Prospective Graduate Students

The Department of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with one of the most successful graduate programs in the field, offers an M.A. in a wide range of disciplines. The department’s strong emphasis on research and writing prepares students for entry into Ph.D. programs and for professional positions in education and related fields.
 faculty is committed to academic excellence and to the department’s initial objective to promote interdisciplinary study in three major areas: Culture (the arts and humanities), History, and Society (social sciences). Students are guided in using innovative as well as conventional methods of scholarship in a way that contributes to the development of African American Studies and to the diversification of academic disciplines, communities, and institutions. To achieve that goal, the Department maintains flexible models of study which can be adapted to fit individual student interests.

Application Requirements

REQUIREMENT #1

Three letters of recommendation

REQUIREMENT #2

Statement of Purpose

  • Your statement of purpose should address your motivation for applying to the Department of African American Studies and your plans for research: what you intend to study and with whom you would like to work.
  • Your statement of purpose should be no longer than 2 pages double-spaced.

REQUIREMENT #3

Writing Sample

  • The writing sample should represent your best work written in a senior seminar. For example, a research paper or literature review.
  • This sample should be 10-20 double-spaced pages including notes.

All applications must be submitted through the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Graduate School webpage.

Students with an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in either English or History might be interested in applying to the English Bridge Programs or History, which allows a student who has completed an M.A. in African American Studies to move directly into one of those Ph.D. programs.

Funding

Graduate students in the Department of African American Studies typically receive tuition remission and benefits in addition to one year of fellowship funding and one year of funding support as Teaching Assistants within the department.