Academic goals of the program
The central objective of the Department of African & African-American Studies (AAAS) in this certificate program is to formally recognize the expertise students in a range of disciplines already obtain in African-American Studies in a manner that enhances students' career opportunities. The Graduate Certificate in African-American Studies enables graduate students to formally claim expertise in an area of the field of African-American Studies through completion of 12 hours of graduate coursework.
Admission to Graduate Studies
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Admissions criteria
Eligibility criteria for admission to the certificate program follow Graduate Studies' admission policy. To be considered for admission, an applicant must hold a bachelor's degree.
Application requirements differ for current KU students versus non-KU students. Please visit the Department's website for a full list of the required application materials. Non-native speakers of English must meet Graduate Studies' English proficiency requirements.
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
AAAS 801 | Introduction to Africana Studies: African-American | 3 |
| 9 |
In close consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student designs a coherent sequence of three elective courses. All courses must be at the 500-level or above. At least one of the elective courses (three credit hours) must be taken at the 700-level or above. Only courses with an African-American focus may count toward the required hours. No more than three hours of directed readings or independent study may be counted. A list of graduate-level courses with an African-American focus, offered in AAAS and in other departments, can be found on the AAAS website.
Students are encouraged to review Graduate Studies' policies related to graduate certificate programs for information about other requirements that may apply.