Music major draws from historical lows to hit musical highs in a soulful self-designed recital
For vocal music majors, completing a senior recital as part of an Independent Study at The College of Wooster is the culmination of years […]
Overview
What careers can you pursue with a degree in Africana Studies?
The research, analysis and critical thinking skills students build by examining the historical and contemporary experiences of Africana women and men around the world gives them the ability to pursue careers in public policy, business, law, education, the arts and more. A truly interdisciplinary department, Africana Studies introduces students to perspectives by and about people of African descent that are not covered in other departments. The College of Wooster’s Independent Study requirement means that students graduate with mentored research on a topic they are passionate about, such as a comparative analysis of James Baldwin and Frank Ocean or an analysis of racial and economic inequalities in schools.
Africana Studies at The College of Wooster
For more than 40 years, Africana Studies has helped prepare Wooster graduates to succeed in a multicultural world. Africana Studies majors can choose courses within the department, along with select interdepartmental courses, on topics ranging from Black feminist thought, Black nationalism, the social construction of race, the Black religious experience, African American music, and Africana art, to the history of African Americans. The small-college atmosphere facilitates informal conversation between students, their peers, and faculty. Africana Studies can be a major or minor and can be a double major for those who want to pursue more than one area of inquiry.
Faculty & Staff
Santha Schuch
Administrative Coordinator - Africana Studies, Archaeology, East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern & North African Studies, Religious Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, South Asian Studies, Urban Studies, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Courtney Thompson
Josephine Lincoln Morris Associate Professor of Africana Studies (on leave Spring 2025)
Latest Africana Studies News
Mitchell Ecklund ’25 presents paper at prestigious American Historical Association conference
Mitchell Ecklund ’25, a history and English double major and Africana studies minor at The College of Wooster, presented his junior Independent Study topic […]
Josephine Wright discovers Civil War press is rich resource for continued slave music research
Josephine Wright, professor emerita, Africana studies and music, may be 80 years old and retired from teaching after 40 years at The College of […]
National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell ’94 advocates for diversity in profession and curriculum
Veteran history teacher Kurt Russell ’94 is taking a year-long sabbatical from teaching at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, Ohio. It’s not a vacation […]
Major
A major in Africana Studies provides students with an Africa-centered perspective on the societies, history, politics, and culture of African descended people, with a special focus on the United States.
List of Africana Studies major courses:
- AFST-100: Intro to Africana Studies
- AFST-213: Racism 101
- One elective 100-level AFST course
- Two elective 200-level or above AFST courses
- Two elective courses in AFST or cross-listed with AFST
- One 200-level Theory & Methods course
- Two I.S. courses (AFST-451, -452)
Minor
List of Africana Studies minor courses:
- Two 100-level AFST courses (one being AFST-100: Intro to Africana Studies)
- Two 200-level or above AFST courses (one being AFST-213: Racism 101)
- One Theory & Methods course
- One elective course in AFST or cross-listed with AFST
Independent Study
The Independent Study requirement at Wooster provides an opportunity for students to pursue in depth a topic of their own choosing, with the one-on-one guidance of a faculty member. Africana Studies opens exciting avenues for student research in a wide variety of areas.
Search the I.S. Database
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| Student | Year | I.S. Title | Major 1 | Major 2 | Advisor |
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| Please search to view results | |||||
Alumni
A major in Africana Studies makes graduates attractive to graduate schools, companies, and other institutions that focus on diversity. It can lead to or support careers in a variety of areas, including law, education, public policy, and business.
Faculty Emeriti
