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Africana Studies

Africana Studies - B.A.

Explore the rich history and culture of Africa and the African diaspora with 5X社区's Africana Studies Bachelor's Degree program. Develop a deep understanding of the social, cultural and political issues that have shaped the African world.

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Bachelor's Degree in Africana Studies

5X社区's Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies offers an in-depth exploration of the histories, cultures, and experiences of people of African descent across the globe. The program provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge in areas such as African history, politics, literature, and social movements, fostering a critical understanding of African and African diasporic contributions to global society. Through a blend of theoretical and practical study, the B.A. in Africana Studies prepares graduates for careers in education, public service, international relations, and cultural advocacy, while also laying the groundwork for advanced academic pursuits.

Program Information for Africana Studies - B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Africana Studies covers a broad spectrum of the global African experience, which allows students to investigate African connections and influences among and with other ethnic groups in the United States and other parts of the Americas and the world.

The Africana Studies major comprises the following concentrations:

  • The Community Activism, Strategy and Development concentration focuses on both historical and contemporary efforts to effect change in communities of color. It examines ways in which diasporic communities and individuals have coordinated political and social strategies for survival and development in spite of racism and socio-economic challenges. The concentration prepares students to work in areas such as education, law, public service, social work, research, business, grant-writing and community organizing and development. It also provides a good foundation for those interested in graduate studies.
  • The Global and Government Systems concentration focuses on historical and contemporary culture and politics of people of African descent in Africa and throughout the world. Using an interdisciplinary and comparative approach, this concentration prepares students to function in a diverse, global and multicultural environment, working in areas such as education, law, research, public health, international studies, political science, justice studies, foreign service and business.
  • The Race, Gender and Sexuality concentration focuses on the intersection of race, sex and/or gender primarily, though not exclusively, from the perspective of people of color. It examines issues of identity for both the individual and community. This concentration prepares students to work in areas such as education, advocacy, social work, counseling, multicultural programming and student support services; it is also a good foundation for graduate study.
  • The Arts in Culture and Society concentration focuses on the study of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East through the study of literature, arts and culture, with some emphasis on popular as well as non-literary cultural expressions. This concentration provides insights into the challenges black communities face as well as their creativity. Career opportunities include such areas as the arts, museums, writing, multicultural programming and administration and theatre work. This concentration also provides a good foundation for those interested in continuing to graduate school in ethnic studies, art, education, comparative literature and global and world studies.

Study abroad opportunities exist at the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast and the West African Research Center in Senegal.

Admissions for Africana Studies - B.A.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Understand at the advanced level of the core, the historical experiences of people of African descent.
  2. Interact with diverse communities and be informed and engaged global citizens.
  3. Relate current political and social issues facing the Africana world to global historical events.
  4. Read, analyze and critically articulate the contemporary socio-economic, political and cultural issues facing people of African descent.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
AFS 20001INTRODUCTION TO AFRICANA STUDIES 3
AFS 23001BLACK EXPERIENCE I: BEGINNINGS TO 1865 (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
AFS 23002BLACK EXPERIENCE II: 1865 TO PRESENT (DIVD) (KHUM) 3
AFS 37000ORAL AND WRITTEN DISCOURSES IN AFRICANA STUDIES (WIC) 13
AFS 37001THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO AFRICANA STUDIES 3
AFS 37010RESEARCH METHODS IN AFRICANA STUDIES (ELR) 3
AFS 47099SENIOR SEMINAR IN AFRICANA STUDIES (ELR) (WIC) 13
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 214-16
6
3
3
6
6-7
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)42
Concentrations
Choose from the following:12
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

2

Students are recommended to satisfy their college language requirement with the study of an African language, such as Kiswahili.

Community Activism, Strategy and Development Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Concentration Electives, choose from the following:12
AFS 20200
RECOVERING THE PAST: KENT TO MEMPHIS (ELR)
or AFS 26000
LEGACIES OF SLAVERY
AFS 20300
BLACK IMAGES
AFS 23310
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
or AFS 33310
AFRO-LATINX COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. (DIVD)
AFS 26010
BLACK LIVES MATTER: THE CONTINUED STRUGGLE FOR BLACK LIBERATION
AFS 30010
AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES (DIVD)
or PHIL 31070
AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES (DIVD)
AFS 33100
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (DIVD)
AFS 33130
GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
AFS 33171
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES (DIVD)
AFS 37150
SECRET AND MAROON SOCIETIES IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY
AFS 41192
PRACTICUM IN AFRICANA COMMUNITIES (ELR) 1
AFS 43100
RACE, CLASS AND FEMINIST THOUGHT
HDF 44032
NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING AND GRANTWRITING
HIST 31082
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND BLACK POWER MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
POL 30450
URBAN POLITICS AND POLICY
SOC 42359
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
or SOC 42558
WEALTH, POVERTY AND POWER
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Maximum 3 credit hours of AFS 41192 may be applied toward the concentration.

Global and Government Systems Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Concentration Electives, choose from the following:12
AFS 23310
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
AFS 33200
ANCIENT AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS
AFS 34100
ISLAMIC WEST AFRICA
AFS 35200
AFRICAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS
AFS 37020
THE MODEL AFRICAN UNION (ELR)
AFS 37150
SECRET AND MAROON SOCIETIES IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY
AFS 41192
PRACTICUM IN AFRICANA COMMUNITIES (ELR) 1
ECON 42075
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
GEOG 37040
GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG)
HIST 31131
HISTORY OF COLONIAL AFRICA, 1880-1994
POL 30500
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY
or POL 30810
POLITICS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
POL 41990
COLUMBUS PROGRAM IN STATE ISSUES (ELR) 2
or POL 42990
WASHINGTON PROGRAM IN NATIONAL ISSUES (ELR)
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Maximum 3 credit hours of AFS 41192 may be applied toward the concentration.

2

Maximum 6 credit hours of POL 41990 or POL 42990 may be applied toward the concentration.

Race, Gender and Sexuality Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Concentration Electives, choose from the following:12
AFS 20300
BLACK IMAGES
AFS 33110
BLACK WOMEN, CULTURE AND SOCIETY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (DIVD)
AFS 33120
THE BLACK MAN: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
AFS 33130
GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
AFS 37100
AFRICANA WOMEN’S LITERATURE (DIVG)
ENG 35301
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES (DIVD)
PSYC 40625
DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER ROLE AND IDENTITY (DIVD)
SOC 32565
SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUALITIES (DIVD)
SOC 32570
INEQUALITY IN SOCIETIES (DIVD)
or SOC 42568
RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES (DIVD)
WMST 30001
ARENAS FOR FEMINIST THOUGHT: TOUCHY SUBJECTS, UNSETTLED MATTERS AND FEMINIST RESPONSE-ABILITY
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12

The Arts in Culture and Society Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Concentration Electives, choose from the following:12
AFS 20300
BLACK IMAGES
AFS 22000
CREATIVE WRITING IN THE BLACK WORLD
AFS 22101
AFRICAN AMERICAN VISUAL ARTISTS
AFS 31092
PRACTICUM IN AFRICAN THEATRE ARTS (ELR) 1
or AFS 41192
PRACTICUM IN AFRICANA COMMUNITIES (ELR)
AFS 32001
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE TO 1900
AFS 32050
AFRICAN LITERATURES (DIVG)
AFS 34200
BLACK MUSIC REVISITED
AFS 37100
AFRICANA WOMEN’S LITERATURE (DIVG)
AFS 43095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PAN-AFRICAN LITERATURE, ARTS AND CULTURES
MUS 42111
AFRICAN MUSIC AND CULTURES
or MUS 42161
HISTORY OF JAZZ (DIVD)
THEA 11303
THE ART OF ACTING
or THEA 41113
THEATRE IN A MULTICULTURAL AMERICA (DIVD)
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Maximum 3 credit hours of AFS 41192 may be applied toward the concentration.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
  • Minimum 9 credit hours taken for any of the concentrations must be upper-division (30000 or 40000 level).

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:

  1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
  2. Elementary I and II of a second language
  3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  • Intermediate I of the same language
  • ARAB 21401
  • ASL 19401
  • CHIN 25421
  • MCLS 10001
  • MCLS 20001
  • MCLS 20091
  • MCLS 21417
  • MCLS 21420
  • MCLS 22217
  • MCLS 28403
  • MCLS 28404
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by 5X社区; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2

Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
AFS 20001 INTRODUCTION TO AFRICANA STUDIES 3
AFS 23001 BLACK EXPERIENCE I: BEGINNINGS TO 1865 (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
AFS 23002 BLACK EXPERIENCE II: 1865 TO PRESENT (DIVD) (KHUM) 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
Concentration Elective 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
Concentration Elective 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
AFS 37001 THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO AFRICANA STUDIES 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
AFS 37000 ORAL AND WRITTEN DISCOURSES IN AFRICANA STUDIES (WIC) 3
Concentration Electives 6
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
AFS 37010 RESEARCH METHODS IN AFRICANA STUDIES (ELR) 3
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
AFS 47099 SENIOR SEMINAR IN AFRICANA STUDIES (ELR) (WIC) 3
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Africana Studies - B.A.

Graduates of Kent State鈥檚 B.A. Degree in Africana Studies are well-prepared for diverse careers in education, public policy, social services, and cultural advocacy. The program鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach, which explores the history, culture, and experiences of people of African descent, equips students with critical thinking and communication skills. Graduates can pursue roles such as community organizers, cultural program directors, educators, and policy analysts, contributing to fields like social justice, international development, and human rights advocacy.

Access a listing of tips for enhancing your Africana studies skills and some potential career paths.