Doctor of Philosophy in Africology and African American Studies

The mission of the Department of Africology and African American Studies is to provide an intellectual arena in which students learn to critically examine, analyze, and interpret the experiences, traditions, and dynamics of people of African descent. The department's undergirding philosophy is that the specific historical experiences of a people must be the central axis guiding and informing any effective analysis and interpretation of that people's past, present, and future. Our graduate program is informed by the Afrocentric paradigms in relation to other perspectives in Africana studies. The program reflects a deeply ingrained commitment to the self-directed study of African peoples and has benefited from a variety of conceptual and political inputs from diverse, but fully committed, faculty participation as well as invaluable contributions from the community. It is the goal of the department that graduates of our Ph.D. program be prepared to engage in a diverse range of intellectual issues that affect the lives of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: The applicant's official transcripts must show formal course-based exposure to and education in an area that the Admissions Committee judges to be closely related to Africology and African American Studies.Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree in American Studies, Black Studies, Ethnic Studies, History with a concentration in African or African American Studies, or other content areas with a concentration in African or African American Studies is required.Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the appropriate baccalaureate degree at Temple University.Statement of Goals: Approximately 500 to 1,000 words include the nature of your specific interest in the Ph.D. program in Africology and African American Studies at Temple University; a clearly articulated research goal as it relates to Africology and African American Studies; your future career goals; your academic and research achievements; your community service activities; and an explanation of exceptional circumstances.Standardized Test Scores:GRE: Required. A combined minimum score of 297 on the verbal and quantitative sections is expected.Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. Resume: Current resume required.Writing Sample: The writing sample should demonstrate the student's ability to conduct research and to write a scholarly paper relevant to the discipline. The paper should be no more than 20 pages in length and fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual.The minimum admissions standard for all graduate students is ordinarily an undergraduate grade point average of "B" or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the functional equivalent for students who have attended universities outside of the United States.