African & Africana Studies Concentration
The concentration in African and Africana Studies explores interdisciplinary approaches to the vast and varied study of Africa and various African Diasporas.
Curriculum & Courses
Faculty from the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History, Linguistics, English, Religion, Political Science, and Sociology teach a range of courses for the concentration, and provide an expansive and interdisciplinary perspective on Africa and its Diasporas. At the same time, we empower our students to discover and cultivate their own specific areas of interest, enriched by the knowledge they bring from their major discipline.
All concentrators are required to complete an introductory course, which is usually Introduction to African and Africana Studies or Introduction to Africana Civilizations, which provides a foundation and frame of reference for advanced work. We offer a range of additional courses, based in a variety of disciplines and illuminating many facets of Africa and the Diaspora. Committed to ensuring that students familiarize themselves with the breadth of Africana Studies, we require them to complete courses about continental Africa as well as courses about the African Diaspora. We also require them to work across disciplines: in addition to completing African- or Africana-related classes in their home departments, students in the concentration must also take relevant classes in at least two other departments.
Our scholarly community also extends beyond the classroom. The program is rich in extra- and co-curricular resources, including speakers and scholar/artists in residence, study abroad opportunities, and international internships.
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Concentration Requirements
- Concentrators must take either AFST H101, “Introduction to African and Africana Studies” (Haverford College) or HIST B102, “Introduction to Africana Civilizations” (BMC).
- Other than the required introductory course, students must complete five additional courses from a list approved by the concentration coordinator.
- At least two, and no more than three, courses must be completed in the departmental major.
- At least three African and Africana Studies courses must be taken in at least two departments outside of the major.
- At least one of the required courses must deal with the African diaspora.
- Concentrators must complete either a senior thesis or seminar-length essay in an area of African and Africana Studies.
Students majoring in a department that requires a thesis satisfy therequirement by writing on a topic approved by their department and by the coordinator(s) of the African and Africana Studies program. If the major department does not require a thesis, an equivalent written exercise that is a seminar-length essay is required. The essay may be written within the framework of a particular course or as an independent study project. The topic must be approved by the instructor in question and by the coordinator(s) of the African and Africana Studies program. Successful completion of the African and Africana Studies minor/concentration is noted on students’ final transcripts.
Research & Outreach
Concentrators produce a senior thesis, a work of original research. The topic of this work must be approved by both the department in which the student is majoring and by the coordinators of the African and Africana Studies Department.Thesis advising—one-on-one with a faculty advisor as well as in a group setting—and the time table for producing the thesis are determined by the policies of the department in which the student’s major is based.
This community-engaged learning course has partnered with the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia and is creating lesson plans for their future antiracism workshops.
Zareck is exploring the untold stories of people of color on Haverford’s campus.
Evans wrote an ethnographic account of the motivating factors of language choice in Ghana through the lens of a community of Dagomba people in the Northern Region of Ghana.
The English major and Africana Studies concentrator hopes to do arts programming at a community arts organization after graduation.
The anthropology major, who minored in health studies and earned a concentration in Africana studies, researched Nigeria’s healthcare system and HIV programs for her senior thesis.
After Graduation
The economics major is starting a job as an associate consultant at IBM.
Keyser works as a contractor in Network Management for a large healthcare organization, building and maintaining provider networks and provider data management.
Warnke specializes in corporate social responsibility and nonprofit branding, portfolio, and capability growth.
Courtney works with the International Rescue Committee in Thailand and Malaysia, managing and coordinating refugee education and resettlement programming with camp-based and urban refugee populations.
Morris co-funded the Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project to fight for juvenile justice.
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You can find detailed instructions and information on the Application Instructions page. If you need to contact us directly, please send an email to admission@haverford.edu.
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