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 dissertation topics supervised by prof. 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. Mathys
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. Meeuwis
- Possible dissertation topics supervised by prof. 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
Vademecum MA dissertation African Studies 2024-2025
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
(none available now)