The African studies graduate specialization program offers students a great degree of flexibility and choice. Students are required to take one class from each of four thematic areas, for a total of four classes and 16 units. These areas are:

• Core Course
• The African Past
• Contemporary Africa
• Culture, Ethnicity and Identity

Core Class: ANTH 650M Seminar in African Studies

This class forms the foundation for the specialization and will introduce students to the interdisciplinary field of African Studies, focusing on approaches taken in the social sciences and humanities. It will also introduce students to the many disciplinary, thematic, practical and ethical issues involved in researching Africa. The class will meet once weekly for a three-hour session where time will be spent discussing key texts in African Studies.

Core Area: The African Past

This core area is meant to introduce students to major debates in the contemporary study of Africa while setting these issues within their appropriate historical, social and cultural contexts. These courses will help students identify historical continuities and critical junctures in African history.

Core Area: Contemporary Africa

This core area will introduce students to a range of important issues relevant to contemporary Africa. These courses explore topics such as disease in Africa, conflict, media, and the politics of social, cultural, political, and economic development.

Core Area: Culture, Ethnicity, Identity in Africa

This core area will introduce students to the concepts of ethnicity and other forms of identity in Africa and allow students to understand its modern rather than primordial nature. These courses will complicate notions of ethnic or singular identity through humanities courses that explore the rich literature and music from the continent.