African Studies Certificate – CTAFRG

African Studies, Center for International Studies
Yamada International House
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701
740.593.1832
african.studies@ohio.edu

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Enrollment Eligibility: Current degree-seeking student or non-degree status

Certificate Overview

The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in African Studies is to permit students in any graduate major at Ohio University to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the African Studies Program and its many niche courses in specialized fields across the university. Fields such as international development, international health, and the arts offer both breadth and depth of study in Africa-related courses. As students often pair their disciplinary work with a regional interest, this certificate will provide them with the formal credential in African Studies as part of their programs. The 45-member African Studies faculty across the university is committed to the crossdisciplinary study of Africa, so the faculty is prepared to assist students with making curricular connections

Certificate Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to synthesize core area concepts and theories and acquire the skills to apply and evaluate these concepts to global opportunities and challenges.
2. Students will be able to develop effective written and oral communication skills, characterized by the ability to write and present in the styles and forms that are acceptable in the professional world and/or for research in international studies.

Opportunities upon Completion

Many of the students pursuing graduate level study related to Africa come to the university with prior Africa experience in work or travel. The Graduate Certificate in African Studies helps to pull together and focus those interests and give them intellectual and professional polish. Graduate study is so often about making the student more articulate and better informed about his or her area of interest; if Africa is the area of interest, improving one’s communication skills about it will be important to prospective employers in government, business or finance, aid work, teaching and related fields. In some cases the Certificate may also direct the student to Africa for dissertation or other research projects. 

Further Information

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/cis/african/certificate/african-studies

Admission Requirements

Non-degree seeking students interested in completing the Graduate Certificate in African Studies must apply through the graduate college website and will be accepted if they meet the following criteria:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited college or university;
• Ability to manage graduate studies, as evidenced by a written statement of purpose, a CV indicating the applicant’s education and work experience; and three letters of recommendation;
• Satisfactory completion of undergraduate or graduate courses with a minimum 2.0 (C) grade point average as reflected on official transcripts.

International Students

This certificate program alone does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this certificate. However, this certificate can be completed during any Ohio University graduate program, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to that degree program.

Completion Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours to graduate, 12 credit hours of core courses and two semesters on an African language.