2024-2025 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog
Department of Africana Studies
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Africana studies is the study, research, interpretation, and dissemination of knowledge concerning African American, African, and Caribbean affairs and culture. Using the tools of the social sciences and humanities, Africana studies examines the structure, organization, problems, and perspectives of Blacks in Africa and the African Diaspora. Africana studies also stresses analytical interpretations and policy prescriptions for social change in African American communities and in various African and Caribbean nations. The term Africana incorporates the three-tier interdisciplinary thrust of the department: African, African American, and Caribbean social sciences and humanities.
Africana studies prepares social science majors for advanced graduate studies in international affairs, education, social work, social policy studies, and legal and professional training. In the humanities, preparation in the creative arts and literature gears students to practical development in such fields as communication, teaching, theater, and dance. Africana studies occupies a central role in understanding modern American life and African and Caribbean linkages. As an interdisciplinary major, Africana studies offers intellectual paradigms for the multicultural approach to historical, political, and economic reality. It is also critical and corrective of the inadequacies, omissions, and distortions of mainstream American education leading into the 21st century. Africana studies is committed to producing liberally educated women and men with a lifetime dedication to working on African American, African, and Caribbean affairs. For more information on the major and the Department of Africana Studies, see the department’s Web site at www.africanastudies.pitt.edu.
Contact Information
Department Chair: Felix Germain
Director of Graduate Studies: Robin Brooks
Graduate Program Administrator: Paris Yamamoto
Main Office: 4140 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-648-7555
Fax: 412-624-7214
E-Mail: ffg4@pitt.edu
https://www.africanastudies.pitt.edu/
Admissions
Applications are considered once a year for fall admission only. All students wishing to apply must submit their application electronically through the university’s online application process. In addition to the following requirements, applicants must meet the general Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences requirements for admission to graduate study. The following application materials are required: an application form submitted online to the School of Arts & Sciences; a non-refundable application fee of $75 (The University offers fee waivers for the following national programs that cover application fees: Gates Millennium Scholars Program, McNair Scholars, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans, and those currently serving or who previously served as members of the U.S. Armed Services); a statement of purpose describing the applicant’s intellectual interests (in alignment with our faculty areas of expertise) and professional aspirations; three (3) letters of recommendation intended to provide independent evaluation of each applicant’s potential; unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended (If applicants are non-US citizens, they must submit transcripts in the native language accompanied by notarized English translations); and English Language Scores for all non-US citizens. All non-U.S. citizens applying to the graduate program (except for those who have received degrees from a U.S. institution or from other English-speaking countries) must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), IELTS, or Duolingo as part of their application packet to demonstrate a sufficient command of English to meet the requirements of their field. The minimum scores are 90 for TOEFL (with at least a score of 22 in all of the four sections of speaking, listening, reading, and writing), 7.0 for IELTS (with at least 6.5 in each of its four sections), and a 120 for Duolingo.
Financial Assistance
In the graduate program in the Department of Africana Studies, admitted students will receive funding for five years in various forms, including fellowships, teaching assistantships, teaching fellowships, graduate student assistantships, and other forms of funding. The Department of Africana Studies has different types of funding in which our graduate students may qualify. We encourage students to also apply for financial support via external and other university funding throughout their time in the program. Students can speak with the DGS about funding for the summer term. Funding is not guaranteed beyond the fifth year.
ProgramsMaster’sPhD
CoursesAfricana Studies
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