Pan-African Studies (MA)
The MA in Pan-African Studies offers 33 graduate credits and a thesis, with emphases in African American or African Diaspora Studies. Students gain interdisciplinary knowledge, research experience and critical insights into cultural, social and political issues—preparing them for careers in education, nonprofit leadership, policy and advanced scholarship.
Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Pan-African Studies
Program Website
Academic Plan Code(s): PAS_MA
Program Information
The Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies program provides an opportunity for structured graduate study in the multi-disciplinary field of Pan-African Studies. Students will have the option of choosing between two areas of emphasis:
- African American Studies
- African Diaspora Studies
These broad emphases 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. Students must successfully complete 33 credit hours of graduate level courses of which five courses must be at the 600 level. Each student also must complete a thesis.
The Pan-African Studies Department offers courses that may be applied toward graduate degrees in other areas. Students must obtain their program advisor's permission before enrolling in these courses. Students who are interested in more information on these courses should contact the department's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Admission Requirements
The Pan-African Studies Graduate Studies Committee only considers applications for the Fall semester. The deadline for applications is January 15.
Students applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies program must meet the following standards:
- Completion of Online Graduate Application
- Minimum 3.00 undergraduate cumulative grade point average
- Submission of an official transcript reflecting previous degree earned
- Three letters of recommendation
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE); successful students usually have a minimum combined score of 300
- Submission of a personal statement
- Submission of a current CV
- Writing Sample
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 18 | |
PAS 607 | Pan-African Studies Foundations of the Field I | |
PAS 608 | Pan-African Studies Foundations of the Field II | |
PAS 623 | Qualitative Research Strategies and Pan-African Research | |
Three PAS courses for graduate credit distributed as follows: | ||
Historical Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Cultural Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Social Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
| Concentration Area | 9 | |
| Select an area of emphasis: | ||
African American Studies | ||
PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on African Americans distributed as follows: | ||
Historical Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Cultural Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Social Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
| OR | ||
African and Diaspora Studies | ||
PAS courses for graduate credit focusing on Africa and/or the Diaspora, distributed as follows: | ||
Historical Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Cultural Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
Social Studies (three (3) credit hours) | ||
| Thesis | ||
| PAS 604 | Thesis | 3 |
| Elective | ||
| Elective in Related Field (with advisor's approval) | 3 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 33 | |
A student may be approved to transfer up to six (6) credit hours from another university or the University of Louisville graduate program or up to nine (9) credit hours from the University of Louisville Pan-African Studies graduate certificate program. Courses must be graded B or higher, cross-listed with PAS, and taken at graduate level.