With 428 academic programs, 131 doctoral programs, and 153 masters programs, MSU offers endless opportunities to combine the study of Africa with the study of any profession. Likewise, with over 60 research and development projects in Africa, MSU provides unparalleled opportunities for hands-on training.

Formal Graduate Programs

There are four formal options for the study of Africa in graduate programs. Additional graduate options include the formal combination of the African Studies Graduate Concentration or Certificate with a host of masters, PhD, and professional programs. For additional information, please visit the registrar's office.

Masters in African American and African Studies (AAAS)

• Minimum of 10 courses
• 2 or more courses addressing critical theory
• 6 or more electives pertaining to area of specialization
• Foreign language reading comprehension
• Successful completion of comprehensive examination

Masters Concentration in African Studies

• Minimum of 4 graduate courses from African Studies course list
• Include core courses from at least 2 academic departments
• Obtain minimum grade of 3.0 in each course
• Completion of MA or MS thesis concerning Africa
• Approval of African Studies Center Director

PhD in African American and African Studies (AAAS)

• Minimum of 10 courses
• Successful completion of 4-course foundation sequence
• 1 or more courses on research methods
• 4 or more courses in area of specialization
• Second year oral proficiency in an African language or advanced reading proficiency in a research language
• Successful completion of 2 comprehensive examinations
• Successful completion and defense of dissertation

PhD Graduate Certificate in African Studies

• Minimum of 5 graduate courses from African Studies course list
• Core courses from at least 3 academic departments
• One African Studies Center interdisciplinary Seminar
• Completion of PhD dissertation concerning Africa
• Approval of African Studies Center Director

Other Academic Programs

• Our History Department offers a Ph.D. specialty in “African History.”
• The Department of English offers concentrated study in “African and African-American Literature” and in “Postcolonial and Africa Diaspora Studies” in literature and film. Political Science offers a research specialization in African politics.
• The Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (AFRE) requires Africa-focused courses of most of its Ph.D. candidates. AFRE also maintains permanent faculty and field offices in Africa.
• The College of Human Medicine offers a specialization in parasitic diseases that requires five courses with 65% or more Africa content.
• Our Teacher Education program (ranked #1 for the past 20 years by U.S. News and World Report) has a long history of collaboration with ASC.