The areas of concentration are the following:
At both the M.A. and Ph.D. levels, students must satisfy the appropriate requirements of the core program. Those who have completed the program at the M.A. level will need to satisfy those requirements specific to the Ph.D. level only. Students will also be required to write one comprehensive examination at the M.A. level, designed to test their knowledge of the core courses and one area of concentration, and two comprehensive examinations at the Ph.D level covering the core courses as well as two concentration areas of their choice.
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 must be taken in other disciplines. Students are also required to complete all the appropriate courses of the core program, to pass a comprehensive examination on the latter, and to demonstrate proficiency in basic computer literacy or in an African language.
Students must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the master's degree or 78 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including 12 hours devouted to a disseration on an African topic based on original research. Twenty-four 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, to pass a comprehensive examination in two of the three concentration areas, and to demonstrate proficiency in basic computer literacy and in African language or in two foreign languages, one of them an African language.