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Major · Area, Ethnic & Gender Studies

Study the continent's history, politics, and diasporas in depth

African Studies is a small interdisciplinary major focused on the history, societies, and political economies of the African continent, with emphasis on Africa south of the Sahara and the diasporas overseas. Roughly 80 bachelor's degrees are awarded across 50 colleges each year, and completers report a five-year median around $58,500.

Schools offering
50
Annual completions
80
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

African Studies focuses on the history, societies, politics, cultures, and economies of the peoples of the African continent, with the emphasis typically falling on Sub-Saharan Africa and on the diasporas that have formed overseas. The curriculum combines history and political science with anthropology and economic development coursework, and most programs require at least one African language — Swahili, Arabic, Yoruba, Amharic, or French depending on the institution. Students read across regional case studies and thematic seminars on topics like colonial legacies, health systems, resource economies, and contemporary democratic politics. Senior work is usually a thesis or a substantial research paper.

The major tends to fit students who already have a reason to study the continent — family ties, earlier travel, a development-career plan, language background — and who are comfortable with interdisciplinary reading lists. It rewards people who like to stay with a region long enough to learn it deeply, rather than sampling broadly across humanities fields. Because it is small and selective, students often take on independent projects and work closely with individual faculty.

With roughly 80 annual completions across 50 colleges, African Studies is one of the smaller area studies fields. The top completers — Kennesaw State (11), Bowdoin (7), Duke (5), Chicago (4), Lincoln University (4), Brown (4), and HBCUs like Howard and Morehouse — map onto the network of institutions that have built serious regional programs. The only BLS occupation directly mapped to the CIP is area, ethnic, and cultural studies teacher, postsecondary, at a $84,290 median wage but requiring a doctorate, with 2.4% projected growth. Bachelor's completers report a five-year median around $58,529, reflecting the development, government, and nonprofit sectors where most graduates land.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary $84k +2.4% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$59k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you're already oriented toward Africa as a region — via family, travel, language, or career plans in development or diplomacy — if you're willing to take on a language requirement that runs for multiple semesters, if you like the independent-research rhythm of a small major where you'll work closely with faculty, if you can imagine yourself writing a senior thesis from primary sources or fieldwork, and if you're drawn to programs like those at Duke, Chicago, Brown, Howard, or Morehouse where regional expertise is institutionalized.

Think twice if you want a large cohort or recruiter-heavy major — with 50 programs averaging under two graduates a year, you'll need to build your own networks. Think twice if you're not planning graduate school or a sector that specifically values African regional expertise: the $58,529 five-year median for bachelor's completers is solid but not differentiated from broader social-science majors, and the only BLS-mapped occupation (postsecondary teacher, $84,290) requires a doctorate. And think twice if you find language coursework tedious — the major effectively requires one, and employers in development and foreign service expect meaningful proficiency rather than a token sequence.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for African Studies

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA 0 11 11
Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME 0 7 7
Duke University Durham, NC 0 5 5
University of Chicago Chicago, IL 0 4 4
Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA 0 4 4
Brown University Providence, RI 0 4 4
Yale University New Haven, CT 0 3 3
Howard University Washington, DC 0 3 3
George Washington University Washington, DC 0 3 3
Morehouse College Atlanta, GA 0 3 3
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

American/United States Studies/Civilization

721 completions/yr

African-American/Black Studies

563 completions/yr

Area Studies, Other

451 completions/yr

Asian Studies/Civilization

433 completions/yr

East Asian Studies

220 completions/yr

Latin American Studies

130 completions/yr

Near and Middle Eastern Studies

97 completions/yr

French Studies

52 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do African Studies majors actually study?
You'll work across history, political science, anthropology, economic development, and often a required African language. Expect coursework on colonial and postcolonial history, comparative politics of specific countries or regions, diaspora studies, and thematic seminars on topics like public health systems, resource economies, or literature. The major is research-heavy — many programs require a senior thesis and some expect a study-abroad or field component. Because the field is interdisciplinary, your transcript will cross multiple departments.
Is African Studies only offered at the bachelor's level?
Yes — the data packet lists only bachelor's as a tracked degree level for this CIP, and the 50-college footprint is dominated by selective privates and large flagship publics. There are no tracked associate programs. That's typical for area studies: two-year colleges rarely run them because the language requirements and interdisciplinary faculty loads are hard to support at scale.
What careers do African Studies graduates typically pursue?
The only BLS occupation directly mapped to the major is area, ethnic, and cultural studies teacher, postsecondary ($84,290 median wage, 2.4% projected growth) — a role that requires a doctorate. Most bachelor's graduates go into international development, foreign service, NGO program work, global health organizations, multinational corporate roles focused on African markets, journalism, and law school. The $58,529 five-year median for bachelor's completers reflects that mix of public-sector and development-sector starting salaries.
How much does where you study matter for this major?
More than for most majors. With only 80 annual completions spread across 50 colleges, the academic footprint is small and institutional relationships matter — top completers include Kennesaw State (11), Bowdoin (7), Duke (5), Chicago (4), Lincoln University (4), Brown (4), Yale (3), Howard (3), George Washington (3), and Morehouse (3). That list tells you the field clusters around elite research universities, liberal arts colleges with strong language programs, and historically Black institutions. Job and graduate placements tend to move through faculty connections in this kind of field.
Should I major in African Studies or pick a broader humanities field?
If your post-college plan involves African contexts specifically — development work, diplomacy, journalism covering the continent, or African-focused academic research — the specialized major signals commitment and builds the language and regional expertise employers in those sectors want. If your interest is broader, a major like history, political science, or international relations with an African Studies minor or concentration often gives you more flexibility while preserving the regional depth. The broader fields also have bigger alumni networks and clearer recruiter-visibility outside the development and academic sectors.