MPhil in African Studies Overview

The Dass Hills, Bauchi State, northern Nigeria, image©Adam Higazi

Established in 2010, our interdisciplinary MPhil programme is the cornerstone of the Centre’s mission. This intensive, nine-month program (October to June) welcomes a select cohort of 10–12 students each year, anchored by the collaboratively taught core course and culminating in a dissertation based upon original research.

Foundations and Critical Inquiry

The curriculum is anchored by a collaboratively taught core course that initiates a critical examination of the field itself. We treat "African Studies" not as a settled discipline, but as a site of active, global debate. Our scholars engage with contemporary discourses originating from across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia to interrogate:

  • The Decolonisation of Knowledge: Addressing the challenges and imperatives for restructuring how knowledge about Africa is produced and disseminated.

  • Global Social Justice: Examining the field’s intersection with anti-racism movements and social justice struggles within the universities globally. 

Programme Structure and Professional Training

The MPhil provides a broad, but intensive, introduction to key debates in African history and politics, as well as in the humanities and social sciences, equipping students with the methodological tools required for high-level scholarship:

  • Advanced Research Methods: Guidance on the critical use of printed, manuscript, and archival sources.

  • Language Proficiency: Integrated language training to support regional specialization.

  • Supervised Dissertation: Students conduct original research under the close supervision of subject-matter experts, culminating in a thesis that contributes to current scholarly dialogues.

Career Trajectories

The programme serves as an ideal bridge for those pursuing diverse professional and academic paths:

  • Doctoral Preparation: Providing the theoretical and methodological rigor necessary for PhD candidates in various disciplines.

  • Professional Advancement: Offering a robust standalone credential for individuals entering a variety of fields including international development, policy, diplomacy, and the private sector.