Africology and African American Studies [Graduate Certificate]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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Bring a specialty to your degree with a Graduate Certificate in Africology and African American Studies. Gain unique insight into American cultural diversity from a scholarly perspective of the life and culture of a people who have faced historical and institutionalized barriers and contributed much to society.

Studies in this field delve into history, politics, culture, and economics and create an environment for the student to develop a unique knowledge of and sensitivity to issues related to race and cultural diversity.

This program is designed to prepare and equip students with:

Advanced research skills
Diversity-related knowledge
The ability to develop social policies and cultural competencies applicable to their careers
Knowledge of epistemological issues in Africology and African American Studies

Career Opportunities

Many professionals with advanced degrees in various educational arenas may find this program gives them an edge over the competition. This certificate complements careers in a wide variety of fields, including, but not limited to, education, social work, healthcare, and political science. Those with careers in public policy and administration, economic and political welfare, public relations, community outreach, social services, human resources, and cultural diversity may find this certificate particularly helpful.

Course Sequence

Courses can be completed on EMU’s main campus in Ypsilanti or online. All classes are designed for working professionals and are offered on weekday evenings or online.

Program Admission

Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Summer, Fall, or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

A statement of goals demonstrating how the graduate certificate program will help the student’s professional goals and intellectual enrichment; and
A minimum of two letters of recommendation.

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and select the appropriate application.

- Go to 2023-2024 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Winter 2025.

- Go to 2024-2025 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Winter 2026.

Domestic Applicants Domestic applicants are required to submit only the transcript from the institution granting their bachelor’s degree if either of the following criteria is met: 1) Lists 30 or more credit hours with an overall GPA of 3.0 or over OR 2) Lists 60 or more credit hours with an overall GPA between 2.7 and 2.99. Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript. The University may ask applicants to submit additional transcripts after applying.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Department Information

Africology & African American Studies, 620 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.3460

Victor Okafor, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

Victor Okafor, PhD, 620 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.3460

Degree Requirements: 15 hours

The certificate in African American Studies requires the completion of 15 hours of course work to be distributed among required courses as follows:

Required Courses: 6 hours
AFC 501 Foundational Issues in Africology and African American Studies 3 hrs
AFC 602 Researching Black Communities 3 hrs
Restricted Electives: 9 hours

Choose nine hours from the list below, or any graduate-level course with department approval.
AFC 503 Public Policy and African Americans 3 hrs
AFC 504 Politics in the African American Experience 3 hrs
AFC 506 Advanced Studies in African Civilization 3 hrs
AFC 507 The African Political Economy 3 hrs
AFC 540 Contemporary African Womanhood 3 hrs
AFC 541 Law, Race and Community 3 hrs
AFC 542 Race and Crime and the African American Experience 3 hrs
AFC 543 Civil Rights and the African American Experience 3 hrs
AFC 544 African Caribbean Worldviews 3 hrs
AFC 592 Special Topics 3 hrs

Critical Graduation Information

Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Graduate Certificate requirements must be completed within three (3) years of first enrollment in a course applicable to the certificate. Dually enrolled students (certificate and master’s program) must complete both degrees within six years of first enrollment in the master’s degree.

In the event a student does not complete the graduate certificate degree requirements within three years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are the minimum requirements for all graduate certificate degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

A graduate certificate must require a minimum of 12 credit hours.
No more than six credits of independent study courses and 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.
Residency Requirement - For students admitted to a graduate certificate program, at least nine graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the program must be earned at EMU. Students completing multiple certificate programs must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours per certificate.
Application of completed certificates toward prior degree credit - Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours of the master’s program.
The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.