Courses in African studies focus on the advancement of the continent of Africa from social, cultural, political and economic points of view. These programs can include classes on topics as varied as specific regions or countries, history, current events and the African diaspora.

Students who like to learn about culture-specific cuisine and entertainment might enjoy attending school in Congo DRC (Zaire), as food and music are two of the country's most popular pastimes. Hundreds of different ethnicities call the country home, and French is the most common of the 242 spoken languages.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.