Teaching on Africa and African Studies
Image: Conference on the Master of African Studies at Iscte, Lisbon, Ana Lúcia Sá 2023
AEGIS member institutions offer undergraduate and postgraduate education in African Studies or related disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields with a focus on Africa. Training in African Studies in the fields of the humanities and social sciences is offered in programmes that develop students’ Africa-focused knowledge base and abilities to conduct original and interdisciplinary research. This page provides a non-exhaustive overview of available education in African Studies/related to Africa amongst AEGIS member institutions, listed alphabetically. We encourage you to follow the links provided for comprehensive and updated information on individual institutions’ programmes and courses.
Barcelona | Basel | Bayreuth | Birmingham | Bordeaux | Cambridge | Cologne | Copenhagen | Edinburgh | Frankfurt | Hamburg | Leeds | Leiden | Leipzig | Leuven | Lisbon | Madrid | Mainz | Naples | Oxford | Paris CESSMA | Paris IMAF | Hradec Králové | Vienna
Centre d’Estudis Africans i Interculturals – Barcelona
The Centre d’Estudis Africans i Interculturals (CEAi) is an association that offers non-degree courses for technical staff, academics and the general public interested in learning more about the African communities in Catalonia, the history of the African diaspora or the African intercultural perspective, among many other topics. The courses are designed to build knowledge of the African continent through different sessions with speakers from around the world. Visit website.
Centre for African Studies – University of Basel
The Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel coordinates Africa-related teaching and research at the university and its partner institutions. It is an acknowledged centre for interdisciplinary Africa-focused research and offers an MA and a PhD in African Studies as well as a continuing education programme for professionals. Africa-related courses are also offered within the framework of other BA and MA study programmes and several subject areas provide the option of choosing Africa as a regional focus. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
The continuing education programme consists of thematic short courses and the CAS in African Affairs. In addition, the Centre offers compact intensive courses as tailor-made solutions for companies and organisations.
Institute of African Studies – University of Bayreuth
The Institute of African Studies at the University of Bayreuth coordinates all Africa-related research and teaching activities at the University. The University offers interdisciplinary BA and MA programmes in African Studies as well as subject-related degree programmes that have a strong focus on Africa-related topics (in Politics, History, Geography, Religion, Anthropology, Law, etc.). Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
- BA in African Verbal and Visual Arts
- BA in Interdisciplinary African Studies
- BA in African Culture & Society
- BA in Geographies of International Development, Focus on Africa
Undergraduate elective courses with African content:
- Africa in the World: History and Religions
- African Culture & Society
- African Development Studies in Geography
Postgraduate programmes:
- MA in Verbal & Visual Arts
- MA in African Culture & Society
- EIMAS, European Interdisciplinary Master of African Studies (MA)
- LLM and PhD programmes at the Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies
Other postgraduate programmes with African content:
- MA in Cultural and Social Anthropology
- MA in Development Studies
- MSc in Environmental Geography
- MA in Études Francophones
- MA in Global History
- MA in Intercultural Anglophone Studies
- MA in Language – Interaction – Culture
- MA in Religious Studies
Certificate programme:
Department of African Studies and Anthropology – University of Birmingham
The Department of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham conducts teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level in various fields. These include anthropology, history, human geography, development, literature, media, popular culture and religion. The Department has two BA programmes with a substantial focus on Africa and several other programmes where Africa features in the form of case studies and optional modules. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes:
- MA in Africa and Development
- MA/Diploma in African Studies
- MRes in African Studies
- PhD/MA by Research in African Studies (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)
- MA in Social Research (African Studies)
Departmental Centre of Historical and Political Studies on Africa and the Middle East – Bologna
Members of the Centro Dipartimentale di Studi storici e politici su Africa e Medio Oriente teach a wide array of courses in the fields of African and Middle Eastern history, politics and international development. Details of course units taught by members of the Centre can be found on the individual pages of members – see links under ‘Group Members’. Visit website.
Les Afriques dans le monde (LAM) – Sciences Po Bordeaux
The research unit Les Afriques dans le monde (LAM) is attached to three institutions: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Sciences Po Bordeaux, and l’Université Bordeaux Montaigne. Many of the unit’s researchers are involved in educational programmes dedicated to African Studies in their respective institutions. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes at affiliated institutions:
- Risques et développement aux Suds – Science Po Bordeaux
- Master Etudes interdisciplinaires des dynamiques africaines – Université Bordeaux Montaigne
- International Master of African Studies – Université Bordeaux Montaigne/University of Bayreuth
Science Po Bordeaux also offers an online African Studies certificate (Certificat d'études africaines en ligne, CEAL).
Centre of African Studies – University of Cambridge
The Centre of African Studies at Cambridge provides a locus for Africa-related research throughout the University, whether in the social sciences, humanities or natural and biological sciences, and offers a postgraduate programme in African Studies. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology – University of Cologne
The University of Cologne’s Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology offers two masters programmes with a significant focus on Africa. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Centre of African Studies – University of Copenhagen
The Centre of African Studies at the University of Copenhagen offers one of very few full-time two-year Masters in African Studies across the world. It includes taught courses, practical internship and/or field studies, and a research-based thesis. It is a fully internationalized degree run entirely in English, with students from across the globe. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Centre of African Studies – University of Edinburgh
Within the Centre of African Studies at Edinburgh, four MSc programmes and two PhD programmes are offered. Also, more than 20 courses related to Africa across postgraduate and undergraduate degree programmes are taught, both for on-campus students in Edinburgh and for online students around the world. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
- MSc in Africa and International Development
- MSc International Development
- MSc International Development (Online Learning)
- MSc Global Challenges (Online Learning)
- PhD in African Studies
- PhD in International Development
Centre for Interdisciplinary African Studies – Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
The Centre for Interdisciplinary African Studies (ZIAF) brings together scholars and scientists working on Africa from seven faculties of Goethe University Frankfurt and coordinates Africa-related teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes:
There are several MA courses in different disciplines at Goethe University offering specialisation on African topics. See full list of masters degree programmes here.
A list of professors offering Africa-related teaching can be found here (in German).
GIGA Institute of African Affairs
The GIGA Institute for African Affairs analyses political and socio-economic developments in sub-Saharan Africa and offers a doctoral programme for around 40 junior researchers working on diverse topics. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Leeds University Centre for African Studies – University of Leeds
Members of the Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS) contribute Africa-focused teaching to the programmes in their respective Schools, while LUCAS itself runs two undergraduate modules: ‘Creative Africas’ and ‘Contemporary Africas’. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes with African content:
School of Politics and International Studies:
- MA in Global Development
- MA in Conflict, Development and Security
- MA in Global Development and Education
School of Biology:
- MRes in Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course
- MRes in Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course (Part-time)
- MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course
- MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation with African Field Course (Part-time)
School of History:
School of English:
- MA in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies
- MA in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies (Part-time)
School of Earth and Environment:
Undergraduate modules with African content:
See here for a full list of undergraduate modules with African content run in various faculties of the University.
Postgraduate modules with African content:
See here for a full list of postgraduate modules with African content run in various faculties of the University.
African Studies Centre Leiden – Universiteit Leiden
The African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL) undertakes research and is involved in teaching about Africa and aims to promote a better understanding of and insight into historical, current and future developments in Africa. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
- MA in African Studies (two-year research programme)
- MA in African Studies (one-year programme)
- Graduate Programme African Studies (PhD)
Minors for third year undergraduate students from Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) universities:
Institute of African Studies – Universität Leipzig
The Institute of African Studies at the University of Leipzig unites social and economic history, sociology and philosophy of language, linguistics, political science, ethnology and sociology of development in a comprehensive study programme. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes:
Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology – University of Leuven
The Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Leuven offers three MA programmes relating to Africa. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
- Master in de sociale en culturele antropologie (Dutch)
- Master of Social and Cultural Anthropology (English)
- Advanced Master in Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies (CADES)
Centre for International Studies – University Institute of Lisbon
The Centre for International Studies at Iscte, University Institute of Lisbon, is involved in teaching postgraduate programmes within Portugal and internationally. It is the only institution in Portugal with a PhD in African Studies. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) – University of London
The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London is home to two institutes with an emphasis on Africa-related research and teaching, the Centre of African Studies and the Department of the Languages and Cultures of Africa. Both institutes offer BA and MA programmes in Africa-related fields. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
- BA in Africa and Black Diaspora
- BA in Languages and Cultures (Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia)
- BA in Languages and Cultures (Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia) and… (combined degree)
Postgraduate programmes:
- MA in African Studies
- MA in African Studies and Intensive Swahili
- MA… and Intensive Language (Swahili)
- MSc in Politics of Africa
- Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in African Studies
African Studies Group – Autonomous University of Madrid
The African Studies Group (GEA for Grupo de Estudios Africanos in Spanish) contributes to designing courses, seminars and conferences at both graduate and postgraduate levels. The Group offers a doctoral programme, two yearly programmes, and courses relating to Africa. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Department of Anthropology and African Studies – Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
The Department of Anthropology and African Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg Universität (Mainz) is an interdisciplinary institution covering a broad spectrum of both research and teaching activities. Teaching and research go hand in hand and advanced students are actively involved in research projects. All information regarding the PhD track is usually exchanged on demand with potential candidates. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes:
- MA Cultural Anthropology
- MA in Linguistics (with specialisation in African Languages and Linguistics)
Centre for Contemporary African Studies - University of Naples L’Orientale
The Centre for Contemporary African Studies (Centro Studi sull’Africa Contemporanea, CeSAC) conducts research, education and dissemination on contemporary Africa from an interdisciplinary perspective that involves historical, political, social, cultural, linguistic and literary studies at The University of Naples L’Orientale. The University offers different opportunities for undergraduate and masters degrees within African Studies. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes:
- Masters International Relations and Institutions of Asia and Africa
- Masters Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa
African Studies Centre – University of Oxford
Oxford University’s African Studies Centre offers an MSc in African Studies and a DPhil in Area Studies. The MSc is a three-term course designed both as a stand-alone interdisciplinary introduction to current debates about Africa, and as a preparation for doctoral research on Africa. Visit website.
Postgraduate programmes:
Centre d’études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains – Université de Paris
The Centre d’études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains (CESSMA) at the University of Paris analyses the historical and spatial configurations of the dynamics of development and globalisation. The Centre’s postgraduate programmes offer courses with Africa-focused content. Visit website (in French).
Institut des mondes africains – Paris
Institut des mondes africains (IMAF) is primarily a research institute but its members are involved in teaching programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in their respective institutions. In addition, PhD and Masters students are hosted at IMAF. The institute also runs a seminar series. Visit website.
Masters and PhD programmes offered in collaboration with IMAF:
Czech Association for African Studies
The Association is a consortium of several universities in the Czech Republic which unites academics who focus on African studies and lecture at these universities in courses or programmes. The University of Hradec Králové offers a master's programme in African Studies and is the only university within the Association with a complete programme on African Studies.
Department of African Studies - Vienna
The African Studies programme at the University of Vienna focuses on teaching and research of the history, language and literatures of African societies. Students acquire fundamental knowledge about African societies and about their global interconnectedness through various periods of time. The programme emphasises the link between academic training and the implementation of acquired knowledge into fields of practice. In addition to offering BA and MA degrees in African Studies, the Department also offers opportunities to take Extension Curricula in African Studies for undergraduate students taking another subject as their major. Visit website.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate programmes: