African Sustainable Communities is an MA program that brings together students from around the world, creating a unique learning environment to tackle the complex issue of sustainability in community development. We are preparing you for the rapid changes we are seeing across Africa, through a multidisciplinary approach. Yo​u will take part in a vibrant conversation examining the complex circumstances influencing lasting change.

​Rational and Goals

The program of study p​laces African communities at the center, and analyzes the political, economic, cultural, and social factors impacting their initiatives over the long term. Our aim is to provide students with the theoretical background, analytical skills and practical perspectives that are needed for realizing individual and communal endeavors across a broad spectrum of fields. 

​We believe that community interventions, whether they are in the social, cultural, or more applied fields of science, agricultural or economics, should reflect knowledge of history, politics, economics, social and cultural studies.​

​Duration and Structure

​​The MA in African Sustainable Communities is a year and a half long program (three semesters), plus another semester for writing up the final submissions.

The first year is dedicated to formal study and coursework at BGU. All students take mandatory core classes, a project workshop, research methods and electives they choose according to their interests.​Students must finish their required and elective classes over the course of two semesters during this first year.

During the third semester, students must spend a minimum of three months on a local project in Africa. They draw upon the knowledge and skills they acquired in the academic setting and apply them to an initiative in a local community. Projects are planned and implemented with the support of the program staff. Students will then have to submit their final submissions by the end of the fourth semester.​

There are two tracks in the program - the Thesis Track and the Applied Track. Students in the Thesis Track are required to conduct a Research Project and to write a Thesis based on it. Students in the Applied Track are required to write a Project Report or a Policy Paper upon completion of the Applied Project.​​

Program Structure - Overview