Special Admissions Requirements

Special requirements for admission to graduate study in African American Studies include strong undergraduate preparation in a discipline related to African American studies, a writing sample, a description of the fields of interest to be pursued in the combined degree program.

To be considered for admission to the combined Ph.D. program in African American Studies, applicants must indicate both African American Studies and one of the  departments/programs participating in the combined Ph.D. program on their applications.

Departments and programs which currently offer a combined Ph.D. with African American Studies are: American Studies, Anthropology, English, Film and Media Studies, French, History, History of Art, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Spanish and Portuguese.

Additionally, applicants must indicate both African American Studies and the joint department/program on all supporting documents (personal statement, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.).

Application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Yale is an online process.

All application materials required for the Combined Ph.D. in African American Studies and a joint department or program are to be submitted online. No documents are accepted by the department.  GRE test scores are no longer required to apply to the African American Studies Combined Ph.D. program.  To view our GRE policy, click here.

The Department of African American Studies requires applicants to submit one (1) writing sample of critical analysis that reflects their most accomplished work.  The writing sample should be a minimum of 15 pages, up to 20 pages maximum (typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font), presented in pdf format.

Therefore, as early as possible, prospective students should review all requirements and policies for applying to Yale Graduate School and including dates and deadlines that govern application to specific departments at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Application Process website.