African Studies (BA)

Why Leiden University?

What makes African Studies at Leiden University unique

• We offer ambitious, highly qualified education, based on our lecturers’ current research.
• This is an interdisciplinary programme bringing together history, linguistics, art, anthropology, sociology, literature and cultural studies.
• We support our students in acquiring both in-depth specialist knowledge as well as valuable academic, digital and personal skills.
• The programme has close connections to the Leiden-based Africa Studies Centre, which is internationally renowned for its expertise and research. Its African collection is part of the University Library and is one of the most extensive collections on this discipline in the world.
• We work closely with over 100 Leiden University researchers and lecturers who specialise in Africa-related subjects, including colleagues from Security Studies and Governance Studies.
• The Leiden museum of Ethnology and the Lakenhal museum both have important collections on Africa, and you will be able to study those collections as part of the programme.
• You will have the opportunity to tailor the programme according to your interests.
• In your second year you will spend a semester studying at an African university.
• Our programme is characterised by a personal approach. You will work in small groups of students and in close contact with the lecturers.
• Leiden is a friendly, historical city, where both Dutch and international students feel at home.

Study at a world-class university

Leiden University is a world-class university that is one of the oldest in Europe. Founded in 1575, we have consistently been building a solid position of scholarly authority that is recognised in the academic and professional worlds. Leiden, and particularly its Faculty of Humanities, is rated consistently high in all the major Dutch and international rankings, with the Faculty of Humanities as one of its top-tier departments.

Our academic staff includes many scholars with an excellent international reputation. Their research contributes to the debates that our societies engage in every day. As a student, you will be able to participate in that research, as our staff integrate their latest insights into their lectures.

Independent thinker

We care about our students and will do everything we can to give you the best possible support. As a university, we are committed to freedom: freedom of spirit, thinking and expression, and we will challenge you to become an independent thinker.

Diversity and inclusion

We are convinced that our education can only flourish if everyone within the programme feels supported, respected and empowered to do their best work. We find it important to offer a learning environment that allows for the different perspectives and points of view that students bring with them, depending on their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, health, religion, age or socio-economic background. LU firmly stands for its diversity policy, which aims at creating a diverse and inclusive learning and working environment for all our staff and students. 

More reasons to choose Leiden University.

Discover the world at the Faculty of Humanities

Our time is dynamic and complex, with many challenges for which we need to find a solution. These solutions can be found by people with the knowledge that comes from a relevant, high quality education. The Faculty of Humanities offers that kind of education. The wide range of subjects studied at our faculty includes many languages, cultures, art en societies from across the world, from prehistoric times until today. Our education and research are inspired by ambition and passion and by commitment to our students. This has led to consistently high national and international rankings. 

In this era of globalisation, the humanities are more important than ever. Climate change, security, migration, integration, trade, and technology are blurring the borders between countries and cultures. In order to be able to cooperate and live together, it is crucial that we understand each other. Humanities offer the insights we need for that. By choosing for a programme at the Leiden Faculty of Humanities, you become part of an international academic community which helps you to develop a critical mind and supports you to be your best.