African-American Studies

Program Category: MA Programs
Director of Graduate Studies: Samuel K. Roberts
Website: https://afamstudies.columbia.edu/
Email Address: [email protected]
Degree Programs: Full-Time/Part-Time: Free-Standing MA

The African-American Studies MA program is designed to provide graduate-level training in African-American studies to scholars, teachers, and professionals whose career or professional needs may be furthered or served by intensive scholarly engagement. The program provides students with a thorough grounding in the literature and research of African-American studies, and enables them to produce critical analysis and research about the complex and historically specific experiences of Africans in the Americas. Students also learn how those experiences have contributed to and been shaped by political, cultural, and economic forces both nationally and globally.

To fulfill the MA degree requirements, students must take two residence Units (30 points of graduate credit) and complete an MA thesis. It is possible to complete the degree in two semesters.

The master's program in African-American Studies is affiliated with Columbia's Institute for Research in African-American Studies.

Special Admissions Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school, a statement of academic purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term paper, etc.), a personal statement, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS.

For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

*GSAS will accept up to four recommendations, regardless of the number required by your program of interest. However, to be eligible for admission at GSAS, at least TWO letters must be submitted by academic recommenders.