A F R I C A N A  S T U D I E S

Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary program in which to study the histories, cultures and experiences of African peoples on the African continent and around the world. Students develop a comparative perspective on these subjects in order to understand the rich network of linkages and exchanges among Africa’s people, their descendants and the various "new worlds" in which those descendants made their lives. A student should round out their theoretical experiences in AS courses with community work; service-learning is an important component of the AS experience. Concentration in AS must be combined with concentration in another disciplinary program. Ideally, a student moderates simultaneously into AS and another program simultaneously.

Before Moderation, a student is expected to take at least three AS cross-listed courses, including the Core Course (History 148). A student moderates into Africana Studies by presenting to the Moderation Board the customary two papers outlining both past academic achievements and a proposed program of study for the next two years as well as a writing sample. A student’s Moderation board should include one AS core faculty member in addition to the other faculty members determined by student's particular interests and area of specialization.

The next two years, after Moderation, the student will follow an individual program (worked out with his/her adviser). The student must take two additional AS courses, including one 300-level seminar. The final year is devoted to the year long Senior Project (students in Studio Arts and Film should discuss the Senior Project requirements at length with advisors in both Divisions). Similar to the Moderation Board, the Senior Project Board is composed of at least one AS faculty member. In the past, students have combined their interest in AS with History, Art History, Film, Literature, Environmental Science, and Anthropology.