African Studies Scholarships
Interdisciplinary Major Leads to Array of Career Opportunities
African Studies is a wide-ranging area of study at the post-secondary level. It can include courses in linguistics, politics, history, economics, and anthropology. Africa encompasses dozens of underdeveloped and developing countries with a shared history that of course spans interdisciplinary studies, including such issues as slave trade, colonialism, human rights, healthcare, democratization, sustainable development, and civil war and genocide, among a slew of others. Professionals with a degree in African Studies are well prepared to pursue careers in an array of fields, such as social work, teaching, law, and international relations. African Studies majors often continue onto graduate studies.
Scholarship Programs
University of Rochester, The Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American StudiesThe Institute offers both pre- and post-doctoral fellowships to students majoring in African Studies. The pre-doctoral fellowship is available to a student from any U.S. university. The Fellow will receive a stipend of $23,000; he or she will be expected to assist the Institute’s director in scheduling lectures and events. Individuals who have finished the requirements for a Ph.D. in African Studies are eligible to apply for the post-doctoral fellowship. A stipend of $35,000 is paid to the recipient to allow him or her to complete a research project in one academic year. The post-doctoral Fellow will also teach one course per semester during the Fellowship year.
Woodson Institute for African-American and American Studies Pre-doctoral Residential Research and Teaching Fellowship, University of VirginiaIndividuals who have completed the requirements for a Ph.D.,with the exception of the dissertation, prior to August 1, 2007 will be considered for the Woodson Institute Fellowship. This opportunity is open to candidates from any country. Under the terms of the Fellowship, a stipend of $20,000 per year will be paid for two years starting August 15, 2007. The cost of health insurance will also be covered. Fellows will be in residence at the University of Virginia during the award period.
University of Florida, Center for African StudiesUF offers a few financial assistance opportunities in the area of African Studies. One program is the U.S. Department of Education funded Title VI Foreign Language and Areas Studies (FLAS) Fellowship. The FLAS Fellowship is available to graduate students who have chosen a concentration in African Studies. Candidates are required to take courses in African language study. Interested persons are required to have enrolled in the department of their choice before applying for the FLAS Fellowship. One award in the amount of $14,000 will be made. In addition, funding to cover the full cost of tuition and fees for up to three years will be provided.
A Summer Foreign Language Intensive Study Fellowship is offered to graduate students interested in taking an intensive language course at any of the USDOE Title VI approved institutions. The amount of the Fellowship is $2,400 plus the cost of tuition. In some cases, travel awards are also offered.
UF graduate students who wish to conduct field research in Africa may be interested in applying for the David L. Niddrie Memorial Scholarship. $500 will be awarded to the student who submits the best research proposal.
