Foreign Language Requirement
In addition to minimum course requirements, African Studies MA students are required to satisfy the foreign language requirement before graduation by achieving elementary proficiency in an African Language.
UCLA offers the following language courses that can be applied to the African Studies degree: Arabic and Swahili. Some African languages courses are available through UC Online during the academic year. Please note that UC Berkeley is on a semester system, so students are required to start in August. Students can also enroll in intensive language courses during the summer. In the past, UCLA students enrolled in the summer intensive language courses at UC Berkeley and Boston University, among others.
Students may satisfy the requirement by taking three courses (12-15 units) in a single African Language with a grade of B or higher. Please note that language courses are not applied to the nine-course requirement. Approved summer language or intensive language courses may also be substituted.
Native speakers of African languages can be exempt from taking language courses. Contact the staff academic advisor for more information.
After completing the program’s language requirement, submit the Division of Graduate Education (DGE) language petition form to the staff academic advisor. Please refer to the DGE website for download instructions and follow the steps provided.
For the Thesis plan, the language requirement must be completed no later than the end of the quarter preceding the expected graduation quarter. The DGE language petition form must be submitted by Week 2 of the expected graduation quarter, along with an unofficial transcript showing the final course grade.
For the Capstone plan, the language requirement must be completed by the end of the expected graduation quarter. The DGE language petition form must be submitted by Week 2 of the expected graduation quarter, along with an unofficial transcript showing the in-progress course.
