Columbia University students can pursue African studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please refer to the appropriate Course Bulletins for additional information.

 

African Studies Major at Columbia College and the School of General Studies

Catalog Description

The African Studies major is designed to introduce students to the intensive study of Africa through methodological and theoretical training across disciplines. All students will take common core courses, learn an African language, and study or conduct research in Africa. 

Major Requirements 

The major consists of 12 courses and a semester in Africa. 

Requirements are:

1) An introductory course in African Studies. ANTH 2010 Major Debates in African Studies (Prof. Mamdani) currently serves as the introductory course; in future, a new introductory course may be instituted in conjunction with Barnard’s Introduction to African Studies (Africana Studies BC 3004).

2) Four semesters of language study in an African language. Columbia currently offers Arabic, Swahili, Zulu, Wolof, Hausa and Pulaar.

3) Four Africa-related courses in one of the following disciplines: Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literature, Economics, English, French, History, MEALAC, Music, Political Science, or Women’s Studies. 

4) Two Africa-related courses from another of the disciplines listed above.

5) An Africa-related senior seminar from one of the disciplines listed above.

6) One semester of study or supervised research in Africa. A current list of programs approved by the Office of Global Programs is available at http://www.ogp.columbia.edu/programs/africa/index.html.   

Only courses with 50% or higher Africa content are accepted for credit.

 

African Studies Concentration at Columbia College and the School of General Studies

Concentration Requirements 

The proposed concentration would require a total of 7 courses. 

Requirements are:

1) An introductory course in African Studies. Currently this is ANTH v2010 Major Debates in African Studies.

2) Three Africa-related courses from the disciplines listed above.

3) One Africa-related course from another of the disciplines listed above.

4) Two semesters of an African language.

5) One semester of study or research in Africa is strongly encouraged. 

Only courses with 50% or higher Africa content are accepted for credit.

Contact:

Prof. Rhiannon Stephens
602 Fayerweather Hall
Phone: (212) 854-4160
Email: rs3169@columbia.edu
Office Hours: Thursday 10am-12pm

 

African Studies Specialization at the School of International and Public Affairs

The specialization in African Studies as part of the Master of International Affairs or Master of Public Administration degree program shows that a student has focused knowledge of Africa and its main political, social, cultural and economic issues. There is no language requirement for the specialization.

Requirements are 9 credits (3 courses):

1) Economic development in Africa (e.g., INAF U6163 Political Economy of African Development).

2) A course from the Social Sciences, Humanities or Public Health that the IAS will approve.

3) A second course from the Social Sciences, Humanities or Public Health that the IAS will approve.

Only courses with 50% or higher Africa content are accepted for credit.

Contact:
Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne
Acting Director
201 Knox Hall
Office hours: Wednesday 2pm - 4pm
sd2456@columbia.edu

 

Certificate in African Studies (through Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, GSAS, or any other professional school at Columbia University)

A certificate in African Studies may be pursued simultaneously with an advanced degree at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or a professional school at Columbia University.

Course Requirements: For the regional certificate, students must take a total of eight (8) Africa courses (24 credits). Only courses with 50% or higher Africa content are accepted for credit. At least two of these courses must be seminars for colloquia above the 6000 level (6 points). One course must be taken from each of the following disciplines: Anthropology (3 points); History (3 points); Political Science (3 points). Five (5) additional courses must be selected from approved courses in the various disciplines (15 points). No more than six points of language courses may be counted toward the certificate and only indigenous African languages at the intermediate level or above are eligible. With the exception of language courses, credit toward the certificate is not given for undergraduate courses.

Language Requirement: Certificate candidates must pass a proficiency examination, both written and oral, in one of the following: French, Arabic, Portuguese or an African language. With special permission of the IAS director, a language other than those mentioned above may be offered, provided it is relevant to the student's research and there is a substantial body of research literature available. In no case may the foreign language offered be the student's first language.

Essay Requirement: Candidates for the certificate must submit an essay for approval by the Institute. The essay must be an extended paper written for one of the certificate courses and reviewed by the IAS director.

 

Certificate Advising

Dr. Jinny Prais
Assistant Director
201 Knox Hall
Office hours by appointment
jkp2123@columbia.edu

 

Joint African Studies Program: Certificate in African Studies

Open to undergraduate students at Barnard College, Columbia College and the School of General Studies. The program is a one-year, two-campus program: Fall semester in Paris is at the Université Pantheon-Sorbonne Paris I where students can take courses at the Centre d’Etude des Mondes Africains (CEMAF) and the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO);and Spring semester in New York at CU where students will work with the Institute of African Studies.

http://ogp.columbia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10554&Type=O&sType=O