African Studies programs in Ontario
14 programs across 8 campuses, with published admission ranges starting at 70%. Sorted by the range each one publishes, lowest first, so you can see where you land.
Programs
14
Campuses
8
Lowest range
70%
What this leads to
The picture for african studies as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.
An African Studies degree rarely leads directly to a job with that title. Most graduates move into international development roles (advocacy advisor, policy researcher, learning advisor at NGOs like Oxfam), government policy work, or pursue master's degrees to teach at university.
In its favour
- You study topics that actually matter—colonialism, governance, inequality across 54 different countries
- International NGOs and government agencies actively hire for policy and research roles, and having this degree as background helps
- Small, tight-knit program culture means close relationships with professors who can write real recommendation letters
Worth knowing
- There are approximately 36–58 African Studies job postings active in Canada at any time, and most require a master's degree
- Very few entry-level positions exist for bachelor's graduates; you'll likely need a master's or graduate certificate to get hired as a researcher or policy advisor
- If you want to teach, you must complete a PhD, which adds 5–7 more years and significant debt after undergrad
- The degree is humanities-based and doesn't certify you for anything; employers care more about skills (data analysis, report writing, languages) than the degree itself
How AI is changing this work
AI is automating parts of the work you'd actually do: literature review, data analysis from census and survey datasets, and generating policy reports are now handled or accelerated by language models and data tools. What's not being automated is the strategic judgment, fieldwork relationships, and ethical decisions in development work. For someone starting in 2027, this means the job market values researchers and advocates who can do original fieldwork and interviews, not desk-based research. The master's degree will be more necessary, not less, because employers will expect you to bring expertise that AI cannot generate—lived knowledge, on-the-ground contacts, and critical thinking about whose perspective is actually being served by the research.
Where this came from (6 sources)
- 1. 36 African studies jobs in Canada | Glassdoor
- 2. African Studies In Canada Jobs (NOW HIRING) Dec 2025
- 3. African Studies Canadian Jobs (NOW HIRING) May 26
- 4. Discover 50 African Studies in Canada Jobs and Work Opportunities | Indeed
- 5. Discover 50 African Studies Canadian Jobs and Work Opportunities | Indeed
- 6. $35K–$135K African Studies Jobs in Canada, 22 June 2026 | Indeed
All 14 programs
- 70–77%York (Glendon)Political Science (BA, iBA)
- 73–77%YorkAfrican Studies (BA - Co-op available)
- 73–80%York (Glendon)International Studies (BA, iBA)
- 73–80%York (Glendon)Linguistics, Language and Society (BA, iBA)
- 73–77%BrockPolitical Science
- 73–80%U of T (Scarborough)Social Sciences & Humanities (regular and co-op)
- 75%CarletonBachelor of Arts (BA) – Honours (4 years)
- 75%CarletonBachelor of Arts (BA) – Non-Honours (3 years)
- 75%CarletonGlobal and International Studies
- 77–87%YorkConcurrent Education: Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (BEd)
- 80%WindsorHistory (with Co-op)
- 80–87%U of T (St. George)Humanities
- 80–83%McMasterHumanities I
- 83–90%U of T (St. George)Social Sciences
Other subjects
- Business Studies 203
- Interdisciplinary Studies 187
- Computer Science 135
- Education Studies 117
- Environmental Studies 116
- Psychology 109
- General or Integrated Engineering 104
- Law & Criminology 101
- Media and Communication Studies 98
- Economics 95
- Biological Sciences 92
- Others in Subjects Related to Medicine 92
Ranges are what universities publish, not guaranteed cutoffs. Work out your top 6 to see which of these you actually clear.