Application Process

Source: https://africana.sas.upenn.edu/department/graduate/application-process Parent: https://africana.sas.upenn.edu/department/graduate

The Graduate Group in Africana Studies welcomes your application to our program. All applications should be submitted online via the SLATE Application.

The Graduate Group in Africana Studies admits a small class of highly qualified students to the doctoral program each year. Admission to the Graduate Group is highly competitive. When reading applications, we consider every element of the application carefully, in particular:

• The match between the applicant's intellectual interests and the strengths of our faculty.
• The academic record, with close attention to grades in history and related subjects.
• The recommendations of three faculty members.
• Statement of Purpose (2 pages).
• TOEFL/TSE scores, if applicable.
• GRE scores are not required.

In the Statement of Purpose, all Ph.D. applications within the Graduate Division of Arts & Sciences should address the following:

Please describe how your background and academic experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and led you to apply to Penn. Your essay should detail your specific research interests and intellectual goals within your chosen field. Please provide information about your educational trajectory, intellectual curiosity and academic ambitions.

If you have experienced limited access to resources or opportunities in your field of study or had other challenges with respect to your education, please feel free to share those and how they have affected the course of your education.

Recommendations can be sent online via the SLATE Application.

Official transcripts and TOEFL/TSE scores should also be sent directly to the Graduate Division of Arts & Sciences Admissions office.

All applications to the Ph.D. program in Africana Studies must be submitted no later than midnight of December 15 for admission into the Ph.D. program for the Fall term (beginning in September) of the next year. Applicants are urged to file their applications and supporting materials as early as possible to allow time for the most careful consideration.

Students will be notified of their admission status by mid-to-late February.\

Writing Sample

A writing sample is a required part of the application (15-20 pages). The writing sample should be one paper and should match the applicant's disciplinary concentration.

All writing samples should be submitted on-line via the SLATE Application, by December 15.

Contact the PhD Program in Africana Studies

Graduate Chair:Keisha-Khan Perry

Email:kyperry@sas.upenn.edu

Graduate Coordinator:Carol L Davis

Email:afrc-grad@sas.upenn.edu

Phone: 215.898.4967

Address:\ Department of Africana Studies\ 3401 Walnut Street, Suite 331A \ Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228 \ \ Department Phone: 215.898.4965