About PhD Program,
The graduate program trains students to become skilled and informed scholars poised to make significant contributions to academic and non-academic communities and initiate new cultural, economic, political, and social policies informed by critical thinking and global perspectives on social and human development.
We are proud to count among our cohort successful DJs and sonic scholars; impactful public health researchers; poets and actresses; field researchers in Nicaragua, Brazil, and Jamaica; and those dedicated to the study of the Diaspora’s experiences with religion and spiritual practices.
Most notably, all graduates to date have either been offered tenure track positions or postdoctoral fellowships before graduation, indicating both the preparedness of our graduates and the reputation of the program.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
No, there is no need to convert it. Simply report what your GPA is as a number or letter grade.
The Africana Studies graduate program is organized around three areas of emphasis: 1) History, Politics, and Theory focuses on the institutional, theoretical, and material expressions of Africana culture, experience, and thought; 2) Literary, Expressive and Performance Cultures focuses on the critical study of visual culture, performance, and the literary arts that critique the contributions and (self) representations of people of African descent in global and contested societies; 3) Feminism, Gender, and Sexuality focuses on the cultural, ideological, political, and theoretical implications of feminist consciousness, practices, and theories; constructions of gender; and critical understandings and analyses of sexuality throughout the Africana world. Within these three areas, Africana Studies graduate students are able to explore the breadth and depth of the discipline while developing capacity and competence in distinct areas of scholarship.
The Ph.D. in Africana Studies requires the successful completion of no fewer than 12 courses, of which six must be in the student’s chosen area of research emphasis and four in another secondary area of emphasis. Students entering the program with a master’s degree may petition the graduate program for advanced standing after one year of residency in the program. All doctoral students must take: AFRI 2001: Seminar in Theories, Politics, and Histories; AFRI 2002: Seminar in Literary, Expressive, and Performance Cultures; AFRI 2003: Seminar in Feminism, Gender, and Sexuality; AFRI 2101: Methods in Africana Studies; and AFRI 2102: Professionalization Seminar. Students must demonstrate competency in one of the following languages: French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, or another language relevant to their area of scholarly interest. As teaching is a vital part of graduate training, students are also required to serve as teaching assistants for at least two semesters. In addition, all doctoral students must successfully complete a qualifying examination in their chosen field of emphasis and additional examinations in secondary field of research and teaching competence, an oral examination of the dissertation proposal, and an oral defense of the dissertation.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The Graduate School offers incoming doctoral students five years of guaranteed financial support, including a stipend, tuition remission, health-services fee, and health- and dental-insurance subsidies.
This support — which may take the form of a teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowship, or proctorship — helps to defray the cost of tuition, and also provides a stipend to assist with living expenses during the student’s program.
Doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are guaranteed six years of support. This support can come from a variety of Brown University resources–including Graduate School funds, departmental funds, and faculty research funds–and/or external funds, as applicable.
Application Requirement,
Personal Statement
Transcripts
Letters of Recommendation
GRE
Language Proficiency
Application Fee and Waivers
Paper Credentials and Other Documentation
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
A nonrefundable fee of $75 is charged for processing each application received by the Graduate School.
