African Studies (BA)

After graduation

Your career prospects

Would you like to continue your academic education? After obtaining your bachelor’s degree you can go on to follow a master’s programme. Your master’s diploma will increase your chances of finding a job at a higher (academic) level.

Read more about our master's programmes

Your future work and workplace will depend upon your interests, knowledge and skills, and on the elective choices you have made during your study. Students who complete this programme find themselves prepared for a wide range of occupations.

Sectors in which some of our alumni have found employment include: consultancy, publishing, NGOs and the public sector.

Read more about your career prospects

In this video, you get to know Evi-Mara van Beekhuizen. She has studied African Studies at Leiden University and now works as Junior Project Leader at Afvalfonds Verpakkingen and is a co-founder of Ephora Solutions. Are you curious about what she does exactly? Then watch this video!

Your skills after graduation

After graduating from this bachelor’s programme, you will possess both academic, digital and professional skills:

• In-depth knowledge about the history, society and culture of the African continent, as well as its current position in today’s globalised world;
• Detailed knowledge about your area of specialisation;
• Command of either Swahili or Berber;
• Intercultural skills;
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills;
• The ability to transfer knowledge to practical issues;
• Independent thinking and problem solving;
• Writing texts for specific audiences;
• Presentation skills;
• The ability to work in teams as well as to work independently;
• Analysing  and assessing information.

These skills are sought after by employers and well as by universities selecting candidates for their master’s programmes.

Ruth Kanis

Alumna

"After graduation, the Centre for Interpreters asked me to work as Swahili interpreter. For a period of several years, I have worked as an interpreter for various organisations that need to speak with asylum seekers, including the Dutch refugee organisation, lawyers, doctors and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. I learned a lot about the countries of origin of people seeking asylum here, about the Dutch asylum system and the procedures at all of these organisations. And on top of that, my Swahili has gotten a lot better."

Inge Ligtvoet

Alumna

"I am a PhD student at Leiden University’s History department. My dissertation focuses on North Nigeria’s urban youth, how they are dealing with opportunities and expectations in a country that has little social security and a lot of political instability. As a PhD student you are employed by the university. In that respect, your situation differs from that of 'ordinary' students: you are working on an XL thesis, while doing a lot of research."