African Studies (Taught)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course including information about course components or research areas, please visit the course page on the University of Oxford website.

The MSc in African Studies provides a foundation for those who wish to expand their knowledge of African studies. It can be taken as a stand-alone introduction to current debates about Africa, or as preparation for doctoral research.

Course structure
An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.

There are five components to the MSc in African Studies:

• Core Paper One: Researching Africa: Strategies, Methods and Ethics

• Core Paper Two: Understanding Modern Africa

• Two Option Papers

• Dissertation

The teaching on the MSc in African Studies is built around the two core papers listed above.

You will also take two option papers, each covering a particular theme/discipline.

Finally, you will write a dissertation on a research topic of your choosing.

Students dedicate six hours per week to classes and lectures and they will typically meet their thesis supervisor once every fortnight.

The department runs a weekly seminar series in Michaelmas term and Hilary term which provides an opportunity for networking with other Africanists.

For the full description, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas