A young university student researching in a library with a large map of Africa on the wall, surrounded by open books and academic materials, representing the scholarly exploration of African histories and cultures

DEGREE GUIDE

African Studies

What do African Studies degrees involve?

African Studies degrees teach you about the diverse histories, cultures, politics, and societies of Africa, exploring the continent’s global influence. You will study key areas such as African history, literature, languages, anthropology, development, and international relations. These courses help you develop strong research, analytical, and critical thinking skills while examining themes like colonialism, migration, identity, and economic growth. You will also have the opportunity to learn African languages, engage with contemporary African issues, and explore the role of Africa in global affairs. Through interdisciplinary study, research projects, and potential study abroad opportunities, you’ll gain a deep understanding of Africa’s past, present, and future, preparing you for careers in international development, policy, education, and cultural research.

Example
Modules

Anthropology of Africa: Study the diverse cultures and social systems across the continent, focusing on kinship, religion, gender, and everyday life in African communities.

Religion and Belief in Africa: Learn about traditional belief systems, Islam and Christianity in Africa, and how religion shapes politics, education, and everyday practices.

African History: Trace the histories of African societies from ancient kingdoms & trade routes to colonisation, independence movements, and post-colonial change.

Common Degree Names

💼 Placement options are available on some courses, often in NGOs or heritage organisations.
🌍 Study abroad — often in Africa — is a core part of many African Studies degrees.

BA (Hons) African Studies
BA (Hons) African Studies with Development
BA (Hons) African Studies and History
BA (Hons) African Studies and Anthropology

African Studies is typically offered as a BA with strong language and cultural components.

Traditional African kente textiles and carved wooden figures alongside an open academic book, illustrating the cultural and scholarly focus of African Studies

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

African Studies explores the history, cultures, politics, and societies of Africa. There are no required subjects – universities want to see that you can think critically, write clearly, and engage with global ideas.

Subjects that could strengthen your application:

History or Geography – great for understanding societies and development
Politics, Sociology, or Economics – useful for contemporary Africa and international relations
English Literature, Religious Studies, or a Modern Language – show strong analytical and writing skills

✨ At least one essay-based subject shows you're ready for the analytical and written aspects of the degree. You don't need to have studied an African language – courses typically teach languages like Swahili or Arabic from beginner level.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three) alongside your Career-Related Study — see above for IB subjects that could strengthen your application

Entry requirements can vary widely between universities—always check the course page on the university’s website to be sure you meet their specific criteria.

Level 2 (GCSE / MYP / Nat 5)

You’ll typically need:

GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or National 5 passes, or MYP equivalents

📘 These core subjects are important for developing your communication and reasoning skills—both of which are key in this degree.

If you’ve taken subjects like History, Geography, or a language at this level, they’ll help build a good foundation.

💬 Interviews
Formal interviews aren't usually part of the application process. However, some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

🔍 Work/Volunteering Experience

You don't need work experience to apply for African Studies. If you have a school placement to fill, organisations working in international development, refugee support, cultural exchange, or community advocacy could give you useful perspective. Volunteering with local diaspora community groups or organisations like Amnesty International or the Red Cross can also help you think about some of the issues the degree covers. But don't worry if your placement isn't directly related — for this subject, reading widely and engaging critically with African perspectives matters far more.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to studying Africa - its histories, politics, cultures, languages, or contemporary issues? Africa is a vast and diverse continent, so thinking about which aspects interest you most helps. If you've engaged with African perspectives through books, films, documentaries, news coverage, music, or personal connections, reflect on what sparked your curiosity and what questions it raised. Reading African authors, following African media, or exploring how Africa is often misrepresented can show that you're thinking critically about the field. Admissions tutors want to see genuine engagement with African voices and perspectives, not just Western narratives about the continent.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Humanities or Social Sciences

Some universities offer a foundation year that can lead into African Studies or related degrees. This adds an extra year but provides a route in if you don't have the required subjects or grades.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Humanities or Social Science)

Accepted by universities offering African Studies. Choose a pathway with units in history, politics or sociology, and aim for strong results in your graded units.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

Start Your Journey → £3 a month

Full access to all self-discovery tools and guides. Cancel anytime.

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

Context sentence

Heading 6

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

Heading 6

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

custom skills note goes here

Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with an African Studies degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Different Cultures, Languages & Beliefs: The degree explores the diverse cultures of an entire continent. You'll study African traditions, religions, social systems, and ways of life, with the opportunity to learn an African language and understand how cultural practices shape communities across vastly different societies.

The Past & How It Shapes Us: African history is a core part of the degree. You'll study pre-colonial civilisations, the impact of colonialism, and the independence movements that reshaped the continent, building the historical knowledge needed to understand Africa's present and future.

Global Issues & International Affairs: Contemporary challenges facing Africa are actively studied. You'll examine governance, conflict, migration, climate change, and economic development, exploring how these issues connect to global politics and understanding Africa's role on the world stage.

Language, Stories & Writing: African literature is a major strand of the degree. You'll explore novels, poetry, and oral traditions from across the continent, examining how African writers have grappled with themes of identity, resistance, memory, and modernity.

Students who thrive in an African Studies degree are often motivated by

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

Working Internationally

You're energised by work that crosses borders and connects you with people from different countries, backgrounds, and systems. That might be collaborating with international colleagues, working in a place that isn't your own, using another language professionally, or tackling problems that don't stop at a single country's borders. You come alive when the work you're doing reaches beyond your own patch of the world.

What makes African Studies click for the students who love it?

They are pulled in by the sheer scale and variety of it: dozens of countries, hundreds of languages, and histories as rich and varied as any in the world. They want to know it in depth, getting into the politics, literatures and histories of individual countries and regions, and working things out from the sources rather than taking them on trust. For many it goes further: learning an African language and coming to know a region well enough to live and work there, not just read about it.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Do you enjoy learning about how people live in very different parts of the world, and would you like to learn a new language alongside that?
Do you like finding things out for yourself — through conversations, observation, or digging into questions that don't have simple answers?
Do you find yourself drawn to conversations about politics, justice, or how communities organise and stand up for change?

Careers an African Studies degree could lead you to

African Studies

What do African Studies degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

Heading 6

Heading 6

Is this a good fit for you?

Careers an African Studies degree could lead you to

Example
Modules