Admission

Proven academic ability and Africanist interest are critical for admission. Successful applicants should have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0=A) calculated for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work. International applicants must have a TOEFL score of over 550 (or over 213 on the computer-based test). The Center does not require GRE scores.

In order to make good use of an interdisciplinary program, students must be highly motivated and focused on the field of African studies. Consequently, careful attention is given to the clarity of the statement of purpose when admissions decisions are made. Applicants are welcome to submit writing samples, portfolios, or other supplemental materials that they feel would aid the admissions committee in making its determination. Such supplemental materials may be useful when the center seeks assistantships for students.

Because of the Center's size and its relationship to other departments, only a limited number of students can be admitted into the masters program. Unfortunately, to admit every qualified applicant would over-burden the Center's administrative capacity and its core faculty. Consequently, only the most promising of our applicants can be admitted. Budget constraints often leave the Center unable to fund all talented students who are admitted. The Center considers a graduate student population of 5-10 to be ideal.

Financial Aid

Students must apply and be admitted according to the set deadlines to be considered for assistantships and fellowships. The Center evaluates and ranks entering students on the basis of academic promise. This ranking becomes part of the basis for financial aid decisions. Funding is generally awarded to cover the fall and spring semesters and occasionally on a semester-by-semester basis. Multiple years of funding cannot be guaranteed, but the Center considers it a priority to fund students and see them through the program. Continued funding is based on academic and job performance (in the case of assistantships), the availability of positions, and the Center's budget in a given year.

The Center for African Studies has limited funding available for graduate students, including: Graduate College fellowships, assistantships in the Center or in other academic units, and FLAS fellowships. Sometimes students are able to secure funding through other sources on- and off-campus. Students are encouraged to check the Graduate College's website for funding opportunities-whether they are fellowships or assistantships.

In terms of assistantships, the Center occasionally can fund a graduate or research assistant position or help find assistantships for its students in other academic units. Receipt of an assistantship usually reflects a match of the particular skills of the student with the needs of a faculty member in a collaborating unit. Recipients of research assistantships will be informed of the implied commitment of time and effort by students holding assistantships and of the pay and leave policies of the university through a letter of appointment from the Center. Assistantships are for a semester, two semesters, and on rare occasions for 11 months. They are awarded at 25% (10 hrs/week); 33% (13.3 hrs/week) and occasionally at 50% time (20 hours/week). Students often have a heavy course load in their first year of the program, and they are advised not to hold more than a 33% graduate assistantship.

The Center administers the Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships for African studies, funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI. African studies' FLAS fellowships provide support for graduate students studying an indigenous African language and African studies. Students should take note that FLAS fellowships are available for both the academic year and for summer study, and that there are other academic units on campus that also offer FLAS fellowships for particular world areas (e.g. Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Russia). African studies' FLAS recipients are required to fulfill several course requirements, including language study, AFST 522, and LIS 530M. The call for applications and award letters outline these requirements.

Along with African Studies MA students, graduate students from across the campus are eligible and apply for these competitive fellowships. All entering and eligible master's students who meet the deadline for admission and funding are nominated and considered by the FLAS committee for the academic year fellowship.

Early in the spring semester, the FLAS announcement is made available to students through the Center's office, via email and on the website. Applicants are advised to carefully review the eligibility requirements, application requirements, and selection criteria. The criteria for FLAS differ slightly from criteria for admission, so applicants are advised to supplement their application with a statement of purpose designed for the FLAS process. GRE scores may be one of several measures that committees consider when evaluating applicants for fellowships, such as FLAS. Read application requirements carefully to see if you must or should provide such scores.

Further information on the FLAS applications is available from the Center early in the spring semester. Note: African studies MA students applying for a FLAS fellowship should meet with the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction to go over their personal statements in advance of the application deadline.

For more information please visit the Grants & Fellowships section of our web site.

Admission & Funding Deadlines

• To be considered for admission for Fall Semester 2010 (August) and to be considered for funding: January 15, 2010

• To be considered for admission for Fall Semester 2010 (August) without funding: May 7, 2010

Application Procedures

All applicants are required to submit the following:

1. An application for admission to the Graduate College. For information about the application process and to accesss both domestic and international student applications start here: Graduate and Professional Admissions .

Please note the online graduate application is part of the ApplyYourself Application Network. You will receive a PIN and Password so that you can return to work on your application over several sessions. Your information is transmitted through a secured server and is kept confidential until you submit your application.

2. A statement of purpose describing your proposed academic program and plans for a professional career. Please also include a discussion of your intent to study an indigenous African language(s) and how language study relates to your academic and professional objectives in African Studies.

The Statement of Purpose should be uploaded as an attachment to the online application for admission.

3. Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework should be mailed to:

University of Illinois
Center for African Studies
910 S. Fifth St, Room 210
Champaign, IL 61820

Please note that only official, sealed copies of transcripts will be accepted.

4. Three letters of recommendation to the Admissions Committee at the Center for African Studies. The letters may be mailed (see address above), sent via email (african@illinois.edu), or submitted online as part of the online application.

5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores

The GRE is not required for admission to the African Studies program. However, the GRE is a requirement for all students who wish to apply for a Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship.

International students must also submit:

6. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores.

7. Evidence of financial resources which includes:

A completed University of Illinois Declaration and Certification of Finances form , including the original signature of your sponsor. Neither photocopies nor facsimile copies of this form are acceptable.

AND one of the following:

An official bank statement or letter showing sufficient funds for at least one year of study. Photocopies of this statement are not acceptable. The account holder name on the bank statement must match the name of your sponsor as listed on the Declaration and Certification of Finances form. The statement must also be written in English or accompanied by a certified English translation.

OR

Original, official, signed Letter of Sponsorship from an employer or governmental agency, including the monetary amount of sponsorship and expenses covered (including dependents' expenses, if applicable), and length of sponsorship. If a Letter of Sponsorship is submitted, no Declaration of Finances form is required.