Graduate Africana Studies

The University of Virginia’s Graduate Certificate in Africana Studies provides master’s and doctoral students with interdisciplinary training in African American, African, and Caribbean Studies. Designed to offer foundational preparation in advanced Africana research, the certificate equips students with the theoretical, historical, and methodological tools needed to conduct comparative and transnational analysis of the African diaspora.

Students work with faculty across the humanities and social sciences affiliated with the Woodson Institute and the Department of Africana Studies, gaining exposure to a wide array of topics including critical race studies, gender and sexuality, slavery and abolition, immigration, carceral studies, environmental studies, cultural and literary studies, social justice, intellectual and economic history, media studies, and international politics. The program strengthens students’ disciplinary training while expanding their scholarly perspectives through a structured but flexible curriculum.

Open to graduate students across UVA, the certificate offers a valuable credential that supports academic, research, and public‑facing work related to the global African diaspora.