The Africana Studies Major prepares students to become informed and positive participants in the world community by developing a global perspective on Africa and its Diaspora. Building on Ramapo College’s tradition of interdisciplinary inquiry, the Program strives to imbue students with an analysis about Africa and its Diaspora far beyond that of a foundational knowledge base.  Our goals are to give students an affirmative and transformative experience through learning about Africa’s people and Diasporic contributions to world culture with their arts, labor, resources, and civil and human rights ideologies.

To accomplish these goals we rely on an extraordinary diverse faculty in a number of disciplines throughout all of the Schools at Ramapo College. Our faculty is united by a commitment to prepare our students to be global citizens that can facilitate positive change in Africa and its Diaspora.  The Faculty believes that preparation for this kind of global citizenship must be accomplished by developing our students’ critical thinking skills, oral competence, writing ability, technological and ecological literacy.

Since many of our courses double-count, students are encouraged to double-major and/or minor to increase their career options and opportunities. Thus, an Africana Studies major with a major or minor in such disciplines as literature, business, international studies, music, history, or communications is welcomed.

What can you do with a B.A. in Africana Studies Degree? Jobs, Business Opportunities, Graduate School:

This region in particular provides current job opportunities and an immense future growth of opportunities for an Africana Studies major because it’s near New York City, which is a global and international hub.  An Africana studies major can get a job in the emerging global financial business industry, with International Relief Agencies, with Federal or State Diplomatic services, with the Central Intelligence Agency, with United Nation agencies, with religious Foreign Missions, in International education.  Also, they will get jobs in the traditional jobs of teaching education.  For example, in the State Legislation of New Jersey in 2002 they passed the Amistad Act Law chapter 16A of title 52, requiring all New Jersey schools teach the history of African Americans.  There are also many options for those who want to pursue a Masters as well as a Ph.D. if so desired.  In the past as well as currently other traditional jobs in news media, popular magazines, entertainment, politics, social work, etc. have been successfully held by college graduates with this major and there is solid research on this topic.  (See “What Can You do with a Black Studies Major and Minor” by Robert Fikes, Librarian San Diego State University 2004)

The Africana Studies Major leads to the B.A. Degree, and is offered through the Salameno School of Humanities and Global Studies.  A minor is also available.

Outcome 1: Describe the major historical and contemporary themes and actors related to the Africa and its Diaspora. Students should display a competent knowledge of the area of their interest in Africa and/or Diaspora knowing the key actors and events that they studied in that particular course.

Outcome 2: Explain how Africa and its Diaspora shaped world history and shapes the modern world.

Outcome 3: Explain some of the major theoretical and methodological perspectives in Africana Studies for attaining Civil and Human Rights (e.g. Non-violence, nationalism, humanism, womanism, race theories, multicultural theories and postmodernist perspectives). 

Outcome 4: Translate the major theoretical and methodological perspectives in Africana Studies into applied, pragmatic, and policy oriented ideas and programs. 

Outcome 5: Use an interdisciplinary approach to describe and analyze some aspect of Africa and its Diaspora. 

Outcome 6: Describe the African Diaspora as a theoretical concept and as a historical and contemporary reality. 

Outcome 7: Translate an understanding of the inter-connections and diversity of Africa and its Diaspora into trans-cultural competence. 

Outcome 8: Students will be able to connect course content/materials with out of class experiences.

1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or Major Requirements.
2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
3. Writing Intensive Requirement (six courses):  three writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: First Year Seminar, Critical Reading and Writing, and Readings in the Humanities; the other three courses are taken in the major.  Within the Africana Studies major, students are required to take Introduction to African Studies, African American Social and Political Thought, and a third Writing Intensive course taken in consultation with the advisor.
4. Not all courses are offered each semester.  Please check the current Schedule of Classes for semester course offerings.

AFRICANA STUDIES MAJOR

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

1. At least 1/2 of the courses fulfilling a minor must be distinct from the student’s major. That is, three of the five courses required for a minor cannot be used towards fulfillment of major requirements. A school core does not need to be completed for a minor. Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.

AFRICANA STUDIES MINOR

Four Year Plan
School of Social Science and Human Services Website
Faculty Profiles