African Studies PhD (Research)

Join Birmingham's internationally renowned Department of African Studies and Anthropology and develop your own independent research project on Africa or its diasporas.

You'll benefit from a rounded approach to your development as a researcher. You'll have opportunities to get involved in a range of research activities alongside your supervisory meetings, such as departmental research seminars and international workshops or conferences on cutting-edge research topics.

This experience will help you develop your skills, improving your research project and preparing you for a future career in or beyond the academy.

You’ll benefit from an interdisciplinary approach which lets you delve deeper into your chosen area of study.

Academics in the Department of African Studies and Anthropology can supervise historical and contemporary research drawing on archival, ethnographic and/or textual and media sources.

We have thematic expertise in topics including migration and diasporas, religion and society, economic inequality and insecurity, youth, the urban, popular culture, kinship, gender and sexuality.

Please consult our staff profile pages to identify a suitable lead supervisor before applying.

• Join a fantastic research environment where you can be involved in weekly seminars and regular conferences.

• Research with staff who have first-hand experience of the continent. Our academics have lived and taught in Africa and continue to carry out research there. The Department frequently attracts visiting researchers from Africa.

• Access unique resources held by the University, including the Church Missionary Society Archive and other Africa-related resources in our Cadbury Research Library, and the African Collection of Art and Artefacts held by Research and Cultural Collections.