Black Studies

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Program Overview

The Black Studies program at Fairfield University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive study of the origins and experiences of people of African descent, including African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Afro Asians, Afro Latinos, and Afro Europeans. The interdisciplinary field explores Africa and the African Diaspora (the global dispersion of people of African ancestry), including the Americas, Britain, and Europe, and introduces students to the field by exploring the social, political, and economic roots of contemporary problems by examining them in the context of the wider world.

As an interdisciplinary program, Black Studies is devoted to scholarship on the histories, political and cultural movements, institution-building, and identities of people of African ancestry. It includes the exploration of the rich cultural heritage, legacy of resistance to oppressive structures, and unique perspectives on human rights supplied by peoples of African descent. The Black Studies curriculum includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to provide students with an understanding of the far-reaching impacts of race and ethnicity across continents. By engaging in a comparative and theoretical examination of Africa and the African Diaspora, students will be equipped to undertake an interdisciplinary scholarly analysis of various complex global questions.

The Black Studies minor also helps prepare students for life in an increasingly multi-ethnic and global society by providing them with the opportunity to build on skills needed for professional careers in community service, education, government, law, and private industry.

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Contact Us

Office of Undergraduate Admission

P: (203) 254-4100
F: (203) 254-4199
admis@fairfield.edu

Requirements & Curriculum

Required Courses

Black Lives Matter
Four (4) Black Studies elective courses*

*Courses are drawn from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The four elective courses must represent at least two different disciplines. At least two must be "focus" courses; the other two may be "component" courses.

A detailed list of course requirements, offerings, and more can be viewed in the University’s course catalog.

More About Black Studies

Life After Fairfield

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Life After Fairfield

A concentration in Black Studies provides the foundation through which you can guide your personal and professional ambitions, and assists you in understanding the compartmentalized and often disconnected areas of focus within Western education.

In a world that is increasingly more conscious about the value of multiculturalism, the Black Studies perspective makes a graduate a more attractive candidate to perspective employers. In fact, Black Studies minors can be found in a variety of professions and occupational areas, including:

  • Education
  • Journalism
  • Law
  • Business Management
  • Government
  • City Planning
  • International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Social Work

Learn how Fairfield's Career Services can support your post-graduate goals, and how our tight-knit alumni network can build career and mentoring opportunities that last a lifetime.

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Diversity and Inclusive Excellence

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Diversity and Inclusive Excellence

Four Students sitting together talking to each other in common srrea 

As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fairfield is dedicated to diversity and inclusion; to radical hospitality in service of racial, social, and economic justice.

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Faculty

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Faculty

The College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield University is home to a vibrant community of engaged faculty, dedicated staff, and accomplished scholars devoted to the process of invention and discovery and excited by the prospect of producing knowledge in the service of others. Meet the dedicated members of our Black Studies faculty.
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