Your multidisciplinary exploration of African American topics will be guided by a diverse faculty of considerable expertise, encompassing African American and Caribbean literature, history, religion, sociology, drama, writing, political science, and more.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The founding college of Syracuse University remains at the center of undergraduate learning. The College is divided into the natural sciences and mathematics, the humanities, and the social sciences, with the lattermost offered in partnership with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Courses
Sample courses for African American studies majors include:
- Research Methods in African American Society
- Caribbean Society since Independence
- The Harlem Renaissance: Literature and Ideology
- African American Drama
- Research in African American Community Programs
- Seminar in Social Change
Practical Experience
Use Syracuse University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to support your scholarly and instructional pursuits with extensive resources related to the African American studies curriculum. The Library encourages lifelong learning through African American research and experience.
Visit the Community Folk Art Center Inc., a vibrant cultural and artistic hub near campus committed to the promotion and development of artists of the African Diaspora.
Join and participate in the many multicultural organizations on campus, including those related to arts and entertainment, cultural and international issues, governance, and professional pursuits. The Student African American Society, founded in 1967, is the largest and oldest non-Greek organization at Syracuse.
Seize opportunities to do professional internships – on campus, off campus, or internationally.
Study Abroad
Broaden your perspective and enhance your resume with an international experience through Syracuse Abroad, with more than 100 programs in 60 countries.
African American Studies majors most often go abroad to the Syracuse University Madrid Center, and to our World Partner programs at Fordham in Pretoria and with SIT Uganda: Development Studies.
Travel to France with Paris Noir —a five-week summer study abroad program that examines the influence of Black cultures on Paris and the world. Explore themes, exchange ideas with influential Black artists, writers, scholars, and community activists, and meet people from the worlds of politics, fashion, and music. Students of any major are welcome; be sure to apply by the February deadline to ensure your spot in the program.
Life After Syracuse University
As a College of Arts & Sciences graduate with a major in African American studies, you can explore such careers as:
- Community organizer and activist
- Public interest law
- Human services
- Advertising, marketing, and public relations
- Education
You can also pursue graduate training in such areas as law, ethnic and multicultural studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies, journalism, and education. Recent graduates of the program have attended some of the top graduate schools in the U.S.