African Studies MSc

<strong>The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course including information about course components or research areas, please visit the course page on the University of Oxford website.</strong><br/><br/>The MSc in African Studies provides a foundation for those who wish to expand their knowledge of African studies. It can be taken as a stand-alone introduction to current debates about Africa, or as preparation for doctoral research.<br/><br/><strong>Course structure</strong><br/>An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.<br/><br/>There are five components to the MSc in African Studies:<br/><br/><br/>• Core Paper One: Researching Africa: Strategies, Methods and Ethics<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Core Paper Two: Understanding Modern Africa<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Two Option Papers<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Dissertation<br/><br/><br/><br/>The teaching on the MSc in African Studies is built around the two core papers listed above.<br/><br/>You will also take two option papers, each covering a particular theme/discipline.<br/><br/>Finally, you will write a dissertation on a research topic of your choosing.<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.<br/><br/><strong>For the full description, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas</strong>