African American and African Diaspora Studies

Program Category: PhD Programs
Chair: Mabel Wilson
Director of Graduate Studies: Brandi Summers
Website: afamstudies.columbia.edu
Degree Programs: Full-Time: MA, MPhil, PhD
GSAS PhD Dashboard

To view this program's application requirements, please click here.

Our doctoral program provides a comprehensive education in the interdisciplinary field of African American and African Diaspora Studies. The doctoral degree is geared toward graduate students who wish to study the intellectual traditions, histories, and the social and cultural studies of African descended people in the United States as well as those throughout the African diaspora in North and South America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. 

The program prepares students to become educators and intellectual leaders in the academy, in public service, and in institutional stewardship. Each student follows a carefully crafted sequence of core courses in African American and African Diaspora Studies and other allied disciplines that provides a rigorous foundation in Black intellectual traditions and theoretical frameworks. 

Special Admissions Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a statement of academic purpose, a writing sample, a personal statement, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

Any offer of admission is contingent upon having taken any applicable English Proficiency exam. Applicants should contact [email protected] if they have questions about this requirement.

All applicants whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit English proficiency exam scores. The English proficiency requirement can be fulfilled through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

*To be eligible for admission in GSAS, at least TWO letters must be submitted by academic recommenders. You may include up to four letters in your application, regardless of the number required by your program of interest.