Overview

Course Details

The two year’s African Studies (research) MA programme at Leiden University bridges the often artificially drawn boundaries between the humanities, such as history and literary studies, and the social sciences, such as anthropology, political science and economics.

As a result you have the opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge about different aspects of the African continent and its peoples, at the same time you are not bound by boundary constraints of any of the more traditional disciplines focusing on Africa. Small classes ensure that you have plenty of direct contact with your lecturers and a high level of guidance and support throughout your studies.

This programme combines disciplines from the humanities, such as history and literary studies, with disciplines from social sciences, in particular:

political science
anthropology
economics

Within the Research MA you will focus on developing your research skills, and you will have an entire year (of which six months consists of fieldwork) to execute your own research project which offers you outstanding opportunities to get insights into working and conducting research in Africa and to enhance your job prospects.

You will take in-depth courses that will guide you through social theory, methodology development, and proposal writing; you will write a scientific publication, and practice your debating and presentation skills. This will enable you, upon graduation, to initiate independent PhD or policy research, advise and participate in policy development and implementation, or offer training to businesses wanting to do trade in Africa.

Career Opportunities

Our graduates end up working in a diverse range of positions, examples include:

PhD candidate at a university in the UK

Policy researcher in Lagos

Policy officer for agriculture and trade at an embassy in Ghana

Teacher of African languages

Journalist

Curator at a cultural institution

Project Manager at an NGO in Senegal

Team leader at a human rights organisation

Editorial manager

You will also have access to the excellent facilities of Leiden University, and in particular those of the Africa Studies Centre (ASC) and its research library. The network of the ASC, regular seminars, conferences and projects on Africa will provide international orientation and embedding for your MA research.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The Theoretical Foundations and Interdisciplinary Nature of African Studies, History and Politics in Africa, and Reflexivity and Methodologies in Africanist Research
Theoretical and Experimental Exploration
Africa in Cross-Regional Perspective
Writing Research Proposal
Methodological Specialization

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-04-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2025-05-15 00:00:00 , EEA/EU
Starting 2026-02-03 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-10-15 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2025-11-15 00:00:00 , EEA/EU

Language

English

IELTS

7

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TOEFL^® IBT

100

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Credits

120 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Area & Cultural Studies Educational Research Modern History View 8 other Masters in Educational Research 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

7

Free IELTS Mock Tests!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

Pass IELTS with Swoosh English! Sign up for a free writing masterclass or claim your exclusive 25% Studyportals discount and accelerate your preparation by taking a course designed by experts to get you the results you need.

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 research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree in the field of African Languages and Cultures, Linguistics, History, Cultural Anthropology, Literature, Sociology, Political Sciences, Public Administration or other studies related to the Humanities or Social Sciences.
Good grades comparable with an average mark of at least 7.5 (Dutch grading system) for their entire bachelor’s programme and a grade for the bachelor’s thesis of an 8 or higher.
Affinity with and suitability for scholarly research in the specific field of the programme/specialisation and the ability to clearly report on research.
Demonstrable motivation to study and suitability for the particular Research MA programme/specialisation.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

20900 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 20900 EUR per year during 24 months.
EU/EEA

2530 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 2530 EUR per year during 24 months.

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 (research).

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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