Africana Studies 4+1 (BA/MA)
Bridging your B.A./M.A.
The 4+1 B.A./M.A. in Africana Studies will allow University of Delaware students who are Africana Studies majors or Africana Studies minors to focus their graduate program of study to meet their specific career goals, whether it be K-12 education, academia, or community justice work. This accelerated degree program provides students with the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree with Africana Studies and a master's degree in Africana Studies in less time at less cost than completing both programs individually. With a combined degree, students will have specialized knowledge and advanced analytical skills, and will be prepared to matriculate into Ph.D. programs, and to enter the workforce with a commitment to social justice, community engagement, and Africana perspectives--much needed skills for the twenty-first century.
Benefits of pursuing an accelerated 4+1 B.A./M.A. include:
- Completing both degrees in less time
- Graduate credits taken in undergraduate junior & senior year may apply toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees
- Completing a full-time master's degree without interrupting your professional career
- A leg up in the job market and for doctoral programs upon graduation
- Opportunities to engage in advanced study
Students completing the M.A. degree in Africana Studies, will be able to:
- Discuss foundational theories of Africana Studies
- Articulate multidisciplinary research methods in Africana Studies
- Analyze historic and contemporary issues through a Pan-African lens
- Develop Africana Studies content for public scholarship, community engagement, collections-based research, and social justice efforts
- Apply gender and sexuality intersectional analysis to the study of Black life and culture
- Explore the study of Black life through visual and material culture
- Design an original research project that synthesizes knowledge and skills from Africana Studies to a concrete issue or context
Only current University of Delaware students can apply to the 4+1 program. The admission application fee will be waived. Applicants to the 4+1 program must be at least in their junior year of study at the University of Delaware, enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree in Africana Studies, have an overall undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better for at least 60 credits, and an undergraduate average of 3.25 or better in at least four Africana courses. In addition, applicants should have taken or be enrolled in AFRA 110.
Following provisional admission, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their remaining undergraduate studies. Students who fail to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress may be restricted from progressing to the graduate phase of the program. Once students complete their baccalaureate degree, the provisional status is removed.
Students are admitted to the 4+1 program in Africana Studies on the basis of consideration of a combination of all of the following materials:
- a personal statement outlining their goals and objectives for pursuing this program;
- a writing sample (a recent scholarly paper);
- three letters of recommendation, of which at least one must come from a professor in the Africana Studies Department at UD;
- unofficial undergraduate transcripts
Candidates should apply using the Graduate Course Approval Form for 4+1 Admission Application provided by the Graduate College. Along with the materials listed above, applicants must also complete and submit an Africana Studies 4+1 Program Supplemental Document.
Admissions to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Completed applications are due February 15. We offer Fall admission only. Applications from those who wish to be considered for financial aid must be submitted by January 15.
Visit UD’s graduate catalog for complete course information including credits, prerequisites, restrictions, and when courses are typically offered.
Students in the 4+1 program must complete 24 graduate credit hours of Africana Studies courses along with a thesis. 4+1 students should take the M.A. required course AFRA 600 during the senior year. They also should use AFRA 601 in place of their 400-level capstone seminar for the Africana Studies major, which simultaneously counts towards the B.A. and the M.A. degrees. The minimum grade for dual-counted courses is B+.
Visit UD’s academic catalog and course search for complete course information including credits, prerequisites, restrictions, and when courses are typically offered. Regarding the thesis requirement, theses may take one of several forms, such as a written document, or a material or visual project, or a website. Students using the program for professional development should consider the project form of the thesis. Students who may be using our program as a stepping stone toward Ph.D. admissions should complete the more traditional longer written thesis. Students must discuss the form of thesis in consultation with their advisor.
Financial aid is available to graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, tuition scholarships, and University fellowships. Assistantships and fellowships consist of tuition and a stipend for the September–May academic year. Awards are competitive and merit-based. All funding decisions are made in consultation with the graduate committee, the director of graduate studies, and the department chair.
Applicants for admission to the program must indicate their wish to be considered for financial aid with their application.
All graduate fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships are accompanied by a grant of the full cost of tuition and include a stipend. Tuition scholarships carry no stipend. You can also find more information about fees and funding from the Graduate College.
