Overview

Why study African Studies at Leiden University?

This multidisciplinary African Studies programme at Leiden University offers you the opportunity to learn about Africa from a wide range of perspectives: historical, literary, cultural, socio-economical and political.

At Leiden, relevance and real-world issues are at the fore, which means that you get to critically analyse current events as they unfold and from a broad, comparative and global perspective. Multi-modal research methods and mixed methods will also be introduced to you. You also get to study the subject areas that interest you most, by choosing electives, project topics, and the focal area of your thesis.

Benefit from an international network

Within Leiden University (e.g. History Department, Linguistics) and the African Studies Centre (ASC), the MA in African Studies has a genuine area studies profile. During your studies you will gain access to the African Studies Centre’s extensive international network and high-profile events that will connect you to the leading researchers in the field.

Career prospects

Create a world of opportunities with a master's degree from Leiden University.

The Master’s programme in African Studies offers outstanding preparation for high-level positions in the international job market. Your degree prepares you for roles in cultural organisations, education, policy-making, tourism, development, publishing, public relations, and journalism.

Some of the positions of our alumni include:

Policy officer for agriculture and trade at an embassy in Ghana
Teacher of African languages
Journalist
Curator at a cultural institution
Manager of a translation and/or interpreting agency
Project Manager at an NGO in Africa
PhD candidate at the Centre of African Studies in Edinburgh
Team leader at a human rights organisation
Digital marketing manager at a translation agency

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The first semester is devoted to group teaching and serves to both broaden and deepen your knowledge of Africa as well as to prepare you for the MA-thesis.

At the beginning of the second semester you will go to Africa for a field assignment. The field assignment includes a period of internship linked to the research topic of your MA thesis. From April onwards, when you have returned from your field trip, you will start writing your MA thesis which is based on your own original research.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-04-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2025-05-15 00:00:00 , EEA/EU

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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TOEFL^® IBT

90

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Credits

60 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Area & Cultural Studies Digital Marketing Linguistics View 82 other Masters in Area & Cultural Studies in Netherlands

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

Free IELTS Mock Tests!

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Schedule TOEFL®

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Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Leiden University and/or in Netherlands, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

A bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in African Languages and Cultures;

A bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in the relevant programme International Studies with the area specialisation Africa;

Completed the pre-master's / bridging programme. Please contact the Coordinator of Studies for more information about the pre-master’s/bridging programme.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

19300 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 19300 EUR per year during 12 months.
EU/EEA

2314 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 2314 EUR per year during 12 months.

Second Dutch master’s programme: €15,400 per year

Living costs for Leiden

850 - 1250 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for African Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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