African American Studies

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

The African American Studies graduate program focuses on life, culture, and social organization (broadly defined) of persons of African descent. Africa, North America, and the Caribbean are central components of the program. Students are expected to apply a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the international and national divisions of race as they pertain to persons of African descent, wherever they may find themselves. Such an approach is to be employed for the study and understanding of development and underdevelopment, domination and power, self-determination, cooperation, and aesthetic and creative expression. Issues of identity construction, marginality, territoriality, and the universal role of race in the organization of political economy and in class formation are critical to the program's intellectual agenda.

Applications are accepted for the PhD program only.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Applying for Graduate Admission

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. A complete list of graduate academic departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

  1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

  2. A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

  3. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page. It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here.

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page.

Admission to the Program

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree and should demonstrate a general knowledge of African American history and an understanding of the disciplinary bases for the study of the African diaspora. Demonstrated knowledge in the field should include understanding relations among social, economic, and political structures and culture in African American life.

Students are admitted to graduate studies in the fall semester only. Applicants must file:

  1. A University of California, Berkeley graduate application.
  2. Two official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
  3. Three letters of recommendation.
  4. Writing sample (no more than 15 pages) that best reflects their program/research interests.
  5. TOEFL (required for all international students).

Students who have been accepted to this program and have earned a master's degree in another program will be evaluated based on requirements for the pre-qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Program Requirements

A minimum of two years or four semesters of academic residence is required by the university for all PhD programs. Academic residence is defined as enrollment in at least 12 units in the 200 series of courses. Thus, every graduate student must enroll in and complete a minimum of 12 units of graduate course work per required semester of academic residency. After successful completion of course work with a minimum GPA of 3.30, a pre-qualifying examination based upon general knowledge in the field of African American Studies will be administered by the department.

Academic Preparation

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree and should demonstrate a general knowledge of African American history and an understanding of the disciplinary bases for the study of the African diaspora. Demonstrated knowledge in the field should include understanding relations among social, economic, and political structures and culture in African American life. Applicant records must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the undergraduate level comparable to this university's language requirement.

Curriculum

Courses per individualized approved study list

Teaching Opportunities

Doctoral students are required to be a GSI (Graduate Student Instructor) at least once before they take their Qualifying Examination. However, most students serve as a GSI for a minimum of four semesters as part of a multi-year fellowship and departmental funding packages. We have many large lecture courses that students work with and the Department offers American Cultures courses that serve the larger campus community and create teaching opportunities for our students. Additionally, graduate students can apply to teach their own course in the Summer terms after they are advanced to candidacy. This allows graduate students to begin working with their own ideas and interests and create syllabi and lectures for future courses. Other opportunities after advancing to candidacy include teaching Reading and Composition courses (R1A and R1B) specializing in your own areas of expertise.  

Professional Development Activities

The Department of African American Studies offers numerous Professional Development opportunities for our graduate students. For example, each year, graduate students in residence are required to take part in departmental service work that helps create professional development skills. Some students plan our annual symposium, others mentor undergraduates in our research institute, others help with admissions and recruiting, and some choose to help with our colloquium series and other public talks that bring out conversations and dialogue about new research and ideas in our field. In addition to service work that mirror what faculty do, we also offer workshops on topics such as writing cover letters, putting together panels for conferences, how to write a lecture, how to apply for external grants, putting together a job talk, and other topics that are critical to students' success on the market and with obtaining funding.

Courses

African American Studies

Contact Information

Department of African American Studies

660 Social Sciences Building

Phone: 510-642-7084

Fax: 510-642-0318

africam@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Professor and the H. Michael and Jeanne Williams Department Chair

Nikki Jones

Phone: 510-642-7084

uyt@berkeley.edu

Advisor (Interim)

Dewey St. Germaine

Phone: 510-643-6420

deweystg@berkeley.edu

Advisor (Interim)

Laura Jimenez-Olvera

Phone: 510-642-0243

lauraj@berkeley.edu

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