African Studies

The vibrant African studies program at St. Lawrence offers students the opportunity to gain a rich understanding of the diversity of the world’s second largest continent, as well as a capacity to examine Africa through different disciplines. Students are immersed in a distinctive cross-cultural perspective through which to study contemporary and historical issues on the African continent and through the experience of people of African descent throughout the world.  

In addition to the African studies minor, the African studies program offers a multidisciplinary curriculum leading to combined majors with anthropology, government, economics and history. The breadth of African Studies courses that are regularly offered allow students to study complex issues from a wide range of perspectives, including public health, language, education, conservation biology, economics, environmental studies, anthropology, film, literature, history, performance and communication studies, global studies, economics, and sociology.  Courses in Swahili are taught every semester by visiting Kenyan scholars.

St. Lawrence’s long standing and well-respected Kenya Semester program provides students the opportunity to study abroad in Kenya and to have internship placements throughout East Africa, Students studying off-campus in Bordeaux encounter a Francophone African culture through travel to Senegal. Summer courses bring African studies alive as students travel to countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, and Ethiopia.

A background in African studies helps prepare students for graduate work across the disciplines and in this interdisciplinary field. Students build critical skills and knowledge for careers in government, international development and business, public health, or for work in the Peace Corps and other service opportunities. Due to the focus on cross-cultural multidisciplinary work, the African studies program supports students in developing skills to understand challenging issues which are useful in almost any professional position and location.