About PhD Program,
The Ph.D. in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) offers two concentrations: 1) Political Economy and Public Policy and 2) Cultures and Societies of Africa and the Diaspora.
The discipline of African and African Diaspora Studies examines conceptually and empirically the life experiences and life prospects of Africans and their descendants across space and time. The design of the Ph.D. degree integrates local, national, and global phenomena to foster knowledge, understanding, and wisdom that enable graduates to be of the greatest possible value to their communities and societies. The PhD. degree in African and African Diaspora Studies at UWM is grounded in the knowledge that, with continuing globalization, the twenty-first century will witness an exponential expansion in the demand for Africana knowledge and expertise in the academy and beyond.
Completed applications must be received by Dec. 1 to be considered for fall admissions.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Applicants must meet Graduate School Requirements plus the following departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program:
- Undergraduate or graduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75
- A sample (10-15) pages of the individual’s written work
- TOEFL scores from non-native English speakers.
- At least three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar withthe applicant’s academic work’
PhD Funding Coverage,
The Department of African and African Diaspora Studies is able to guarantee 3-4 years of funding for students in the Ph.D. Program.
*Note: Because of budget limitations, the department does not offer assistantships or tuition remissions to students in the MA program. However, students in this program are eligible to apply for DGSF and AOP Fellowships.
Most admitted Ph.D. students are funded via academic-year Teaching Assistantships, which require approximately 20 hours of work per week. In addition to their stipends (approximately $13,750 per academic year for o teaching assistant), these appointments include full remission of tuition (both in-state and out-of-state tuition), as well as benefits such as low-cost health insurance.
Some Ph.D. students may also be funded through Research Assistantships or Project Assistantships (which also typically require 20 hours of work per week).
Chancellor’s Awards
Chancellor’s Graduate Students Awards are offered to newly admitted students each year. These awards combine a grant with a 50% teaching assistantship. Both the grant and the TA position may be renewed for a second year. Chancellor’s Awards ore usually awarded to non-residents applying to the Ph.D. program. No application is needed to be considered for a Chancellor Award.
UWM Graduate School Fellowships
The Graduate School currently offers five fellowships for full-time study, each with a monthly stipend for the academic year, coverage of in-state tuition and remission of out of state tuition (for students who are not residents of the State of Wisconsin), and eligibility of state-sponsored health insurance. Fellowship recipients are responsible for paying segregated free.
- UWM Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship (DGSF)
- Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship (DDF)
- UWM Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Fellowship
- We encourage students to apply for extramural funding. Students can get assistance from in locating funding sources through their advisors and with the grant office.
Application Requirement,
The following items must be submitted for your application to be considered complete.
- Transcripts:
- All applicants, including UWM students, must upload transcripts from all academic institutions where a bachelor’s degree or above has been or will be earned.
- If you are admitted and enroll at UW-Milwaukee, you must submit an official transcript for your bachelor’s degree with the degree and date awarded. (Additional official transcripts may be required. The Graduate School will send additional instructions to you after the official admission decision has been made.) UWM students will not have to submit their official, degree-bearing transcripts.
- International applicants should refer to International Admissionsfor more information.
- Letters of Recommendation: If your program requires letters of recommendation, you will be able to send a request directly to your recommenders in the Graduate School Admission Application. The letter can then be loaded by your recommender directly into the application.
- Fees:
- All applicants are requested to pay a non-refundable $75 application fee. Note that we do have some programs for fee waivers (contingent on registration and attendanceat our in-person open house event) or fee grants (for participants in one of a list of eligible graduate school preparation programs).
- If you are applying to a doctoral program and already hold a UWM master’s degree or will have completed a UWM master’s degree prior to starting the doctoral program, you do not need to pay the application fee again.
- Program Requirements: You will find additional program requirements in the Graduate School Admission Application. If you have questions about these requirements, contact your program.
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
All applicants are requested to pay a non-refundable $75 application fee.
