Course summary
This unique interdisciplinary MA offers you the opportunity to study Black Humanities through critical engagement with the global histories, philosophies, languages, literature and arts of people of African descent. Based on cutting-edge research from across the humanities, you will study the histories and intellectual frameworks that underpin contemporary debates about race. Through your reading and seminar discussions, you will be encouraged to address urgent questions concerning the parameters of knowledge and knowledge production, the legacies of systemic racism and campaigns for social justice. These will be discussed through consideration of historical and contemporary contexts in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas, and Europe. Over the course of the programme, you will learn about Black experiences in Britain, and specifically in Bristol, a city deeply entangled with the transatlantic plantation economy and its legacies. The University of Bristol is home to the Centre for Black Humanities, an international hub for research on Black life that directly informs our teaching. Our members are engaged in pioneering research on topics including UK hip-hop, Black British art, the histories and memories of Enslavement, African literary activism and film, Caribbean literature, and the Lusophone Atlantic. We place critical importance on being part of an international and multilingual community. This is reflected in the Centre’s annual programme of external speakers and seminars, offering you the opportunity to engage with world-renowned scholars as well as Bristol's cutting-edge cultural scene.
Assessment method
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/media/postgraduate/admissions-statements/2025/ma-black-humanities.pdf
How to apply
International applicants
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students and accepts a wide range of qualifications for postgraduate study. If you study or have studied at a university outside the UK, please select the relevant page for further information on qualifications, scholarships and education representatives in your country/region: bristol.ac.uk/international/countries
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any discipline. If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date. We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing details of your relevant qualifications: Acceptable sectors: - Journalism - Teaching - Curating - Museums/Cultural Sector - Social Work - Community work/Organisation - Activism - Campaigning - Arts Administration - A relevant postgraduate qualification See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Channel Islands | £7000 | Year 1 |
| England | £7000 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £7000 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £7000 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £7000 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/finances/
Provider information
University of Bristol
Beacon House
Queen’s Road
Bristol
BS8 1QU