African Studies Program

The African Studies program at the College of Charleston supports a wide spectrum of guest speakers and extracurricular activities, and plays an important role in the internationalization of the college curriculum and the college community. 

Students who minor in African Studies benefit from interdisciplinary coursework that surveys the diverse cultures, geography, literature, politics and economics of the African continent. They also develop in-depth knowledge of various African countries, both historically and in the modern age.

Most often hailing from the disciplines of anthropology, English, French, history, political science and religious studies, the widely varied interests of our minors generate cross-disciplinary and trans-cultural dialogues that provide useful preparation for any work in which solid and creative research and communication skills are essential.

African Studies minors have gone on to government and private sector employment in academia, computer science, environmentalism, foreign service, health sciences, human rights, international business, library science, journalism, law and politics, as well as other fields.

To expand our students’ understanding of global connections, the program strongly encourages study abroad on the African continent. 

“I am grateful to have found the African Studies program. I was able to easily incorporate it into my political science major, and the distinguished, passionate African Studies professors offer a unique perspective from their own time on the continent. Also, with such a small department, I have been given many opportunities to work side-byside with professors on projects such as independent studies and the Model African Union."

- Emily Correale ’08

"The African Studies program was excellent preparation for law school. The skills developed in the program—critical thinking, in-depth researching, and clear and concise writing—are needed to succeed in almost any post-graduate endeavor. And, I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning more about an often neglected part of  the world."

Brad Thomas, history major, ’05