Black Studies

PhD Black Studies is a place for the study of the history, literature and culture of black people (variously defined) in North America, as well as through their historical, cultural and political links to Africa, Britain, and other global sites.

It is the only programme of its kind in Europe and is steeped in interdisciplinary methods and critical reflection to investigate the roles, lives, cultures, politics, representations, activism, art, histories and movement of people of African descent.

The course is particularly relevant at this crucial time within the UK, as students, communities and institutions of higher education increasingly assess curriculum offerings in dialogue with the ongoing effort to consider the influence and experience of the black diaspora on both sides of the Atlantic.

The PhD programme is closely aligned with the Centre for Black Studies and the Centre for Research in Race and Rights. The University also hosts the Institute for the Institute for the Study of Slavery (ISOS) and the Rights Lab, enabling students to expand their research networks across the university and beyond.

The PhD is based in the Department of American and Canadian Studies, which has a long history of research in black studies, African diaspora studies and African American studies. However, we also welcome comparative research proposals that address issues across disciplines and national boundaries.