Welcome
On September 22, 2023 the new international students were welcomed by the Faculty and by the African Languages and Cultures department.
Course schedule
Course Schedule MA African Studies first semester 2023-2024
Course Schedule MA African Studies second semester 2023-2024
Thesis
Your thesis is the final element of your MA degree. It is based on original research on an African topic. The process of writing your thesis is closely supervised by your supervisors. It is possible to have more than one supervisor. At least one of your supervisors has to have a PhD degree. A list of the staff members of the MA African Studies and their fields of research can be found here.
The first step in writing a thesis is choosing a topic. You are free to choose your own topic, after discussion with your supervisor. For inspiration, you may take a look at some examples of previous theses written by students of African Studies. You can also select a topic from lists of suggestions:
- Possible dissertations topics supervised by prof. Becker
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. Bostoen
- Possible topics MA-dissertations supervised by Inge Brinkman
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. DeBlock
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. de Schryver
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by dr. Gunnink
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. Meeuwis
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by dr. Pacchiarotti
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. Stroeken
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by dr. Van Bockhaven
Another possible topic is to work with the archives of Amaat Burssens, the founder of African Studies at Ghent University. His archives are available at the university, and includes: 92 boxes of research materials (Karin Devriendt, Hendrik Defoort and Michael Meeuwis); written reports of various travels to the Congo; letters exchanged between Amaat Burssens and Jacqueline Ballmann (1965-1975) and Elisabeth Weig (1973-1981); a collection of 960 photographs; and a collection of audio recordings. Any student interested in making use of this archive to write a thesis is advised to contact a supervisor based on the intended research discipline.
Your MA thesis can be written in English or Dutch. If you have sufficient motivation and your supervisor agrees, you may also choose to write your thesis in a different language.
After you have successfully completed your MA thesis, it will be uploaded to the UGent library database.
Assessment Form MA dissertation African Studies
Vademecum MA dissertation African Studies
Important information about plagiarism
Fieldwork
Conducting your own fieldwork in Africa is encouraged, but it is not an integral part of the curriculum of the MA African Studies. If you are interested in doing fieldwork, contact your thesis supervisor as early as possible to discuss your options.
Mentoring
If you have any practical questions about your curriculum, the rules and regulations about exams, or possible adaptations to your curriculum, contact Stefanie de Sloovere.
Grants
NIEUW BEURSPROGRAMMA
Fayatbeurzen: Vlaams internationaal beursprogramma voor topstudenten
Behaal je binnenkort je masterdiploma of ben je al in het bezit van een masterdiploma en wil je verder studeren aan een buitenlandse topinstelling?
De Vlaamse overheid biedt excellentiebeurzen aan, genoemd naar Hendrik Fayat, voor studies aan topuniversiteiten wereldwijd in ’24 – ‘25.
Het beursprogramma staat open voor Vlaamse masterstudenten die in het bezit zijn van de Belgische nationaliteit, een rijksregisternummer of BIS-nummer en een uitstekende kennis hebben van het Nederlands.
Deze oproep is gericht aan kandidaten met excellente studieresultaten die leiderschapspotentieel en maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheidszin bezitten; die zich inzetten als ambassadeur voor Vlaanderen.
Kosten voor onderwijs, huisvesting, levensonderhoud en verplaatsing, worden met deze beurs zoveel mogelijk vergoed voor de duur van de opleiding met een maximum van 24 maanden.
De Afdeling Internationalisering organiseert een online infosessie (NL) over de Fayatbeurzen op woensdag 20 september van 10u tot 12u.
Deze infosessie geeft jou inzicht in de Fayatbeurs en de aanvraagprocedure, zoomt in op aandachtspunten en de ondersteuning die je van de UGent kan verwachten.
Inschrijven is noodzakelijk via https://event.ugent.be/registration/OnlineInfosessieFayatbeurs
Meer info vind je op Fayatbeurzen voor verdere studie aan internationale topuniversiteiten of neem contact op met BuitenlandNaStudies@UGent.be.
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NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Fayat scholarship: Flemish international scholarship programme for talented students
Are you a recent Master graduate or will you obtain your master’s degree this year and interested in studying at an international top university?
The Flemish Government offers prestigious scholarships for studies at top universities all over the world in ’24 – ’25.
The programme is open for all Flemish master students holding the Belgian nationality, a Belgian national ID number or BIS number and who have an outstanding knowledge of the Dutch language.
This call is aimed at candidates with excellent study results who have leadership potential and have a sense of social responsibility, ready to engage themselves as Flemish ambassador.
Expenses for studies, housing, living and transportation, will be covered as much as possible with this scholarship during the study period of maximum 24 months.
The International Relations Office organizes an online information session (in Dutch) about the Fayat scholarship on Wednesday September 20th from 10h till 12h.
This session will give insight of the Fayat scholarship and the application procedure, zooms in on a few points of attention and gives an overview of which support Ghent University offers.
Registration is mandatory via https://event.ugent.be/registration/OnlineInfosessieFayatbeurs
Find more information on Fayatbeurzen voor verdere studie aan internationale topuniversiteiten or contact us via BuitenlandNaStudies@UGent.be