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African Studies at University of Birmingham - UCAS

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

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.


Entry requirements

For MRes and MA by Research programmes, we usually require a good (normally a 2:1 or above) Honours degree, or an equivalent qualification if you were educated outside the UK, usually in a relevant area. If you’re applying for a PhD , you’ll also need to hold a Masters qualification at Merit level or above (or its international equivalent), usually in a relevant area. Any academic and professional qualifications or relevant professional experience are normally taken into account, and in some cases, form an integral part of the entrance requirements. If you’re applying for distance learning research programmes, you’ll also need to show that you have the time, commitment, facilities and experience to study by distance learning. You'll normally need to submit a research proposal. The word count is typically 1,000-1,500 words for Arts programmes and around 2,500 words for Law programmes. See the Application Process section for more information.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

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

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
African Studies at University of Birmingham - UCAS