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The Department of Pan-African Studies has developed a Master of Arts program to provide an opportunity for structured graduate study in the multi-disciplinary field of Pan-African Studies. Students will have the option of choosing between two concentrations:

• African American Studies
• African and Diaspora Studies
  

These broad concentration areas reflect sub-disciplines within the larger field of Pan-African Studies and will enable students to focus more intensively on their particular area(s) of interest. Each will be offered with a thesis or examination option.

Master of Arts Admission Qualifications

Students applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies program are expected to meet the following standards:

1. A minimum 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA
2. Official transcript(s) reflecting previous degrees earned
3. At least three (3) letters of recommendation
4. A writing sample (well developed term paper or research paper) or personal statement (outlining interests and objectives in Pan-African Studies graduate work and other relevant experiences that would pertain to your graduate career)

 

The Department of Pan-African Studies will consider exceptions to these standards using grades and GRE scores on a sliding scale (i.e. a higher GPA can off-set a lower GRE score, and vice versa) and admission in probationary status may be recommended for promising students with undergraduate grade point averages or GRE scores below the stated minimum.

 

 

Application Deadlines

Fall Admissions: March 15

Spring Admissions: October 15

To begin your application, visit the Graduate Admissions website.

All Applicants are encouraged to apply early!

 

 

Should you have any other questions contact:

 

 

 

Dr. Denise Martin

 

Director of Graduate Studies

 

502-852-0003

 

pasgrad@louisville.edu

 

Applications for admission to the Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies program will be evaluated by the PAS Graduate Studies Committee. No applicant will be permitted to register for courses until all required materials have been submitted to, and he or she has been admitted officially by, the Graduate School.

In order to be retained in the Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies program, students will be expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all course work taken for graduate credit. Any student whose cumulative quality point total falls to six fewer than three times the number of hours attempted will not be retained.

 

Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies
(Thesis Option)

Core Courses 15

PAS 601: Graduate Research Methods

PAS 602: Theories and Issues in Pan-African Studies

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.

Concentration Areas:

African American Studies 12

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on African Americans distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.
Three (3) credit hours in any PAS area focusing on African Americans.

Or

African and Diaspora Studies 12

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on Africa and/or the Diaspora, distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.
Three (3) credit hours in any PAS area focusing on Africa and/or the Diaspora.

Thesis: PAS 604 3

Elective in Related Field (with advisor’s approval) 3

Minimum Total 33

 

Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies
(Examination Option)

Core Courses 15

PAS 601: Graduate Research Methods

PAS 602: Theories and Issues in Pan-African Studies

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.

Concentration Areas:

African American Studies 12

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on African Americans distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.
Three (3) credit hours in any PAS area focusing on African Americans.

Or

African and Diaspora Studies 12

Nine (9) credit hours of PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on Africa and/or the Diaspora, distributed as follows:
Three (3) credit hours in Historical Studies;
Three (3) credit hours in Cultural Studies; and
Three (3) credit hours in Social Studies.
Three (3) credit hours in any PAS area focusing on Africa and/or the Diaspora.

Electives in Related Fields (with advisor’s approval) 6

Minimum Total 33

Note: Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination will be required of all students who do not complete a thesis.

 

The Graduate Certificate in Pan-African Studies

Admission Qualifications

Admission to the graduate certificate in Pan-African Studies is open, potentially, to any student who has completed at a minimum a baccalaureate degree. Post-baccalaureate students wishing to pursue the certificate outside the framework of a graduate degree program must apply for admission through and meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School. These requirements include the submission of:

1) an official transcript reflecting previous degrees earned;
2) at least two letters of recommendation; and
3) official scores on the General Test Section of the Graduate Record Examination.

If resource limitations necessitate the imposition of restrictions, the PAS Graduate Programs Committee will select students based on the following criteria: 1) undergraduate record; 2) letters of recommendation; 3) personal interview; and 4) GRE scores.

Graduate students wishing to pursue the certificate program in Pan-African Studies in conjunction with a graduate degree must meet the requirements for admission to that degree program and should then apply for the certificate program by consulting the PAS Director of Graduate Studies after admission. Depending on the structure of the degree program, coursework toward the certificate may be either additional hours beyond those required for the degree or elective hours toward the degree, or a combination of the two. The PAS Director of Graduate Studies shall then inform the student's degree program chair and work to coordinate the completion of degree and graduate certificate program requirements.

Exceptions

Exceptions to these standards are not anticipated. However, a "Graduate Programs Committee" (comprised of three PAS faculty, one representative from the School of Education and one from another Arts and Sciences department) will be responsible for dealing with exceptional cases as they arise.

Responsibility

The Department of Pan-African Studies Director of Graduate Studies will review and evaluate each applicant's qualifications for admission and make recommendations to the Chair. The “Graduate Programs Committee” referenced above will be convened only to review exceptional cases.

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Pan-African Studies

A total of fifteen (15) hours in courses approved for graduate credit in accordance with the policies of the Graduate School.
Nine (9) credit hours must be chosen from the list of “Approved PAS Courses” (available in the Department of Pan-African Studies): three (3) credit hours from the “Historical Studies” area; three (3) credit hours from the “Cultural Studies” area; and three (3) credit hours from the “Social Studies” area. Substitutions must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Six (6) credit hours must be chosen from the list of “Approved Electives” (available in the Department of Pan-African Studies). For students pursuing graduate degrees, at least one course must be outside of the department in which the student is pursuing the degree. Substitutions must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
At least three hours must be at the 600 level.
A single course may satisfy more than one of these requirements.
Course work toward the graduate certificate in Pan-African Studies may also count toward the student's graduate degree.
Note: Students may not apply 500-level courses taken for undergraduate credit.

 

PAS Graduate Assistantships

DESCRIPTION OF ASSISTANTSHIP

To be eligible for an assistantship, applicants must be in good standing in the Master of Arts program in Pan-African Studies. Graduate assistants are expected to maintain a full-time graduate course load, work twenty-hours (20) per week in one of the programs/projects of the Department and make normal progress toward graduation. Assistantships will be awarded initially for one year, renewable for a second year. Present or prior service as a graduate assistant will not automatically insure renewal of appointment, but current or past assistants may apply for reappointment for one additional year. In very special circumstances a recipient may apply for an assistantship for a third year. All graduate assistants will be evaluated on their academic performance and job performance annually. Recipients will receive nine (9) hours of tuition remission per semester, a stipend of $10,000 paid in ten (10) equal installments, beginning in August of the year of the appointment, and medical insurance.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION:

A combination of criteria will be used in selecting successful candidates. The criteria include but are not limited to the candidates’ academic qualifications (e.g., GPA, GRE scores), application letter and statement, letters of recommendations, and performance in a personal interview. Consideration will also be given to candidates’ skills and experiences in relation to the needs of the Department and its programs.

PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION AND SELECTION:

In addition to the online application submitted to the Graduate School, applicants to the  Master of Arts Program must also submit the following materials:

• A letter of application
• Official transcripts of undergraduate work and of any graduate work already completed
• Official GRE Scores
• (3) Letters of recommendation

 

The application letter must include: a statement from the student describing his or her academic achievements; skills and work experiences; academic strengths and weaknesses: professional goals; and reasons for pursuing graduate work in Pan-African Studies. At least two letters of recommendations must be from professors familiar with the candidate’s academic performance. Entering students may use their two admissions application letters of recommendations but will need a third letter which speaks to the student’s potential for success in advanced studies and research in Pan-African Studies. Continuing students must have at least one, and preferably more than one, letter(s) of recommendation from a faculty member at U of L certifying that the applicant is making reasonable progress toward the degree.

 

All application materials should be mailed to the following address:

 

 

For descriptions of PAS graduate courses and programs, and Graduate School policies, consult the on-line catalog at: http://htmlaccess.louisville.edu/classSchedule/setupSearchClassSchedule.cfm