Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Africana Studies

College of Arts and Humanities
Department of Africana Studies

Program Description

The Department of Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Humanities offers a major and a minor in Africana Studies. Africana Studies is primarily a peoples-and culture-based discipline that investigates Africana peoples’ experiences. These experiences range from earliest human civilizations through the tragic era of enslavement, colonization, to the forced migration and displacement of African peoples. The intellectual framework that sets Africana Studies apart from other disciplines is that it explores the subject area from the perspective of Africana peoples’ interests, aspirations, possibilities, and envisioned destinies. The foundation of the discipline rests on an understanding and appreciation of African peoples’ worldview and philosophy of life as the starting point for all Africana intellectual inquiry.  The BA degree and minor program offered by the department emphasize an examination of the theoretical and empirical characteristics of the African world experience from both a contemporary and historical perspective.

Features

A Bachelor of Arts degree and minor in Africana Studies provide a solid factual and conceptual foundation of the history and the development of the African people and their societies. Students are encouraged to participate in practical learning by serving in internships or practicums in Africana communities locally, nationally, and internationally. In addition, students are encouraged to work concurrently with other disciplines in the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, College of Business Administration and Public Policy, College of Education, and the College of Health, Human Services, and Nursing.

Academic Advisement

All majors and minor students in Africana Studies are to have a faculty advisor. Students may either select an advisor or have one assigned to them. It is important that students work closely with an advisor in planning their academic programs because some required courses are offered on a one- or two-year rotational basis. Transfer students should see an advisor before registering for any classes to determine if a prior course may fulfill a requirement in the major.

Preparation

High School students planning to major in Africana Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills should have acquired written and oral communication as well as computational skills.

Opportunities to Study Abroad

The Department of Africana Studies provides students with the opportunity to study abroad, especially in Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Please see the Department Chair for information. Languages There are no language requirements for Africana Studies degree programs. However, students are encouraged to study one or more of the African languages, and/or French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Graduation With Honors

An undergraduate student may be a candidate for graduation with Honors in Africana Studies provided he or she meets the following criteria:

  1. A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills;
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the requirements in the major;
  3. Four upper division courses, including AFS 490 Seminar in Africana Studies, taken in the Department of Africana Studies;

Student Organization

The Department is the primary supporter of the Pan African Union and the Organization of Africana Studies. It is an organizational member of the National Council for Black Studies. The Department also supports other Africana Student Organizations on campus.