African Studies MSc

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.**<br/><br/>The MSc in African Studies 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. This advanced degree course provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to expand their knowledge of African studies.<br/><br/>There are five components to the MSc in African Studies:<br/><br/><br/>- Core Course One: Methodology, Ethics and Research Strategies<br/><br/><br/>- Core Course Two: Disciplines in African Studies<br/><br/><br/>- Core Course Three: Debates in African Studies<br/><br/><br/>- Option paper<br/><br/><br/>- Dissertation<br/><br/><br/>The teaching on the MSc in African Studies is built around the three core courses listed above.<br/><br/>The first core course examines research methodologies and strategies, including the politics of researching and writing on Africa, and is taught in Michaelmas term through a weekly lecture and seminar.<br/><br/>The second is a weekly lecture and seminar in Michaelmas term, covering the evolution of African states; the rise and fall of colonial rule, social and economic change and the dilemmas of development; politics, globalisation and conflict in the post-colonial era.<br/><br/>The third is taught in Hilary term and covers thematic enquiries into the social, political, cultural and economic dynamics that shape the African continent today; historical perspectives on the present; global context and comparisons between Africa and other regions. The core courses form compulsory elements of this degree and are open only to students taking the MSc in African Studies.<br/><br/>In addition to the three core courses, you will take an optional paper on a particular theme and within a specific discipline. A wide selection of optional papers is available each year. Optional papers are taught in Hilary term, through a weekly lecture and seminar.<br/><br/>Finally, you will write a dissertation on a research topic of your choosing, which must include discussion of the comparative reading, historiography, or theory relevant to the dissertation. You will undertake fieldwork at the end of Hilary term and will be provided with thesis supervision throughout the year. <br/><br/>Students dedicate six hours per week to classes and lectures and they will typically meet their thesis supervisor once every fortnight.<br/><br/>The department runs a weekly seminar series in Michaelmas term and Hilary term which provides an opportunity for networking with other Africanists.