The African Studies Program supports research, teaching, and outreach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, bringing together scholars in multiple disciplines, students, teachers, and community partners to consider all aspects of land and life in Africa. The African Studies Program is a US Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center for Africa, a unit in The International Division, and a member of the campus consortium of internationally oriented programs known as the Institute for Regional and International Studies.
The program was established in 1961 by an interdisciplinary team of internationally respected scholars including Jan Vasina, Philip Curtin, Frederick Simoons, and Aristride Zolberg. The center continues to enjoy a reputation for excellence, having awarded more degrees to Africa specialists than any other American university. No other university boasts such a depth and range of expertise in Africanist scholarship. Over 70 affiliated faculty offer more than 100 courses in 35 departments around campus. The department of African Cultural Studies offers students an opportunity to study a number of African languages including Arabic, Hausa, Swahili, Yoruba, Wolof, and Zulu, as well as options for self-directed study of less-commonly taught languages.
Undergraduates from any department can benefit from access to our programs and top-ranked faculty by completing a certificate in African studies. The certificate is highly interdisciplinary and welcomes students with backgrounds in the humanities, social sciences, business, health, agriculture, or the environment. What unites certificate students is a shared interest in the people, places, and stories of the continent of Africa.
A certificate in African Studies indicates that a student has acquired an interdisciplinary knowledge about the African continent, its histories, its stories, and its people. African studies alumni serve in a number of important leadership positions in both the private and public sector. Former students have gone on to serve as ambassadors, presidential advisors, and leaders of investment firms and Washington think tanks. Many undergraduate certificate holders launch their internationally-oriented careers by joining the Peace Corps after graduation.
Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the African Studies Program undergraduate advisor (advising@africa.wisc.edu).
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
15 credits in African Studies approved courses
At least two SUBJECTs represented: 1
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Introduction to African Cultural Expression | ||
Africa on the Global Stage | ||
Introduction to African Literature | ||
Introductory Topics in African Cultural Studies | ||
Introductory Topics in African Literature | ||
The African Storyteller | ||
HipHop, Youth Culture, and Politics in Senegal | ||
Introduction to African Popular Culture | ||
Introduction to Yoruba Life and Culture | ||
Introduction to Arabic Literary Culture | ||
Introduction to Swahili Cultures | ||
Global HipHop and Social Justice | ||
The Hero and Trickster in African Oral Traditions | ||
Africa: An Introductory Survey | ||
African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
African Literature in Translation | ||
African Literature and Visual Culture | ||
Soccer in Africa | ||
First Semester Arabic | ||
Second Semester Arabic | ||
Third Semester Arabic | ||
Fourth Semester Arabic | ||
Fifth Semester Arabic | ||
Sixth Semester Arabic | ||
Colloquial Arabic | ||
Colloquial Arabic | ||
First Semester Swahili | ||
Second Semester Swahili | ||
Third Semester Swahili | ||
Fourth Semester Swahili | ||
First Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | ||
Second Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | ||
Third Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | ||
Fourth Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | ||
First Semester Summer Arabic | ||
Second Semester Summer Arabic | ||
Third Semester Summer Arabic | ||
Fourth Semester Summer Arabic | ||
Fifth Semester Summer Arabic | ||
Sixth Semester Summer Arabic | ||
First Semester Hausa | ||
Second Semester Hausa | ||
Islam: Religion and Culture | ||
First Semester Yoruba | ||
Second Semester Yoruba | ||
Third Semester Yoruba | ||
Fourth Semester Yoruba | ||
First Semester-A Language of West Africa | ||
Second Semester-A Language of West Africa | ||
Third Semester-A Language of West Africa | ||
Fourth Semester-A Language of West Africa | ||
Theory of African Literature | ||
Theories of African Cultural Studies | ||
Topics in African Cultural Studies | ||
Topics in African Literature | ||
Topics in African Languages | ||
Topics in US and Global Black Music Studies | ||
Contemporary African Fiction | ||
Contemporary African and Caribbean Drama | ||
Islam in Africa and the Diaspora | ||
Fifth Semester Swahili | ||
Sixth Semester Swahili | ||
African/Francophone Film | ||
Technology and Development in Africa and Beyond | ||
Advanced Readings in Arabic Texts | ||
Lusophone African Literature | ||
Modern African Literature in English | ||
Fifth Semester Yoruba | ||
Sixth Semester Yoruba | ||
Language and Society in Africa | ||
Advanced Topics in African Cultural Studies | ||
Advanced Topics in African Literature | ||
Advanced Topics in Global Black Music Studies | ||
Special Topics | ||
Theories and Methods of Learning a Less Commonly Taught Language | ||
Multilanguage Seminar | ||
Intensive Summer Multilanguage Seminar | ||
Directed Study of a Less Commonly Taught Language | ||
Directed Study | ||
Directed Study | ||
Introduction to African Art and Architecture | ||
Introduction to Afro-American Art | ||
African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
Contemporary African and Caribbean Drama | ||
Selected Topics in Afro-American Culture | ||
The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | ||
Economic Problems of Developing Areas | ||
Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | ||
Freshman/Sophomore Seminar in Anthropology | ||
Prehistory of Africa | ||
Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective | ||
Economic Anthropology | ||
Bones for the Archaeologist | ||
Introduction to African Art and Architecture | ||
Proseminar in African Art | ||
African Dance | ||
World Dance Cultures: Traditional to Contemporary | ||
African Dance Performance | ||
Cultural Cross Currents: West African Dance/Music in the Americas | ||
Economic Problems of Developing Areas | ||
Education and Public Policy | ||
Environmental Conservation | ||
Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | ||
The Hero and Trickster in African Oral Traditions | ||
French/Francophone Literary Studies Across the Centuries | ||
French/Francophone Cultural Studies Across the Centuries | ||
Introduction to Francophone Studies | ||
Environmental Conservation | ||
Africa, South of the Sahara | ||
Introduction to the History of Africa | ||
Africa on the Global Stage | ||
Explorations in Third World History (H) | ||
Africans in the Americas, 1492-1808 | ||
Afro-Atlantic History, 1808-Present | ||
African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
The Caribbean and its Diasporas | ||
History of East Africa | ||
History of Equatorial Africa | ||
Globalization and Education | ||
Globalization, Poverty and Development | ||
The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | ||
Women's Global Health and Human Rights | ||
International Communication | ||
JOURN 621 | ||
Introduction to Luso-Afro-Brazilian Literature | ||
Musical Cultures of the World | ||
African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
African Politics | ||
Political Economy of Development | ||
Conflict Resolution | ||
Analysis of International Relations | ||
International Institutions and World Order | ||
Principles of International Law | ||
Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | ||
African International Relations | ||
Lusophone African Literature | ||
Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean |
- 1
No more than two courses from any one SUBJECT may count toward the certificate. A cross-listed course may count in either—but not both—SUBJECTs in which it is cross-listed.
Residence & Quality of Work
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses
- At least 8 certificate credits must be completed in residence
Certificate COMPLETION REQUIREMENT
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
- (Historical Grounding) understanding the historical, political, and cultural forces and conditions that have given rise to the unity and diversity in the region today.
- (Multi-disciplinarity) analyzing contemporary political, economic, and cultural realities in the region from at least two disciplinary perspectives, ideally including humanities, social sciences and sometimes natural science approaches.
- (Depth of knowledge) mastering at the undergraduate generalist level a particular facet of life in the region by taking courses on a particular sub-region or country, or by studying a regional language, or by taking at least two courses on the region in one discipline.
We require that students visit with the advisor at least once per semester. Advising for the certificate is run by the African Studies Program advisor, Aleia Ingulli McCord, advising@africa.wisc.edu, who can assist you in developing your plan of study for the certificate, track progress toward the certificate, explore study abroad and international internship options, and begin the career exploration process. We offer walk-in advising, advising workshops, and scheduled appointments.
We strongly encourage students to enroll in Africa: An Introductory Survey (AFRICAN/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/GEOG/HISTORY/POLI SCI/SOC 277), to study an African language, and to study abroad on the continent.
L&S career resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
205 Ingraham Hall
1155 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
phone: (608) 262-2380
fax: (608) 265-5851
africa.wisc.edu/
advising@africa.wisc.edu
Luís Madureira, Faculty Director, lmadurei@wisc.edu
Aleia McCord, Associate Director, aleia.mccord@wisc.edu
Olayinka Olagbegi-Adegbite, Assistant Director, olagbegiolay@wisc.edu
Faculty members specializing on Africa are based in more than 40 departments throughout the university's schools and colleges: https://africa.wisc.edu/about-us-intro/academics-faculty-members/
African Studies Program Steering Committee: Jeremy Foltz (Ag & Applied Econ), Nancy Kendall (Education), Mary Hark (Design Studies), Janis Tupesis (Emergency Medicine), Vlad Dima (African Cultural Studies)
As a regional center within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, we support and enhance international and global awareness in our student communities and inspire informed thinking about the complexities of our world. We encourage our students to connect to international networks and our regional communities through our program’s lecture series, film screenings, and varied outreach events and activities. We encourage our students to study abroad, do international internships, learn foreign languages, and expect them to gain an interdisciplinary grounding in global and regional affairs. We provide resources and expertise on our world area to students, and prospective students, and more broadly to K–12 teachers and students, postsecondary educators and graduate students, businesses, the media, the military, the community at large, and anyone else who is interested.
Information about funding through the African Studies Program is available on our website. We also encourage our students to explore funding options available through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office.