BA African Studies
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,314 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for non-EEA, non-Swiss, & non-Surinam applicants: €12,500
Introduction
Africa is fascinating! In today’s globalised world, the continent plays an increasingly important role in international social and cultural developments. Would you like to explore the many sides of Africa and its impact on the rest of the world, while also learning one of its languages? Our African Studies BA programme will give you a truly multidisciplinary perspective on the continent.
Why African Studies?
Africa is home to around 1.5 billion inhabitants in 54 countries, with a wide range of cultures and languages. As a continent, it is a key player in issues such as climate change and the global economy, while its art and literature gain increasingly international appreciation. In the African Studies bachelor’s programme, you will acquire in-depth knowledge about Africa, from an internal perspective and with a critical eye for the external, often euro-centric approaches of ‘Africa’.
African history from zero to the very recent past takes a central place within the curriculum. This will allow you to gain an understanding of issues such as the role of gender within African society, social inequality and slavery in the past and the present, and the relation between the African diaspora and the Black Lives Matter movement. In our programme, you will have the choice to study Africa as a continent, its regions or individual countries. In the second year of the programme, you can tailor the programme according to your interests by focusing on one or several of our themes: Sociolinguistics, Literature & Art or History & Anthropology.
Learning African languages
Language plays an important role in the programme, as studying Africa through a linguistic lens will give you an insight into past and present social developments, such as migration movements. Apart from studying sociolinguistics, you will learn either Swahili or Berber. Swahili is one of the main languages of East Africa, spoken by millions of people. Berber, spoken in Northern Africa, is a minority language that is linked with many African diaspora communities across the world. Knowledge of Berber will be particularly helpful when studying the diaspora, its international impact and its relation with African home countries.
Leiden University is known for the many languages that are studied here. For students interested in learning extra African languages in addition to Swahili or Berber, there is ample opportunity to do so. Learning a second African language, however, will be done outside of the BA in African Studies.
Why African Studies at Leiden University?
- Leiden is the only place in Europe where you can follow an English-taught BA programme on African Studies.
- In this programme, you will learn Berber or Swahili. As part of the language acquisition courses, in your second year, you will stay an entire semester in an African country of your choice.
- The programme’s themes, Sociolinguistics, Literature and art, and History and anthropology allow you to study Africa in-depth.
- You will gain not only expert knowledge about Africa but will also develop valuable skills, including digital academic skills and professional skills.
- You will be able to tailor the programme according to your interests, focusing on your disciplinary choice, a particular theme, Africa as a continent or a particular region or country.
- We have a close connection with the renowned African Studies Centre, which has the largest collection of Africa-related topics in Europe.
Ideal Students
Is African Studies the program for you?
- Are you interested in the African continent, its languages, and its people?
- Are you keen to learn about the African perspective on developments in and outside the continent in the past as well as in the present?
- Do you want to explore the role of ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic background in developments within African societies?
- Are you interested in the African diaspora all over the world?
- Do you have the ambition and enthusiasm to complete a challenging program?
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Leiden University has a number of scholarship programs for international students. There is also a range of scholarships offered by Dutch governmental and EU organizations.
Curriculum
Overview
First-year
In the programme’s broad introductory year, you will familiarise yourself with our main themes, while you will also be introduced to the language of your choice: Swahili or Berber. In this year, language acquisition will take up about a third of the programme.
Second year
From the second year onwards, you can follow your interests by choosing one of our specialisations. Within the specialisations of Sociolinguistics, Literature and art or History and anthropology, you have the option to choose thematic courses on subjects such as World Art Studies, Environmental Imperialism and Sociolinguistics. This year is important in terms of your personal African experience: you will spend a semester in an African country, to increase your language skills, while also doing an internship or studying at an African university. In addition, there will be the opportunity to develop and carry out your research project during this period.
Third year
Half of your third year consists of elective space: you can follow a minor in another faculty, do an internship or study abroad. You can also create a package of electives from other programmes that match your academic and career interests. In the second semester of your third year, you will conclude your bachelor’s with your final thesis. This will give you the chance to apply what you have learned: finding specific information, critically analysing that information and reporting on it clearly, both orally and in writing.
In the African Studies BA programme, you will obtain in-depth knowledge about Africa and the specific theme of your choice. At the same time, you will develop valuable academic and digital competencies, as well as personal skills.
Some of the courses in your first year
Swahili or Berber
You can choose to study either of these two languages. During the first year, you will learn to have a conversation and to read simple texts in the language of your choice.
Introduction to African languages and (socio)linguistics
You will be introduced to the world of African languages, which is key to understanding African societies. Language is more than just words, it is also about ways of communicating. This particular linguistic aspect you will study, among others, by exploring how language plays a major role in rituals and cultural festivities. Additionally, the oral nature of African cultures will be one of the central issues in this course.
Introduction to African History (Africa from Zero to Now)
This course will give you an overview of the history of African politics, economics, society, religion and culture from zero until the present day. Some of the topics to be discussed include slavery, colonialism and social inequality. You will discover how rich Africa was in the Middle Ages, and how Africa has always been connected to the rest of the world.
Introduction to African Literature & Arts
African literature, cinema, photography, and arts in general are on the rise. African artists win international grants and are much-appreciated guests at major festivals. In this course, we will discuss how these art forms are related to oral cultures. Oral literature is an important genre in the study of African literature, which you will explore within the context of popular and youth culture
African Developments
In this course, you will learn about the fascinating new developments in Africa, for instance how social media are changing economy and politics, what the resource wars of the 21st century are, or how the feminist movements are becoming increasingly influential. These new developments are studied from historical and socio-cultural perspectives.
Research in present-day Africa and Activating the Past: Heritage, Sources & Public History of Africa
In these courses, you will focus on a wide selection of research methods used to understand African society in the present and the past.
African Diaspora: Historical Trajectories & Current Reconnection
Africa cannot be fully understood without also studying the African diaspora. In this course, you will discover how the diaspora influences African affairs, politics and social development. Additionally, attention will also be given to the role of traditional and new media in such linkages.
Detailed programme
See below for an overview of the curriculum. For a detailed description of the courses, check the Prospectus. Please note that this Prospectus applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
What is your preferred career path? Would you like to teach? Do you enjoy doing research? Would you like to work in policy development, or are you interested in a job that involves writing and editing? You will find that your African Studies degree is a good preparation for the career of your choice.
These skills will help you
As an African Studies graduate you will have developed not only strong academic skills, but also resourcefulness, the ability to set priorities, to work independently, to process complex information and to be self-motivated. These skills will greatly enhance your appeal for future employers. If you also have gained relevant work experience during your studies, this will help you find the job of your dreams even faster.
In 2020 our Career Services conducted a survey amongst Humanities alumni who graduated during the period 2016-2019. This survey shows that 76% found a job within two months after graduating and that 86% of them found a job corresponding with their level of education.
What will your professional field be?
Your degree in African Studies makes you an interesting candidate for a variety of employers. For example, you could work in research, education, or communication and marketing.
Our graduates have found jobs in various sectors, including:
- Journalism
- Publishing
- NGO sector
- Public sector
- Refugee-migrant organisation