Black Studies - MA *
- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: September 2020
- Study mode: Full Time
- Location: TBC
Student-led campaigns, such as ‘Why is My Curriculum White?’ and ‘Rhodes Must Fall’, have highlighted the Eurocentrism at the heart of university education.
Since launching the Black Studies undergraduate programme in 2017, Birmingham City University has taken a leading role in the current debates about race and the transformation of higher education.
Our MA Black Studies programme is an effort to provide an alternative rooted in the experiences, contributions and perspectives of Africa and the African diaspora. But our MA goes beyond diversifying the content of the curriculum and is built around the idea that what we learn in the University can be put to use to benefit the lives of communities outside the walls of the campus.
Our MA course is built around the following principles:
- Politics of Blackness. Black Studies is about connecting with the politics of Africa and the diaspora. We will explore this politics critically and in relation to historical and existing social movements.
- Black Studies in Action. Taking Black Studies knowledge off campus is indispensable to the discipline, so we will therefore explore research methods and partnerships with public, private and voluntary sectors in the community. This will feed directly into the development of a project with an impact off campus.
- Intersecting Identities. The most developed area of research in the discipline is Black Feminism, of which the key principles will be explored throughout the programme.
- Culture, Media and Representation. Popular culture has been a central tool for exploring Black Studies knowledge, which aims to engage in the real world. We will be drawing heavily on these traditions in the course.
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Our work in Black Studies is linked to our world-leading research in the discipline and you will have the opportunity to engage in the leading-edge research events that we organise. As a research area, we have numerous international links that we are developing which we hope will further enhance the programme.
Find out more
This course is open to International students
Subject to approval
The content of this course has been refreshed and updated to make sure you graduate with the skills employers need in an ever-changing job market.
Our quality control experts are currently reviewing the content and we anticipate receiving formal approval shortly.
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other social sciences, law, business and English students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
Realistic, simulated environments include two mock court rooms, a Magistrates' and Crown Court, and an interviewing suite. We’re also exploring the use of virtual environments as a way to develop case study analysis.
For those studying on the BA (Hons) Policing or BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation degrees, you’ll experience simulations of police interviewing environments for both suspects and witnesses, with access to tape recording and video playback analysis.
Crime investigation files are prepared using computer-based technology, and the crime data analysis requirements of the degree are supported by appropriate statistical and analytical software.
Psychology students can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment as well, including the latest in eye-tracking software, and our new EEG machine, all geared towards giving you true hands-on experience with tools you’ll be using in your later career. You will also benefit from facilities across the wider campus including the Parkside and Millennium Point buildings.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
Professor Kehinde Andrews
Professor of Black Studies
Professor Kehinde Andrews is an academic, activist and author whose books include Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the 21st Century (2018). His first book was Resisting Racism: Race, Inequality and the Black Supplementary School Movement (2013).
Dr Dionne Taylor
Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Deputy Programme Leader Black Studies, Deputy Head of Department
Dr Dionne Taylor's role in BCU is about supporting, inspiring and guiding the students to reach beyond what many of them believe is possible. Encouraging students to work through the challenges, barriers and limitations to success is one of the reasons she became an academic.
Dr Martin Glynn
Lecturer in Criminology
Dr Martin Glynn is an experienced and internationally renowned criminologist, educator, theatre director, and dramatist with over 35 years’ experience of working in criminal justice, public health, and educational settings.