MA African Studies at Yale University

Programme overview

African Studies considers the arts, history, cultures, languages, literatures, politics, religions, and societies of Africa as well as issues concerning development, health, and the environment. Considerable flexibility and choice of areas of concentration are offered because students entering the program may have differing academic backgrounds and career plans. Enrollment in the MA program in African Studies provides students with the opportunity to register for the many African studies courses offered in the various departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools.

Faculty: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | Department: African Studies | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Haven, CT, United States

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Standardized tests: GRE is not accepted. A writing sample is required by this program. English language: TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English. You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have s Application deadline: January 2 (11:59pm ET).

USD 52,400 a year (2026-27). Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2026-2027 full-time tuition rate (applies to GSAS programmes). Excludes fees and living costs; PhD students typically receive funding, see the GSAS funding page. Source

PhD and Master's applicants at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences apply for fall 2027 entry; most offers of admission for fall 2027 have a reply deadline of April 15, 2027.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences deadlines (all 11:59 pm Eastern) for fall 2027: December 1, 2026 (e.g. BBS, Chemistry, Economics, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Public Health, Statistics); December 15, 2026 (e.g. American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Sociology); January 2, 2027 (e.g. African Studies, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Architecture, Computer Science MS, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Studies, Nursing, Philosophy). Combined programs follow the earlier deadline or December 15.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application fee for all degree-seeking applicants is US $105, non-refundable, payable by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express; fee waivers can be requested until January 2.

GRE General Test requirements vary by GSAS program (required, optional or not accepted) for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Apply through the official page: https://gsas.yale.edu/admissions/phdmasters-application-process

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