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Graduate Program | Admission & Program RequirementsThe admission standards and selection procedures are identical to thosefollowed by the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for all of its M.A. Programs (with the exception of the Liberal Studies Program). Applicants must provide a 10-15 page writing sample, three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with their academic work and history, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The deadline for the submission of fully completed applications for each fall semester's M.A. class is March 1, although students with outstanding academic records may be considered and admitted after that date. The deadline for the submission of fully completed applications for each spring semester's M.A. class is October 15, although students with outstanding academic records may be considered and admitted after that date. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences prefers on-line applications. You can apply online at www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/pages/pstudents/admissions/apply/index.html. If you wish to use the paper application you should download it from the Graduate School webpage at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/gsas-application/application.html. For any additional questions on the Graduate School webpage please call 212.854.4737. Most of our graduate students complete all of their requirements for the M.A. degree in African-American Studies in either three or four semesters (30 points and two full residence units). It is also possible to complete the M.A. degree in only two semesters, just nine months, by taking 15 points each semester. Some students who are employed full-time or part-time may find it more convenient to take a reduced course load, gradually completing their requirements over a period of two to three years. To successfully complete the Master of Arts Degree in African-American Studies at Columbia University, students must (1) take a minimum of 30 points of graduate course credit, which includes an M.A. thesis; (2) pay for two full residence units; and (3) maintain at minimum a B (3.00) grade point average. The specific course work requirements for the M.A. Degree are as follows: First, all students must take two courses that provide both a theoretical overview to the basic concepts in the study of race, and a detailed survey of some of the major texts examining the black experience. For academic year 2004-2005 students are required to take two (2) of these three courses:
Second, as an interdisciplinary field of scholarship, African-American Studies includes research in the social sciences and humanities, examining topics and issues drawn from Africa, the Caribbean and the United States. M.A. students must therefore establish their expertise in the field by fulfilling the governed electives requirement. All students, regardless of their areas of concentration, must take at least one graduate level course in each of the following disciplines or areas: (1) history; (2) humanities (e.g., English and Comparative Literature, Art History); and (3) social and behavior sciences (e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Political Science and Sociology). At least one of these courses must focus primarily on Africa, the Caribbean or the African diaspora outside of the United States. Third, all students must complete an “area of concentration,” a minimum of three additional courses beyond the governed electives requirement. The area of concentration may focus on: (1) a single discipline (such as History, Anthropology, or Sociology); (2) an interdisciplinary sub-field (such as Women and Gender Studies); (3) area studies (such as Africa or the Caribbean region); or (4) a set of related courses that lead to a professional or research career (such as archival and rare manuscript management, or oral history). Fourth, all students must complete an M.A. thesis, African-American Studies G6999, under the supervision of the student’s concentration adviser and the Chair of Graduate Studies. |
