruba, and any one of the number of African languages for which the Kansas African Studies Center has pedagogical materials and proficiency-testing capabilities.
- The equivalent of 2 years of an approved language.
- Proof that the student is a native speaker of an African language.
- Students conducting research in African-American Studies must:
- Fulfill the African language requirement outlined above, or
- Fulfill Haitian Creole or any other non-African language requirement employing standards comparable to those governing the African language requirement outlined above, or
- Demonstrate competence in a research skill relevant to the student’s specific area of research. Competence in a research skill is certified by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies.
In consultation with their advisors and to the satisfaction of the department, students must demonstrate that their choice of a language or research skill is appropriate for their specific research interest.