African Studies is an interdisciplinary field for studying Africa and the African diaspora. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world and has a population of more than 1.5 billion people. Its diversity, rich history, and regional breadth make it an important and dynamic area of study. Due to the continent’s size and geographic divisions, many languages, cultures, and traditions have developed across its regions.
In the late 1960s, Black students and their allies in the United States challenged traditional higher education for its limited teaching on Africa, Black life, and the African diaspora. These movements contributed to the development of Black Studies, Africana Studies, and related fields, opening space for new questions, critiques, and contemporary approaches to education. They also broadened academic perspectives by challenging stereotypes and false beliefs about Africans and people of African descent.
African Studies programs explore multiple disciplines to understand the complex realities of Africa, including its cultures, histories, languages, economies, politics, religions, and societies. Students gain a stronger understanding of Africa and African peoples from a global perspective.
Students in these programs can gain advanced research skills and, depending on the university, African language training. They also develop written and oral communication skills, as they are often expected to engage in dialogue on relevant issues and ideas involving Africa and the African diaspora. Through this scholarly work, students build interdisciplinary, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
African Studies programs are offered by several schools, ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate study. They are sometimes combined with other international studies or disciplines for a more integrated approach. Opportunities in both private and public sectors await African Studies graduates, and some career paths include public relations, international trade, human resources, journalism, education, policy, and research.
Below, we talk about some of the best schools to study African Studies across the world.
Top African Studies Schools in the World
1. Brown University
Brown University offers Africana Studies programs that critically examine the artistic, historical, literary, and theoretical expressions of Africa and the African diaspora. To complete the undergraduate concentration, students must finish nine semester-long courses offered by or cross-listed with the Department of Africana Studies.
The graduate program leads to a Ph.D. in Africana Studies. Brown’s official materials state that the Ph.D. requires at least 12 semester courses and is designed to be completed in six years. Brown also lists Africana Studies as a participating master’s option in its Open Graduate Education program, and its department page notes that it is not accepting Ph.D. applications for the 2026–2027 cycle.
2. University of California, Los Angeles
The James S. Coleman African Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was founded in 1959 as a U.S. National Resource Center. UCLA lists academic programs related to African Studies, including the African Studies M.A., the African Studies minor, and the African and Middle Eastern Studies major and minor. Students in the African and Middle Eastern Studies major are required to achieve intermediate-level proficiency in a modern foreign language related to the region.
An M.A. in African Studies is also available, and UCLA offers a concurrent M.A. in African Studies and M.P.H. in Public Health for students who want to connect African Studies with public health training.
3. Yale University
Yale University offers interdisciplinary Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in African Studies. Yale’s undergraduate African Studies major consists of 12 term courses, including African Studies courses in the humanities and social sciences, African language study, a research methods course, an area of focus, and a senior essay. At the graduate level, Yale’s M.A. in African Studies is a two-year interdisciplinary program with courses, African language study, directed research, and a required thesis.
Yale is also known for its African language offerings. Its Program in African Languages offers regular courses in Swahili, Yoruba, Wolof, and Zulu, while the Yale College catalog also lists instruction in Kiswahili, Twi, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu. Students are encouraged to spend a summer or term in Africa during their language study.
4. SOAS University of London
SOAS University of London offers programs related to Africa and the Black diaspora, including the BA Africa and Black Diaspora joint degree and postgraduate programs such as the MA African Studies and MA African Studies and Intensive Language. The BA Africa and Black Diaspora joint degree can be completed in three or four years.
Students on the four-year SOAS program may take a Language Year Abroad, spending one term at each partner institution, Zanzibar State University and Kenyatta University. The year abroad runs from September to May and focuses on strengthening Swahili language and cultural competence. Postgraduate options also allow students to study Africa through advanced modules and, in some programs, intensive language study.
5. Columbia University
Columbia University offers undergraduate study through the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, where students study the cultures, ideas, histories, and politics of several overlapping world regions. The department emphasizes linguistic expertise and close engagement with intellectual traditions, creative movements, and political debates.
Graduate students can pursue M.A. and Ph.D. study in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, where African Studies is one of the department’s major cultural areas. Columbia also offers a graduate certificate in African Studies through the Institute of African Studies for graduate students enrolled in advanced degree programs across Columbia’s schools.
6. New York University
New York University’s Africana Studies program examines the histories, cultures, economies, politics, and practices of African diasporas in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. Undergraduate students can major or minor in Africana Studies. The major requires nine 4-credit courses, while the minor requires five 4-credit courses. Qualified majors may also pursue the Honors Program, which includes senior honors coursework and a thesis under faculty guidance.
NYU also offers an M.A. in Africana Studies and joint M.A. programs with Journalism, Economics, and Museum Studies. Beyond its degree programs, NYU supports multidisciplinary research on Africa and its diaspora through related institutes, centers, and study-away opportunities such as NYU Accra.
7. Cornell University
Students can pursue undergraduate and doctoral study in Africana Studies at Cornell University. Cornell’s undergraduate major in Africana Studies requires at least 10 Africana Studies courses with a grade of C or better, while its minor requires at least five Africana Studies courses. The Ph.D. program is fully funded and includes paid tuition, health insurance, and a stipend.
The university’s Africana Studies faculty brings expertise in areas such as English, anthropology, literature, history, politics, philosophy, sociology, and art history. Cornell also highlights strengths in global Black popular and mass culture, Black political and artistic thought, and race in relation to gender and sexuality, giving students opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and dialogue.
Hopefully, this article on the best African Studies schools around the world was helpful. If you are interested, feel free to browse through our Available Programs for International Students!
