Department of Sociology

W.E.B. Du Bois, Race, and Racism Ph.D. Certificate

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W.E.B. Du Bois, Race, and Racism Ph.D. Certificate

The W.E.B. Du Bois, Race, and Racism Ph.D. Certificate is a flexibly structured program that offers graduate students at Brown University the opportunity to develop and amass a body of knowledge about the scholarly work of W.E.B. Du Bois (and other race scholars) and his efforts to systematically respond to the “race problem” and the “color line” in the United States and abroad.

William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois (1868 – 1963) was an African American sociologist and Civil Rights leader. A strong argument can be made that Du Bois was the quintessential scholar on race, racism, and the experiences of Africans in the Diaspora. His research and writings are multi-disciplinary and global in nature and scope, and inform other disciplines such as Africana Studies, Anthropology, History, Religion, and Politics

The program is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the broad applicability of a Du Boisian lens across a variety of disciplines.

This certificate enables students to secure advanced, multidisciplinary expertise and advanced academic training; cultivate a unique set of theoretical and methodological capacities that explore and extend the social sciences, particularly the field of Sociology; provide specialized training in the social sciences, particularly the field of Sociology; and develop a community of scholars dedicated to the study of the relevance of a Du Boisian lens when examining contemporary social conditions. Faculty and graduates will benefit as they collectively explore work by Du Bois and other race scholars. To our knowledge, this certificate is the only one of its kind offered at any institution of higher learning in the United States and abroad.

Learning Goals and Outcomes

Students will be exposed to seminal works written by W.E.B. Du Bois and other scholars, both classical and more contemporary, who study race and racism. They will also learn about some of the global, national, and regional implications of such scholarship for people of color and their counterparts. In addition to increased scholarly acumen, a dimension of this certificate program is its community-facing nature that provides students with the knowledge and challenge to use their education, in part, to become more involved in community action, broadly defined.

Curriculum

W.E.B. Du Bois, Race, and Racism Ph.D. Certificate requirements and structure.

Admission and Application

Students must be Ph.D. students at Brown University in good academic standing at the time of application. Students should apply to the certificate program online through Brown University’s UFunds, attaching a CV as well as a letter describing how they plan to study and explore Du Bois’ work, as well as race, and racism, as they pursue the certificate. Students should also request that the Director of Graduate Studies in their home departments provide a letter of recommendation. The Program Director will coordinate annual updates with the respective Graduate Directors in other departments about the progress of non-Sociology students.

Contact

For more information about the program, contact the Program Director and Student Affairs Manager.