Pan-African Studies Major | Arcadia University

Students listen closely during a Pan-African Studies lecture at Arcadia.

Overview

Degree Level: Undergraduate
Degrees Offered: Bachelor of Arts

Department: Interdisciplinary Studies
school/college: College of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Arts in Pan-African Studies

The interdisciplinary Pan African Studies major at Arcadia University provides our students with a comprehensive understanding of the histories, cultures, and socio-political dynamics of the Pan African world, both the continent itself and its ever-evolving diaspora. In a world where we still combat issues of anti-Black racism, racial violence, and inequity, fostering a deeper awareness of the contributions of African and African-descended peoples to resistance and movements of change while increasing our understanding of the complex challenges that face the Pan African world will enrich the educational experience of students and promote more diverse perspectives. Through application of methodologies and theories of Africana Studies, this degree program also encourages its students to envision themselves as agents of change, working to understand and address systems of inequity, racism, and violence that affect communities of color all across the Pan African world.

Through these studies, our students develop the knowledge and skill sets for graduate-level study and professional careers in fields such as social work, counseling/therapy, law, education, etc. In addition, exposure to the scholarship of interdisciplinarity ensures that our students develop strong communication and critical thinking skills that will serve them well in any field they enter. Our students will have the skills and knowledge to successfully pursue graduate training and/or careers in African and African American Studies, counseling, research, law, psychology, education, museum studies, and so much more.

Explore a Typical Course Path to Graduation

In this increasingly diverse and complicated world, it is important for students to globalize their perspectives and to learn about histories and cultures beyond U.S. borders. At the same time, it is essential that their studies train them to effectively apply content knowledge in the field to real- world problems not only as agents of change but as the next generation of leaders who will build the world in which we want to live. Students in the Pan African Studies major already envision themselves as innovators of change and are deeply committed to understanding the many factors that shape the experiences of African and African-descended peoples all over the world. It is a great pleasure to work besides them as they use their training in Africana studies to make a mark on the world."

Dr. Christopher Varlack, Executive Director, CASAA; Director, Pan African Studies

Featured Courses

Introduction to Africana Studies

This course is transnational in nature and interdisciplinary in delivery. The course focuses on the interconnected historical, artistic, and political forces of the African and African Diaspora experience. As a transnational course, it examines the Afrodiasporic experience through the relationship of peoples, ideas, cultures, and events across geographical boundaries. And as an interdisciplinary endeavor, it informs and filters that experience through an integrative framework of various subjects of inquiry and methodologies. The course also introduces students to the content and contours of African Studies as a field of study-its genealogy, development, theoretical orientations, multiple methodological strategies, and future challenges.

Literature of the African Diaspora

Explore the histories, cultures, and experiences of African and African-descended peoples as represented in literature across genres. Examine landmark works of Black critical theory and aesthetic/cultural philosophy to better understand concepts such as the color line, double consciousness, Black nationalism, Africanfuturism, etc. that heavily shaped social and political thought well into the present day. Study and gain insight into significant literary/ideological movements including negritude, the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, etc. to establish a foundation for additional study in upper-level literature courses on U.S. and global texts.

Francophone Culture and Civilization

In this survey course, we explore the diversity of the French-speaking world, including the French Antilles, sub-Saharan and North Africa, and French-speaking Canada. Examine the role played by French-speaking communities within the United States, analyzing the cultural, political, and societal values that these immigrant communities—both historical and more recent—have brought to this country.

Cultural History of Modern Africa

Explore the cultural history of contemporary Africa and how political and economic processes have historically influenced social structures, institutions, and cultural patterns. You will study imperialism, colonialism, independence, international aid, economic globalization, and various global conflicts—all of which have shaped and been shaped by the history of the continent. Learn three interrelated themes: cultural processes and social institutions just prior to European colonization of Africa, the ruptures of these cultural processes and social institutions caused by colonialism, and the legacy of the ruptures during the post-colonial era.

— APPLY NOW —