Simply put, African studies is the study of Africa, specifically its people, its societies and its culture. This includes the study of Africa’s history, culture of Africa’s many countries and races, African anthropology (ethnic groups and demographics), the continents diverse economies (with a focus on poverty), language groups, traditional African religions, and modern-day religions.
Since many consider North Africa to be quite Arabic in origin, much of today’s academic focus is on sub-Saharan Africa. However, this is a point of much contention among “Africanists” (specialists in African Studies) and is a central theme of many debates relating to African studies.
African Studies college programs at the undergraduate and graduate degree level focus on the study of society, economics, politics, history, and culture of one or more of the peoples and races – both modern and historical – of the African Continent, usually with an academic emphasis on Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and including the African populations and societies overseas.
The colleges, universities and schools below offer majors and degree programs in African Studies. To learn more about a specific school click on any of the links below.
Agnes Scott College
141 E. College Ave, Decatur, GA 30030-3797
| Phone Number: | (404) 471-6000 |
| Website: | www.agnesscott.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 948 (906 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
American Public University System
111 W Congress St, Charles Town, WV 25414
| Phone Number: | (877) 468-6268 |
| Website: | www.apus.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | 1-year certificate Associate’s degree Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Distant town |
| Campus housing: | No |
| Student Population: | 51,347 (39,154 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 52 to 1 |
Barnard College
3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6598
| Phone Number: | (212) 854-5262 |
| Website: | www.barnard.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,450 (2,450 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 8 to 1 |
Bowdoin College
5700 College Station – President’s Office, Brunswick, ME 04011-8448
| Phone Number: | (207) 725-3000 |
| Website: | www.bowdoin.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Distant town |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 1,855 (1,855 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
220 McFall Ctr, Bowling Green, OH 43403
| Phone Number: | (419) 372-2531 |
| Website: | www.bgsu.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year public |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship |
| Campus setting: | Distant town |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 20,654 (16,359 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 20 to 1 |
Brown University
One Prospect Street, Providence, RI 2912
| Phone Number: | (401) 863-1000 |
| Website: | www.brown.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Midsize city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 8,877 (6,591 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 11 to 1 |
Claremont Graduate University
150 E Tenth St, Claremont, CA 91711-6160
| Phone Number: | (909) 621-8000 |
| Website: | www.cgu.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,495 (0 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 15 to 1 |
Colby College
4000 Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, ME 04901-8840
| Phone Number: | (207) 859-4000 |
| Website: | www.colby.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Rural fringe community |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,013 (2,013 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |
Columbia University in the City of New York
West 116 St and Broadway, New York, NY 10027
| Phone Number: | (212) 854-1754 |
| Website: | www.columbia.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 25,340 (7,904 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 6 to 1 |
Connecticut College
270 Mohegan Ave, New London, CT 6320
| Phone Number: | (860) 447-1911 |
| Website: | www.connecticutcollege.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Small city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,103 (2,096 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
Dickinson College
College and Louther Streets, Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
| Phone Number: | (717) 243-5121 |
| Website: | www.dickinson.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Distant town |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,398 (2,398 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
Emory University
408 Administration Building, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322
| Phone Number: | (404) 727-6123 |
| Website: | www.emory.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Associate’s degree Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 14,057 (7,290 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 8 to 1 |
Franklin and Marshall College
College Ave, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| Phone Number: | (717) 291-3911 |
| Website: | www.fandm.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Small city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,335 (2,335 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 9 to 1 |
Hampshire College
893 West St, Amherst, MA 01002-5001
| Phone Number: | (413) 549-4600 |
| Website: | www.hampshire.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Finge town |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 1,494 (1,494 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |
Hobart William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY 14456
| Phone Number: | (315) 781-3000 |
| Website: | www.hws.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Distant town |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,101 (2,092 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |
Howard University
2400 Sixth St NW, Washington, DC 20059-0001
| Phone Number: | (202) 806-6100 |
| Website: | www.howard.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | 4-year certificate Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 11,503 (7,922 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |
| Online Application: | www.howard.edu/enrollment/admission |
Lafayette College
High St, Easton, PA 18042-1768
| Phone Number: | (610) 330-5000 |
| Website: | www.lafayette.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 2,455 (2,455 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 11 to 1 |
Old Chapel, Middlebury, VT 5753
| Phone Number: | (802) 443-5000 |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Doctor’s degree – other |
| Campus setting: | Rural fringe community |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 4,366 (3,549 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 15 to 1 |
Northwestern University
633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208
| Phone Number: | (847) 491-3741 |
| Website: | www.northwestern.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | 2-year certificate Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Small city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 21,412 (9,769 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI 48309-4401
| Phone Number: | (248) 370-2100 |
| Website: | www.oakland.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year public |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 22,355 (17,448 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 22 to 1 |
| Admissions: | www.oakland.edu/futurestudents |
| Financial Aid: | www.oakland.edu/financialaid/ |
| Online Application: | www.oakland.edu/apply/ |
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
| Phone Number: | (650) 723-2300 |
| Website: | www.stanford.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Large suburb |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 20,465 (7,699 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 6 to 1 |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
601 E John Street, Champaign, IL 61820-5711
| Phone Number: | (217) 333-1000 |
| Website: | www.illinois.edu/ |
| School Type: | 4-year public |
| Awards Offered: | 4-year certificate Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree |
| Campus setting: | Small city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 46,585 (32,620 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 19 to 1 |
University of Pennsylvania
1 College Hall 34th and Spruce Sts, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6303
| Phone Number: | (215) 898-5000 |
| Website: | www.upenn.edu |
| School Type: | 4-year private not-for-profit |
| Awards Offered: | 1-year certificate 2-year certificate Associate’s degree 4-year certificate Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree Doctor’s degree – other |
| Campus setting: | Large city |
| Campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 27,135 (12,981 undergraduate) |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 10 to 1 |