Certificate Name and Number: African Studies Certificate – CTAFRG
Department(s)/Unit(s): African Studies, Center for International Studies
Delivery Mode: Athens Campus
Terms of Entry: Fall, Spring
Enrollment Eligibility: Current degree-seeking student or non-degree status
Certificate Overview: The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in African Studies is to permit students in any graduate major at Ohio University to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the African Studies Program and its many niche courses in specialized fields across the university. Fields such as international development, international health, and the arts offer both breadth and depth of study in Africa-related courses. As students often pair their disciplinary work with a regional interest, this certificate will provide them with the formal credential in African Studies as part of their programs. The 45-member African Studies faculty across the university is committed to the crossdisciplinary study of Africa, so the faculty is prepared to assist students with making curricular connections
Certificate Learning Outcomes:
- Students will be able to synthesize core area concepts and theories and acquire the skills to apply and evaluate these concepts to global opportunities and challenges.
- Students will be able to develop effective written and oral communication skills, characterized by the ability to write and present in the styles and forms that are acceptable in the professional world and/or for research in international studies.
Opportunities upon Completion: Many of the students pursuing graduate level study related to Africa come to the university with prior Africa experience in work or travel. The Graduate Certificate in African Studies helps to pull together and focus those interests and give them intellectual and professional polish. Graduate study is so often about making the student more articulate and better informed about his or her area of interest; if Africa is the area of interest, improving one’s communication skills about it will be important to prospective employers in government, business or finance, aid work, teaching and related fields. In some cases the Certificate may also direct the student to Africa for dissertation or other research projects.
Completion Requirements: Students must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours to graduate, 12 credit hours of core courses and two semesters on an African language.
Core: Students must complete 12 credit hours of core courses from the following list.
- ANTH 5550: Medical Anthropology (3.0HR)
- ANTH 5570: Anthropology of Religion (3.0HR)
- ANTH 5540: Primate Behavioral Ecology (3.0HR)
- CLWR 5330: Islam (4.0HR)
- CLWR 5430: Sufism-Mysticism and Asceticism in Islam (4.0HR)
- ECON 5120: Economics of Poverty (4.0HR)
- ENG 7800: Special Studies Seminar (4.0HR)
- FR 5511: Francophone Literature and Culture of Africa and the Caribbean (4.0HR)
- GEOG 5310: Geography of Africa (4.0HR)
- HIST 5390: Women in African History (4.0HR)
- HIST 5400: African Intellectual History (4.0HR)
- HIST 5410: History of Africa to 1850 (4.0HR)
- HIST 5411: History of Africa Since 1850 (4.0HR)
- IART 7407: Transnational and Global Theories (4.0HR)
- POLS 5630: African International Relations (3.0HR)
- POLS 5410: African Politics (3.0HR)
- POLS 5400: The Politics of Developing Areas (3.0HR)
- INST 5100: Readings in African Studies (4.0HR)
- INST 5101: Seminar for the African Child (4.0HR)
- INST 5902: Special Topics in Africa: Literature, Media, and the Arts (4.0HR)
- INST 5903: Special Topics in Africa (4.0HR)
- INST 5901: Special Topics in Africa: Contemporary Issues in Africa (4.0HR)
- IART 7601: Contemporary African Art (4.0HR)
- IART 8901: Seminar in Interdisciplinary Arts (4.0HR)
- ANTH 5510: Political Anthropology (3.0HR)
- GEOG 5410: Geography of Hunger and Food Security (4.0HR)
- GEOG 5480: Migration and Development (4.0HR)
- POLS 5495: The Challenges of Democratization (3.0HR)
- MUS 5250: Music of Africa (2.0HR)
- MUS 6930: Independent Study (1.0-10.0HR)
- DANC 6930: Independent Study (1.0-10.0HR)
African Studies Language Requirement: Students should complete one year (two semesters) of one African language or equivalent courses. Students entering with language proficiency will not be required to fulfill the language requirement and may substitute additional core hours to complete the program.
- ARAB 5110: Elementary Arabic I (4.0HR)
- ARAB 5120: Elementary Arabic II (4.0HR)
- ARAB 5210: Intermediate Arabic I (4.0HR)
- ARAB 5220: Intermediate Arabic II (4.0HR)
- SWAH 5110: Elementary Swahili I (4.0HR)
- SWAH 5120: Elementary Swahili II (4.0HR)
- SWAH 5310: Advanced Swahili I (3.0HR)
- SWAH 5320: Advanced Swahili III (3.0HR)
- TWI 5110: Elementary Twi (Akan) I (4.0HR)
- TWI 5120: Elementary Twi (Akan) II (4.0HR)
- TWI 5210: Intermediate Twi (Akan) I (4.0HR)
- TWI 5220: Intermediate Twi (Akan) II (4.0HR)
- WOL 5110: Elementary Wolof I (4.0HR)
- WOL 5120: Elementary Wolof II (4.0HR)
- WOL 5210: Intermediate Wolof I (4.0HR)
- WOL 5220: Intermediate Wolof II (4.0HR)
- INST 5904: Special Topics in African Languages and Literature (4.0HR)
- INST 5905: Special Topics in Intermediate African Languages and Literature (4.0HR)
- INST 6905: Special Topics in Advanced African Languages and Literature (4.0HR)
Financial Aid Eligibility Information:
- Non-degree-seeking students enrolled in this certificate are not eligible for federal financial aid.
- Current degree-seeking students may use federal financial aid only for 1) coursework fulfilling requirements of their degree, including required elective hours, or 2) coursework toward a second financial aid-eligible program.
- Students receiving federal financial aid may not take courses for this certificate unless they are also enrolled full-time (9 hours) in their degree program during the same academic term. Financial aid may be used for courses that count toward both degree requirements and the certificate.
Admission Requirements: Non-degree seeking students interested in completing the Graduate Certificate in African Studies must apply through the graduate college website and will be accepted if they meet the following criteria:
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited college or university;
- Ability to manage graduate studies, as evidenced by a written statement of purpose, a CV indicating the applicant’s education and work experience; and three letters of recommendation;
- Satisfactory completion of undergraduate or graduate courses with a minimum 2.0 (C) grade point average as reflected on official transcripts.
International Students: This certificate program alone does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this certificate. However, this certificate can be completed during any Ohio University graduate program, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to that degree program.