Area studies typically examine the development of a particular population or region. While other, similar interdisciplinary studies, such as gender, disability, and ethnic, may have some part in course discussions, these are not considered area studies.

An African educational adventure can be exciting since the continent's rich traditional heritage is so vital to the culture. Africans legendary hospitality is welcoming to strangers and its multiethnic cities so exciting with its African music, dance and arts, both traditional and modern, constitute whole other worlds of application and delight; and there is a couple of esthetic experiences wherever you go to compare and contrast with the color, swirl, smell, and sounds of an African market.

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.

Part-time learning allows one to obtain a degree or qualification even if one cannot attend school on a full-time basis. One can learn at one's own pace, gradually accumulating credits that count towards a final qualification.