About the Program

Program Overview

The African Studies Program at Ohio University provides students, scholars, and members of the broader community opportunities to develop their understanding of this important world region. As an inter-disciplinary program, the African Studies Program strives to provide students with a strong grounding in the traditional African Studies core disciplines (including political science, anthropology, history, geography, literature) while giving them the opportunity to form their course of study around their professional and academic goals. Themes include the socioeconomic development of the continent in the context of Africa's grand cultural and historical traditions. Students may also view the study of Africa as an excellent case-study of the process of social change in the developing world.

Africa and Ohio University

The African Studies Program grew out of the excitement emanating from the decolonization of the continent in the mid-1960s and the awareness of the important role Africa could play in world affairs.

Current faculty members have worked in a number of nations throughout Africa including Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. Most recently the university has been engaged in research and educational development projects in Botswana, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. Ohio University looks forward to continuing its eminence in the fields of African and Africa-related study and research. Ohio University's Alden Library has extensive Africana holdings and is the North American Depository for documents from Botswana and Swaziland.

Program Learning Objectives

Students will have a broad familiarity with Africa’s geographic, historical and linguistic variety. In addition, students will be prepared to:

• Communicate African issues orally and in writing in a professional manner
• Use a variety of methodological approaches to African research and relevant ethical problem
• Investigate and analyze African social and cultural issues
• Mount independent research projects focusing on African content
• Work in multicultural settings on African and related projects

Opportunities for Graduates

Graduates of the African Studies program have gone on to pursue career opportunities all over the world in politics, foreign service, public health, government and non-governmental organizations, and international development agencies, as well as teaching and research.