ABOUT AFRICAN STUDIES

The African Studies Section of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History offers the only program in Israel which specializes in Africa at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The program focuses on the modern history of Africa and on its relevance in understanding present-day social, political and economic realities. While the primary aim of the program is to develop in students the ability to use the tools of the historical disciplines in the analysis of processes in Africa, it also acquaints them with the methods and findings of other, related disciplines operating in the field.

For degree purposes (BA), the African Studies Section is regarded as an independent entity (chug), and students may therefore take African History as one of the two required majors (chugim). It is especially recommended as a co-major with Middle Eastern History, Geography, Economics, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology. Students choosing the two complementary majors, African History and Middle Eastern History, are required to take 8 less semester hours than normal. Students in the Faculty of Humanities not majoring in African History, as well as students in the Faculty of Social Science, may also register and obtain credits for certain specified courses (chativah).

Detailed requirements for majoring in African Studies are set out in the official Faculty Handbook and may be summarized as follows:

Students must take a total of 58 hours in order to graduate, of which 30 hours are devoted to compulsory courses. The remaining 28 hours are made up of electives.

In the first year of study, all courses are compulsory; in the second and third years some courses are compulsory, but most may be selected from a wide range of electives. [Rules governing acceptable combinations of courses are set out in the official Handbook.]

 

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