African Studies (research) (MA)
About the programme
This multidisciplinary programme offers you the opportunity to study the African continent from many different angles. As a result, you will acquire solid knowledge and understanding of the major historical, cultural, socio-economic and political factors at play in Africa, and learn how to advance this understanding further with sound and solid research.
Programme structure
You will start with an introduction to current debates on African Studies through two out of four interdisciplinary courses: History and Politics; Economy, Geography and Society; African postcolonial theories and literary criticism, and Communication in Africa: the power of language and media. In the second semester, more in-depth explorations of thematic themes and regions will provide you with the solid knowledge and understanding to participate in a wide range of academic and public debates on Africa.
Alongside these thematically and regionally oriented courses, the following courses help develop your skills as a researcher: Theoretical Foundations and Interdisciplinarity in African Studies, New Frontiers in Africanist Research, and Methods and Skills in Afrikanist Research. In addition, in the second semester you will start developing your own research project through the course Seminar Writing Research Proposal.
The second year is dedicated to the full research cycle. The first six months you will spend doing research in Africa on a topic and in a context of your choice. You have access to two university funds to get financial support for your research project, namely the Ulhenbeck and Lustra+ funds, and are directed to more possibilities for funding if needed. After your return, you will start writing your thesis. Hands-on research seminars will guide you through the writing-up phase and process towards your first academic publication. In addition, during the fieldwork and writing up, you will work with support from two senior researchers from your chosen field.
For more information about the programme structure, see the Prospectus. Please note that this guide applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.
Mayke Kaag
Senior researcher/associate professor in African Studies
“One of the main assets of our Research Master in African Studies is the six months’ period of field research in Africa. After a first year of intensive course and group work and developing their own research project, the students are well prepared to start their fieldwork at the beginning of the second year. It is truly rewarding to see how they leave as students, eager to learn but also often somewhat nervous, and come back as young researchers, self-confident and enriched by their experiences.”
Prof. Chibuike Uche
Stephen Ellis Chair for the Governance of Finance and Integrity in Africa
“Leiden University has a proactive teaching and research approach aimed at helping our students to understand Africa from both the inside and the outside. Our long-standing African Visiting Scholars Programme has expanded our African network substantially. This great resource helps our students gain treasured research and internship experience across diverse sectors and the countries of their interest in Africa.”