Black World Studies deals with the integrity, continuity, and vitality of the international black experience. You'll learn different perspectives on the history and culture of Africa and its diasporas in Central, North, and South America as well as the Caribbean and elsewhere.
OWU's Black World Studies Program is interdisciplinary in character, with its core curriculum involving educational approaches from political science, literature, sociology, anthropology, history, religion, art, psychology, and economics. You're encouraged to participate in fieldwork and internships, with study abroad opportunities available for you in Africa and the Caribbean.
We recognize how different areas of the black experience influence each other, so our program reflects that. Our courses show the connection between politics, the arts, geography, education, business, and other areas. With these classes, you will develop an awareness and appreciation of the social, political, and cultural diversity of the black world. You'll also be able to recognize, evaluate, and analyze the historic, artistic, scientific, and humanitarian contributions of Africans, individually and collectively, to the world.
OWU Connection travel opportunities range from 1-2 weeks for a Travel-Learning Course to semester-long study abroad programs.
At OWU's semester-long Tanzania Program, you will encounter the political, economic, and social realities of life in 21st-century east Africa. You can conduct social research, travel in the country, and live in a home-stay experiences, learning a great deal about yourself and the country.
The program is affiliated with the University of Dar Es Salaam and is recommended for students interested in medical systems, the status of women, economic development, and social policy. All courses (except Swahili) are taught in English.
A Travel-Learning Course on nation building in Ghana employed a holistic focus on economic structures, medical systems, and West African history. During the two-week trip to Ghana, the class volunteered at a school and an orphanage.
Undergraduate research, performed under the mentorship of expert faculty, is a central component of The OWU Connection.
We emphasize intellectual curiosity, creativity, initiative, and synthesis. OWU provides opportunities, including traveling abroad, for you to explore an existing problem or develop a totally new avenue of exploration. You can work with a faculty mentor and apply for grant funding—and present your research at the Student Symposium in the spring.
OWU students have earned competitive, University-funded Theory-to-Practice Grants to travel to Africa to study topics including the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in HIV/AIDS policymaking, British colonialism and the impact of post-colonialism in Zimbabwe, and African Christianity in Uganda.
Students may apply to live in the House of Black Culture, a themed house that creates a true understanding of African and African American culture and strong cohesiveness among the entire campus community.
In the Poverty, Equity, and Social Justice Course Connection, you can choose from 33 courses in 13 departments in four divisions, including Black World Studies, as you study local, national, and global issues related to poverty, equity, and social justice from multiple academic perspectives.
After studying Black World Studies and Sociology/Anthropology at OWU, Maggie earned her master's in Oral History from Columbia University. She was named the 2015 Ruth Weimer Mount Intern at Ohioana Library.
