African Studies

The African Studies Program encourages teaching and scholarship on sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the wider African diaspora. Our program is a focal point for students and faculty members with expertise in African studies, encouraging course offerings related to Africa, promoting study abroad programs and internships, expanding African studies programming, and organizing campus and local community events pertaining to Africa.

What You Can Do with a Degree in African Studies

Students who pursue an African studies minor or graduate certificate hone essential skills such as critical thinking, domestic and international advocacy, policy development and analysis, and much more. Our alumni have launched successful careers in:

  • Arts and culture
  • Science, health, and technology 
  • Nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations
  • Nonprofit organizations and public interest groups
  • Consulting firms
  • Research institutes
  • Colleges and universities

Our Degree Programs

The African studies minor is an interdisciplinary program that exposes undergraduates to the study of the African continent through courses as well as experiences outside of class. Graduate students in a University of Oregon MA or PhD program may pursue a graduate specialization in African studies.

Assistant professor Habib Iddrisu

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our faculty comprises experts from all over campus and the world who conduct interdisciplinary research on a broad range of topics. Faculty members from the fields of journalism, history, ethnomusicology, anthropology, geography, economics, and more who have an expertise in Africa teach classes in their own fields with an emphasis on Africa.

Student taking photos of art

Get Real-world Experience

Our students enrich their studies by traveling the world and immersing themselves in other cultures through study abroad programs and global internships. They also organize and participate in campus and community events to help promote awareness of African culture.

Scholarships and Funding

Students pursuing a minor or graduate specialization in African studies can apply for a variety of fellowships, programs, scholarships, and other opportunities to help fund their education.

Undergraduate Scholarships 
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Students in the African Studies Program can seek academic support, career counseling, and other advising services through Tykeson Hall or by consulting our program advisor. 

Undergraduate Advising 
Support for Graduate Students

Humanities News and African Studies Events

GENERAL SOCIAL SCIENCES, POLITICAL SCIENCE – Alum Irisa Mehta '23 wanted to be a voice for others, to be a representative for those who face the educational barrier of understanding our criminal justice system. She took on two majors and two minors to make sure she was prepared for anything. She learned a lot academically and about how to have fun.
INDIGENOUS, RACE, AND ETHNIC STUDIES; NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - Kirby Brown, along with co-editors Stephen Ross and Alana Sayers, win the Modernist Studies Association award for Best Edited Collection for the "Routledge Handbook of North American Indigenous Modernisms."
INDIGENOUS, RACE, AND ETHNIC STUDIES; NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES-In a special surprise delivered straight to their classrooms, eight professors learned they won a 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award. The Distinguished Teaching Awards recognize exceptional teaching that is inclusive, engaged and research-informed. This year’s winners are Jocelyn Hollander, Faith Barter, Alex Zunterstein, Kirby Brown, Robin Hopkins, Tannaz Farsi, Patricia Rodley and Michael Moffitt.

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Winter Career & Internship Expo
Jan30
Winter Career & Internship Expo Jan 30 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: What to Expect During the Book Publishing Process, from Contract to Publication
Jan30
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: What to Expect During the Book Publishing Process, from Contract to Publication Jan 30
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Comparing Metalloenzymatic Active Sites to Synthetic Model Complexes: Expanding Views on Supporting Ligands
Jan31
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Comparing Metalloenzymatic Active Sites to Synthetic Model Complexes: Expanding Views on Supporting Ligands Jan 31 Willamette Hall
Roundtable: Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature in Global Context
Jan31
Roundtable: Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature in Global Context Jan 31 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Outliers and Outlaws—Documentary Screening and Q&A
Feb2
Outliers and Outlaws—Documentary Screening and Q&A Feb 2 Straub Hall
Department of History Coffee Hour
Feb4
Department of History Coffee Hour Feb 4 McKenzie Hall
Patty Krawec: "Surviving Together"
Feb4
Patty Krawec: "Surviving Together" Feb 4 Knight Library
Cinema Studies in Dublin
Feb5
Cinema Studies in Dublin Feb 5 Fenton Hall
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Peter Vertacnik
Feb5
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Peter Vertacnik Feb 5 Knight Library
Immigration Information and Support Session
Feb5
Immigration Information and Support Session Feb 5 Straub Hall

All events »