Africology and African American Studies MA

Master of Arts in Africology and African American Studies

Learn the fundamental theoretical and practical issues confronting African people with the Master of Arts in Africology and African American Studies in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Gain an advanced understanding of the dynamics, experiences and traditions of people of African descent through a specialized curriculum that emphasizes self-guided studies and collaborative research opportunities.

The Africology and African American Studies MA is informed by the African-centered/Afrocentric paradigms in relation to other perspectives in Africana studies. Students in this 30-credit master's program can focus on several different areas, including

African regional geography,
Afrocentric theory,
Caribbean culture,
ethnographic methods,
gender studies,
history,
languages,
literature,
mass media,
popular culture,
psychology,
research methods, and
social and political thought.

Africology and African American Studies MA graduates pursue careers in public and private sectors, including the arts and humanities, business, healthcare, social services and teaching. Others choose to pursue the Africology and African American Studies PhD, with the goal of teaching at the collegiate level or engaging in academic research.

Course requirements take place at Temple’s Main Campus and can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis.

Students interact in a classroom at Temple University.

Africology and African American Studies Department

Temple’s Africology and African American Studies Department is one of the oldest of similar programs in the nation and was the first to offer a doctoral degree in the field. Emerging during the Black Power Movement, the program was created to serve as an academic platform from which students could combat racism, discrimination and oppression.

Today, the Africology and African American Studies Department and Temple University remain as committed as ever to this mission. Temple is home to more African American students than any other university in the Northeast, and it’s this diversity and sense of global community that sets the university apart.

Additionally, the department’s professors are recognized for their published work, and graduates continue to lead programs in African American studies across the nation.

Academic Community

Students in the Africology and African American Studies Department can

contribute to the Journal of Black Studies, the top peer-reviewed publication in the academic discipline;
connect with local, national and international African communities;
learn from and research alongside highly esteemed faculty; and
study abroad in Ghana.

Program Format & Curriculum

Africology and African American Studies MA courses take place at Temple’s Main Campus, and students can complete the program on a part-time or full-time basis.

The curriculum comprises 30 credits—nine of which are core courses, and 21 of which are electives. The following courses are required.

African Civilizations
The Afrocentric Paradigm
Theories and Methods in African American Studies

Examples of elective courses include the following.

African-American Family
African Literature
Ethnographic Methods
Seminar in African American Social Philosophy
Special Topics in African Languages

Following the completion of course requirements, students have the option of completing the program with either a written comprehensive examination or a thesis. This decision is based on student interest and academic or professional goals.

Learn more about Africology and African American Studies MA academic requirements.

Related Graduate Degrees

Related Graduate Certificates

Diversity Leadership*
Strategic Communication and Cross-Cultural Leadership**
Teaching in Higher Education*
Urban Education*

*College of Education and Human Development
**Klein College of Media and Communication

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2024–2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,105.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,518.00 per credit

You can view the full cost of attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

Program Contact

With questions regarding the Africology and African American Studies MA, contact the following staff member.

TJ Cusack is the administrator in the Africology and African American Studies Department.
Phone: 215-204-9209
Email: tjc@temple.edu

The following staff members lead the Africology and African American Studies Department.

Ama Mazama is the chair of the Africology and African American Studies Department.
Phone: 215-204-1992
Email: mcerol@temple.edu

Nilgün Anadolu-Okur is the graduate chair of the Africology and African American Studies Department.
Email: anadolu@temple.edu

Student Clubs & Organizations

Supplement your Africology and African American Studies MA coursework and enhance your graduate education experience through student clubs and organizations. You’ll meet and network with other students, become involved with the community, and build invaluable skills to help you realize your personal and professional goals.

The following clubs and organizations are available to Africology and African American Studies MA students.

The Organization of Africology/African-American Studies Graduate Students preserves an intellectual space where students can explore and interpret the experiences, traditions and dynamics of the African experience.
The Society of Emerging African Leaders comprises individuals who have a common goal of empowering the African continent with the leadership skills necessary for Africa as a whole to compete globally.
The NABA Temple University Chapter supports and encourages minorities to enter and excel in many different fields of business such as accounting, finance and management information systems. It implements local and national programs that work to develop members’ professional skills.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Epsilon Chapter, is a collegiate and professional fraternity, founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1914. The fraternity focuses on promoting inclusivity, service and scholarship.

Learn more about Temple’s student clubs and organizations.

Study Away

Temple’s study away programs offer you the opportunity to spend an academic year, semester or summer abroad. Complete coursework, participate in internships or collaborate in research while immersing yourself in the culture, history and people of your host city.

Students in the Africology and African American Studies MA program have the unique opportunity to complete courses or conduct personal research at the University of Ghana, Legon-Accra.

Learn more about your options for studying away.

Accreditation

Departmental Accreditation

The Department of Africology and African American Studies is accredited by the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS). NCBS was established in 1975 by African American scholars who recognized the need to formalize the study of the African experience, as well as expand and strengthen academic units and community programs devoted to this endeavor.

Temple University’s departments and programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

LA-AAAS-MA

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