Africana Studies
Explore the Black experience in the Americas, Africa and many other areas around the world.
Program Overview
Our contemporary world requires global citizens. Regardless of your personal, professional and career goals, you’ll need to understand people, places and cultures — in the United States and beyond.
Our major in Africana studies will teach you about the Black experience in the Americas, Africa and other areas where people of African descent reside.
You’ll learn how to explore these issues from cross-cultural, international, transnational and multidisciplinary perspectives — and examine how the intersection of race, gender and class has affected human history.
What Can I Do With My Degree?
Degree Requirements
The B.A. in Africana studies requires 120 total credit hours. Courses address major theories in Africana studies and principal themes and issues in the history of Black people.
Required Courses
- AFS 240: African Civilizations
- AFS 241: Introduction to African-American Studies
- AFS 342: Introduction to the African Diaspora
- AFS 440: Senior Seminar in Africana Studies
Search through NC State’s course catalog to find other Africana studies courses and related classes in history, psychology, sociology and English.
Other Requirements
GPA Requirements
Africana studies majors must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.0.
Transfer Credits
Current NC State students who add or change their degree to Africana studies must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 completed and approved college-level work. We cannot accept any more than 72 semester hours of approved college credit.
Other Requirements
- The Computer Literacy requirement will be met by completion of AFS 440 – Senior Seminar in Africana Studies.
- Two (2) of the six (6) restrictive elective courses within the major concentration (Africa and African Diaspora Options) must be at the 400-level. For the Community Studies Concentration one (1) of the four (4) elective courses must be at the 400-level.
- Restrictive elective courses within the major concentration must include one course (300-level or above) from at least two of the following disciplines: Anthropology, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work. This course requirement may be met by courses selected from the entire AFS curriculum list, regardless of the students selected option.
Students will also be required to complete a major written paper as a research requirement within the capstone course: AFS 440, Senior Seminar in Africana Studies.