African Studies

Master

In Oxford

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Master

  • Location

    Oxford

About the course
The MSc in African Studies is a three-term course, designed both as a stand-alone interdisciplinary introduction to current debates about Africa, and as a preparation for doctoral research on Africa. This advanced degree programme provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to expand their knowledge of African studies.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Oxford (Oxfordshire)
See map
Wellington Square, OX1 2JD

Start date

On request

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Subjects

  • University
  • International
  • Supervisor
  • IT

Course programme

There are four components to the MSc in African Studies:

  • the core courses - Methodology, Ethics and Research Strategies, and Themes in African History and the Social Sciences,
  • an optional paper, and
  • a dissertation of 15,000 words.

The teaching on the MSc programme is built around the two core courses. The first core course examines research methodologies and strategies, including the politics of researching and writing on Africa, and is taught in Michaelmas term. The second is a weekly lecture and seminar over two terms (Michaelmas and Hilary term) covering key questions in African history and the social sciences, giving close attention to critical debates and current issues. The core courses form compulsory elements of the degree programme and are open only to students taking the MSc in African Studies.

In addition to the two core courses, you will take an optional paper on a particular theme and within a specific discipline. A wide selection of optional papers is available each year.

Finally, you will write a research dissertation of 15,000 words on a research topic of your choosing, which must include discussion of the comparative reading, historiography, or theory relevant to the dissertation. You will undertake fieldwork at the end of Hilary term.

Supervision for the dissertation element of the programme runs through the year, the dissertation being submitted near to the end of Trinity term. You will submit examined essays for core course one and your chosen optional paper at the beginning of Hilary term and towards the end of Trinity term respectively. You will sit a written examination for core course two in Trinity term.

Supervision

For this course, the allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the African Studies Centre and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the African Studies Centre.

Graduate destinations

This advanced degree programme provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to expand their knowledge of African studies, prior to working for NGOs, the civil service, international organisations, and the media, or in other professional capacities.

Students who complete the degree to a sufficient standard may transfer to doctoral programmes in disciplinary departments, such as Politics and International Relations, Development Studies, History, Anthropology or Geography, or to the interdisciplinary DPhil in Area Studies (Africa).

Staff with expertise in African studies supervise doctoral theses across all of the main disciplinary departments of the university, and students can continue to work with the same supervisor who has guided their MSc work, where this is appropriate. Students who wish to progress from the MSc to doctoral studies can begin their doctoral research over the summer following completion of the MSc.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies

African Studies MSc

Area Studies DPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Latin American Studies MPhil

Latin American Studies MSc

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Russian and East European Studies MPhil

Russian and East European Studies MSc

Oxford 1+1 MBA programme

This course can be studied as a part of the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme. The Oxford 1+1 MBA programme is a unique, two-year graduate experience that combines the depth of a specialised, one-year master’s degree with the breadth of a top-ranking, one-year MBA.

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Entry requirements

African Studies

Price on request