African Studies

Certificate Program


Introduction:

The University Center for International Studies is now offering an Undergraduate Certificate in African Studies (click here to view website and course listings). The Program pulls together and creates an academic base in the foundations of African studies and provides opportunities for the acquisition of a critical body of knowledge in an area of the world whose increasing importance cannot be overemphasized. In addition to core courses, the certificate program offers students a range of electives, all designed to enhance academic and professional specialization in Africa. The language component built into the undergraduate and graduate concentrations make possible the acquisition of rudimentary language competence (in Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba, or other relevant languages) essential for African related research, scholarship or professional careers. The interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum allows students the opportunity to select relevant courses in various departments according to their interests.

Objectives:

The Objectives of the program are to:

1) Promote the interdisciplinary study of Africa at the university

2) Help students gain a broader understanding of traditional and contemporary life in Africa

3) Provide an environment of cooperation and collaboration among students and faculty that will lead to increased opportunities for research and teaching

4) Promote the study of Africa in global perspective by building bridges with other area-studies programs, international centers, professional schools, and departments inside and outside the University of Pittsburgh.

Requirements for an African Studies Undergraduate Certificate

The Certificate requires a total of 5 courses (15 credit hours) and proficiency in a relevant language as follows:

· One required core course (3 credits) of either, Introduction to Africa (AFRCNA 0027), or African Civilization and Culture (AFRCNA 0086)

· Four courses (12 credits) selected from any courses listed with African content

· Language Proficiency: One year of study (two terms) of an indigenous African language (Swahili, Yoruba, Arabic), or proficiency in a European language relevant to African Studies as a consequence of Africa's historical experience, e.g., French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and German.

Registration

To register for the undergraduate certificate program, students are required to complete their registration forms each term by entering the Secondary Academic Program code 510101.

The Certificate

Upon completion of the requirements for the Specialization in African Studies, the student will receive a Certificate from the University Center for International Studies (African Studies). The certification of completion will also appear on the student's transcript, and the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student's record the name of the specialization and the date that it was completed.

Faculty

Professor Joseph K. Adjaye of the Department of Africana Studies directs the undergraduate certificate program, while professor Louis Picard of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs coordinates the graduate certificate program. In addition, the certificate programs benefit from a diverse team of qualified and experienced Africanist faculty drawn from a number of Pitt departments, schools and centers including Africana Studies, Anthropology, Education, English, GSPIA, History, Linguistics, Music and Religion.

To find out more about the African Studies Certificate program, or to receive our brochure, please contact us at:

Africana Studies Department
4140 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260
USA
Tel: 412-648-7544 or 412-648-2058
Fax: 412-648-7214
Email: jadjaye@pitt.edu
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/africa

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Africana Studies
University of Pittsburgh
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