The African Studies Program supports research, teaching, and outreach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, bringing together scholars in multiple disciplines, students, teachers, and community partners to consider all aspects of land and life in Africa. The African Studies Program is a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center for Africa, a unit in The International Division, and a member of the campus consortium of internationally oriented programs known as the Institute for Regional and International Studies.
The program was established in 1961 by an interdisciplinary team of internationally respected scholars including Jan Vasina, Philip Curtin, Frederick Simoons, and Aristride Zolberg. The center continues to enjoy a reputation for excellence, having awarded more degrees to Africa specialists than any other American university. No other university boasts such a depth and range of expertise in Africanist scholarship. Over 70 affiliated faculty offer more than 100 courses in 35 departments around campus. The Department of African Cultural Studies offers students an opportunity to study a number of African languages including Arabic, Hausa, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba, and Zulu, as well as options for self-directed study of less-commonly taught languages.
Undergraduates from any department can benefit from access to our programs and top-ranked faculty by completing a certificate in African Studies. The certificate is highly interdisciplinary and welcomes students with all academic interests, including the humanities, social sciences, business, health, agriculture, or the environment. What unites certificate students is a shared interest in the people, places, and stories of the continent of Africa.
A certificate in African Studies indicates that a student has acquired an interdisciplinary knowledge about the African continent, its histories, its stories, and its people. African Studies alumni serve in a number of important leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. Former students have gone on to serve as ambassadors, presidential advisors, and leaders of investment firms and Washington think tanks. Many undergraduate certificate students launch their internationally oriented careers by joining the Peace Corps after graduation.
The African Studies Program, a regional center within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, supports and enhances international and global awareness for our students and inspires informed thinking about the complexities of our world. Students connect to international networks and our regional communities through lecture series, film screenings, outreach events, and activities. Students are encouraged to study abroad or do international internships, learn languages, and gain an interdisciplinary grounding in global and regional affairs. We also provide resources and expertise on our world area to other students and educators from kindergarten to graduate school, businesses, the media, the military, the community, and others.
How to Get in
Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the African Studies Program undergraduate advisor (advising@africa.wisc.edu).
Requirements
15 credits in African Studies approved courses
At least two SUBJECTs represented: 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICAN 100 | Introduction to African Cultural Expression | 3 |
| AFRICAN/HISTORY 106 | Introduction to African History | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN/HISTORY 129 | Africa on the Global Stage | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN 201 | Introduction to African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN 202 | Introductory Topics in African Cultural Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 203 | Introductory Topics in African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN 204 | Introductory Topics in African Languages | 3 |
| AFRICAN 206 | Introduction to African Linguistic Practices | 3 |
| AFRICAN/FOLKLORE 210 | The African Storyteller | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER 220 | HipHop, Youth Culture, and Politics in Senegal | 3 |
| AFRICAN 212 | Introduction to African Popular Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN 230 | Introduction to Yoruba Life and Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN 231 | Introduction to Arabic Literary Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER 233 | Global HipHop and Social Justice | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/GEOG/HISTORY/POLI SCI/SOC 277 | Africa: An Introductory Survey | 4 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER/HISTORY/POLI SCI 297 | African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | 4 |
| AFRICAN 300 | African Literature in Translation | 3 |
| AFRICAN 303 | African Literature and Visual Culture | 3 |
| AFRICAN 304 | Soccer in Africa | 3 |
| AFRICAN 321 | First Semester Arabic | 5 |
| AFRICAN 322 | Second Semester Arabic | 5 |
| AFRICAN 323 | Third Semester Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 324 | Fourth Semester Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 329 | Fifth Semester Arabic | 3 |
| AFRICAN 330 | Sixth Semester Arabic | 3 |
| AFRICAN 331 | First Semester Swahili | 5 |
| AFRICAN 332 | Second Semester Swahili | 5 |
| AFRICAN 333 | Third Semester Swahili | 4 |
| AFRICAN 334 | Fourth Semester Swahili | 4 |
| AFRICAN 335 | First Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | 5 |
| AFRICAN 336 | Second Semester-A Language of Southern Africa | 4-5 |
| AFRICAN 339 | First Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 340 | Second Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 341 | Third Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 342 | Fourth Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 343 | Fifth Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 344 | Sixth Semester Summer Arabic | 4 |
| AFRICAN 361 | First Semester Hausa | 5 |
| AFRICAN 362 | Second Semester Hausa | 4-5 |
| AFRICAN/ASIAN/RELIG ST 370 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN 371 | First Semester Yoruba | 5 |
| AFRICAN 372 | Second Semester Yoruba | 5 |
| AFRICAN 373 | Third Semester Yoruba | 4 |
| AFRICAN 374 | Fourth Semester Yoruba | 4 |
| AFRICAN 391 | First Semester-A Language of West Africa | 5 |
| AFRICAN 392 | Second Semester-A Language of West Africa | 4-5 |
| AFRICAN 393 | Third Semester-A Language of West Africa | 4 |
| AFRICAN 394 | Fourth Semester-A Language of West Africa | 4 |
| AFRICAN 402 | Theory of African Literature | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN 403 | Theories of African Cultural Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 405 | Topics in African Cultural Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 406 | Topics in African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN 407 | Topics in African Languages | 3 |
| AFRICAN/RELIG ST 408 | Everyday Religion in Africa | 3 |
| AFRICAN 409 | Topics in US and Global Black Music Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 412 | Contemporary African Fiction | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER 413 | Contemporary African and Caribbean Drama | 3-4 |
| AFRICAN/RELIG ST 414 | Islam in Africa and the Diaspora | 3 |
| AFRICAN 435 | Fifth Semester Swahili | 3 |
| AFRICAN 436 | Sixth Semester Swahili | 3 |
| AFRICAN/FRENCH 440 | African/Francophone Film | 3 |
| AFRICAN/COM ARTS/L I S 444 | Technology and Development in Africa and Beyond | 3 |
| AFRICAN/PORTUG 451 | Lusophone African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN/JEWISH/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST 462 | Muslims and Jews | 3 |
| AFRICAN 605 | Advanced Topics in African Cultural Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 606 | Advanced Topics in African Literature | 3 |
| AFRICAN 670 | Theories and Methods of Learning a Less Commonly Taught Language | 2 |
| AFRICAN 671 | Multilanguage Seminar | 4 |
| AFRICAN 672 | Intensive Summer Multilanguage Seminar | 8 |
| AFRICAN 698 | Directed Study | 1-6 |
| AFRICAN 699 | Directed Study | 1-6 |
| AFROAMER/ART HIST 241 | Introduction to African Art and Architecture | 3 |
| AFROAMER/ART HIST 242 | Introduction to Afro-American Art | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 367 | Art and Visual Culture: Women of the African Diaspora and Africa | 3 |
| AFROAMER 675 | Selected Topics in African American Culture | 3 |
| A A E/INTL ST 374 | The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| ANTHRO 120 | Freshman/Sophomore Seminar in Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 333 | Prehistory of Africa | 3 |
| ANTHRO 345 | Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective | 3 |
| ANTHRO 348 | Economic Anthropology | 3-4 |
| ANTHRO 391 | Bones for the Archaeologist | 3 |
| CLASSICS 315 | Africana Approaches to Biblical Interpretation | 3 |
| DANCE 118 | African Dance | 1 |
| DANCE 165 | Introduction to the Histories of Dance | 3 |
| DANCE/AFROAMER/MUSIC 318 | Cultural Cross Currents: West African Dance/Music in the Americas | 3 |
| ED POL 150 | Education and Public Policy | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies | 4 |
| FRENCH/GEN&WS 285 | Rebellious Women from the Global South | 3-4 |
| FRENCH 461 | French/Francophone Literary Studies Across the Centuries | 3 |
| FRENCH 462 | French/Francophone Cultural Studies Across the Centuries | 3 |
| GEOG 355 | Africa, South of the Sahara | 3 |
| GEOG/C&E SOC/ENVIR ST 434 | People, Wildlife and Landscapes | 3 |
| GEOG 538 | The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development | 4 |
| HISTORY/AFRICAN 106 | Introduction to African History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 225 | Explorations in Third World History (H) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 179 | Afro-Atlantic Histories and Peoples, 1791-Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 278 | Africans in the Americas, 1492-1808 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 347 | The Caribbean and its Diasporas | 3 |
| INTL ST/ED POL 335 | Globalization and Education | 3 |
| INTL ST/GEN&WS 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| JOURN 620 | International Communication | 4 |
| LITTRANS 226 | Introduction to Luso-Afro-Brazilian Literature | 3 |
| POLI SCI 329 | African Politics | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 330 | Political Economy of Development | 3 |
| POLI SCI 345 | Conflict Resolution | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 348 | Analysis of International Relations | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 354 | International Institutions and World Order | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 356 | Principles of International Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 437 | Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | 3-4 |
| RELIG ST/CLASSICS/HISTORY 517 | Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean | 3 |
- 1
No more than two courses from any one SUBJECT may count toward the certificate. A cross-listed course may count in either—but not both—SUBJECTs in which it is cross-listed.
Residence and Quality of Work
- Minimum 2.000 GPA on all certificate courses
- At least 8 certificate credits must be completed in residence
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- (Historical Grounding) understanding the historical, political, and cultural forces and conditions that have given rise to the unity and diversity in the region today.
- (Multi-disciplinarity) analyzing contemporary political, economic, and cultural realities in the region from at least two disciplinary perspectives, ideally including humanities, social sciences and sometimes natural science approaches.
- (Depth of knowledge) mastering at the undergraduate generalist level a particular facet of life in the region by taking courses on a particular sub-region or country, or by studying a regional language, or by taking at least two courses on the region in one discipline.
Advising and Careers
Students earning the certificate should visit with the advisor at least once per semester. The African Studies Program advisor can assist you in developing your plan of study for the certificate, track progress toward the certificate, explore study abroad and international internship options, and begin the career exploration process. We offer walk-in advising, advising workshops, and scheduled appointments.
We strongly encourage students to enroll in Africa: An Introductory Survey (AFRICAN/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/GEOG/HISTORY/POLI SCI/SOC 277), to study an African language, and to study abroad in Africa.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students
Resources and Scholarships
Information about funding through the African Studies Program is available on our website. We also encourage our students to explore funding options available through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office.