African Studies, M.A.

The Master of Arts in African Studies is offered in collaboration with the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies (MIAS) located in Nairobi, Kenya. The collaboration is referenced as the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies of Saint Mary’s University (MIASMU). The program is offered only in Nairobi, Kenya. The degree is a thirty-credit academic program rooted in systematic field research – an hour of field research, facilitated by a tutorial assistant, is required for every hour of lecture – and it is focused on African cultural knowledge and domains. The student takes six courses worth twenty-four credits and writes a publishable quality field-researched/integrated thesis of a minimum of 150 pages worth six credits.

The students become Africanists, that is, people able to teach from an African perspective, and do field research on a regular basis in order to keep up to date with the current trends in African cultures and religion. The students must show above-average competence in their field research exams, field research reports, classroom participation, and the quality of their field researched/integrated course papers. Students must maintain a “AB” average in course work in order to be accepted into the Master of Arts (MA) degree program.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Masters of Arts in African Studies program, graduates are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Understand and address contemporary African issues as an Africanist with an adult perspective of African cultural knowledge.
2. Apply an adult, insider’s perspective and understanding of the African issues addressed in each course.
3. Understand, appreciate, and articulate their own cultural knowledge of origin, and remain open to participating in the cultural values, attitudes, and activities of other cultures without imposing their own values.
4. Teach, celebrate, and critique their cultures of origin from an adult, professional perspective.