Shayla Nunnally, Department of Political Science, Certificate Coordinator

The multi-disciplinary graduate certificate in Africana Studies is intended for currently admitted graduate students wishing to develop knowledge and skills necessary to teach survey and upper-division courses in topics related to Africa and the African Diaspora.

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Graduate Certificate Type

Add-On

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Prospective candidates for the certificate must apply directly online through the Office of Graduate Admissions and must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School.
• Candidates may take up to 6 credit hours of certificate classes before making formal application to the program.

Academic Standards

• Once admitted to the certificate, they must maintain a graduate GPA of at least 3.00

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 18 graduate credit hours is required

Required Courses

• Candidates must complete 18 graduate credit hours of coursework, selected in consultation with a program advisor, who must approve all courses for individual students prior to the courses being taken (with the exception of the 6 credit hours which may be accepted from candidates upon admission).
  • Courses must be taken for graduate credit and chosen from at least two different departments.
• Students may choose from the following courses:
  • ANTH 414 , ANTH 419 , ANTH 432 , ANTH 454 , ANTH 523  
  • ENGL 443 , ENGL 552 , ENGL 560  
  • FREN 573  
  • GEOG 541 , GEOG 641 , GEOG 663  
  • HIST 517 , HIST 543 , HIST 561 , HIST 563  
  • PORT 430 , PORT 432  
  • SOCI 452  
  • SPAN 484 , SPAN 586 , SPAN 587  
• Topics and independent study courses where appropriate, and courses in the Department of Child and Family Studies and in the Department of Public Health in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, may be applied to the Africana Studies certificate with the permission of the certificate coordinator.
• Six of the 18 graduate credit hours may count towards both the student’s major and the certificate. All 18 graduate credit hours must be completed within a five-year period.

Non-Course Requirements

To receive the certificate, students must:
1) complete the Graduate Certificate Course Verification Form (located on the Graduate School webpage under the Forms Central tab) and
2) through MyUTK, apply to graduate from the certificate program.