Welcome to the Africana Studies Institute

UConn’s Africana Studies Institute is a vibrant community of scholars who study the African American experience, Africa, and the African Diaspora. 

Learn more about the history of ASI

Moratorium, October 15, 1969. Students at the Vietnam War protest in front of the Student Union. (Howard Goldbaum Collection of Connecticut Daily Campus Negatives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library.)

What is Africana Studies?

Africana Studies is a field of study that is interdisciplinary in focus. The Institute teaches classes ranging from sociology, political science, history, and education among our diverse offerings. More specifically at UCONN, for decades we have trained our students to critically analyze the varied experiences of people of African descent globally and locally. We have a strong public history presence that focuses on Black people in New England and Connecticut that helps the program remain committed to the principles that Africana Studies was founded on, community engagement.

Why major or minor in Africana Studies?

It has become increasingly important to successive generations of students entering the workforce to develop and refine skills needed to practice cultural competence and critically analyze the varied experiences of African descended people in this country and around the world. The Africana Studies Institute offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a minor in Africana Studies, which provides a solid foundation for jobs in health care, law, education, journalism, government, and charitable, nonprofit organizations.

 

What we offer:

You will learn from some of UConn’s best teachers and mentors as well as trailblazers in their respective fields.

You will enhance your critical thinking, writing, analysis, and communication skills.

Opportunities to study abroad in Ghana and Kenya for course credit.

Faculty pairing: 1:1 academic advising, career mentoring, and research opportunities.

Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence in Africana Studies

30+
Undergraduate Majors

70+
Undergraduate Minors

16+
Core Faculty

26+
Affiliate Faculty

Undergraduate Advising

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Major in Africana Studies

Dive into diverse cultures and histories of African descended people.

Explore the Major

 

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Minor Options

The Institute offers two minors in Africana Studies and African Studies, coupled with study abroad opportunities in African countries.

 

Explore the Minors

ASI Staff and Dr. Molette at the Mollette Dinner 2023: A group of eight individuals stands in a line indoors for a photo, with one of them using a mobility aid, a walker. They are dressed in a mixture of formal and casual attire. The background features an exit sign above a door on the left.

Find a Professor

Explore our roster of faculty members and their areas of research expertise.

Explore our Faculty

IN THE NEWS

UConn Today: CLAS Connections: Fiona Vernal and Amanda Cannada

Feb 12, 2024

Five heartfelt minutes with Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies Fiona Vernal and Africana Studies Program Assistant Amanda Cannada.

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UConn's Africana Studies Institute educates its community about the important historical and cultural contributions of people of African descent.