African American Studies

Undergraduate Minor Concentration in African American Studies
The minor concentration in African American Studies provides an introduction to the global study of the African American experience and to various forms of collective identity such as race and ethnicity.
The requirements for the minor concentration consist of "African American History" (CAS AA371), "The History of Racial Thought" (CAS AA580) plus four additional courses in African American Studies. Students must earn a minimum grade of C in courses taken toward the minor concentration.

MA in African American Studies
The Master of Arts degree program is focused on building the conceptual, theoretical, and research skills that will allow students to become life-long critical investigators of cross-cultural interaction. While our focus is on the African American experience, our program approaches that experience in the context of global processes and in terms of its relationship to other groups such as Latinos, Asians, European Americans, Africans, and Native Americans.

Admissions Tests and Prerequisites for the MA
Candidates for the Master of Arts in African American Studies must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Because of the broad focus of this program, there are no specific undergraduate concentration requirements except that the student must have completed some study in both the humanities and the social sciences. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Tests are required of all applicants.

Applications and instructions for submission of complete credentials may be obtained from the Boston University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Some departmental financial aid is available. Students who wish to be considered for financial aid must have their applications in by Feb. 15th.
There are also two university-wide fellowships available for students of African American descent.

Course Requirements for the MA
The graduate program is centered on the production of two major research papers, one of which must be orally defended during the last semester in residence. Each paper must be completed as part of the coursework for a research colloquium. Both papers should not be undertaken during the same semester. Colloquia are designed to provide the intellectual environment and the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological guidance needed for graduate level research and writing. In addition to the required research papers and colloquia, all students must complete "The History of Racial Thought", "African American History" and additional courses in African American Studies for a total of eight courses or thirty-two credit hours.

Language Requirement for the MA
"Each student who has not previously completed at least two years of study in one foreign language at the undergraduate level or the equivalent must make up the deficiency through coursework or examination." General Requirements for the MA, p.6 of the Graduate School Bulletin.

Doctoral Work in African American Studies
Although Boston University does not currently offer a PhD major in African American Studies, it is possible to pursue a concentration within a related field, such as History or American and New England Studies.