This certificate offers students the opportunity to develop a thorough grounding in the interdisciplinary field of Africana studies. Africana studies is the analysis of the lives, thoughts and broadly-defined creations of people of African ancestry on the African continent and throughout the world. This includes their histories, languages, literatures and arts, cultures, and socio-economic and political realities as they are manifest in the United States, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and indeed anywhere people of African descent are found.
The graduate certificate in Africana studies offers interested master or doctoral students an opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary graduate concentration in Africana studies while at the same time earning a degree in a disciplinary major field. In addition to gaining knowledge of peoples and of issues with particular significance to the Africana world, students pursuing this certificate will also benefit from the interdisciplinary training that is the hallmark of Africana studies. They will be exposed to the scholarship, methods and theories of the multiple disciplines that contribute to the critical analysis and understanding of the Africana world.
Faculty Participation
The Graduate Certificate Program in Africana Studies is guided by faculty from a variety of departments throughout the university. It is recommended, though not required, that the Student’s Advisory Committee include one of the Africana Studies teaching faculty as a member.
Eligibility
Any Texas A&M University graduate student enrolled in a master's or doctoral program may apply. To be eligible, a student must meet the following additional conditions:
- The student must be in good academic standing.
- The student must submit all the application materials referred to in the Google application form.
- The student must have her or his pursuit of the certificate approved by the program coordinator of Africana Studies after review of all the application materials.