Bachelor in African-American/Black Studies (Bachelor's)

Tuition fees are 62,392 USD per year.

This programme studies the histories, cultures, and experiences of people of African descent in Africa and the diaspora using multiple academic fields. Students explore themes like resistance, resilience, and social action through courses in history, literature, sociology, and philosophy. A senior exercise is required, which may be a thesis, project, or final exam. Students are invited to study in Africa, the Caribbean, or Brazil. They must complete four semesters of an African diasporic language.

Focus areas include Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences.

The major requires 11 courses, including the two-semester AFRI 010A AF and AFRI 010B AF sequence, plus a senior exercise. At least four courses must focus on Africa and its diaspora within the student's chosen concentration area.

Graduates pursue roles in academia, cultural institutions, community organizing, and policy work related to racial justice and African diasporic communities.

Applicants must meet Pitzer College's general admission requirements. The programme is open to students in the Pitzer College Combined Major and Minor options. No specific test scores or prerequisites are listed beyond standard college application materials.

On-campus, full-time, typical duration four years. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 17% of applicants.

Students from across the nation and 39 countries contribute to Pitzer’s community in Claremont, California. International students make up 9.6% of the student population. Campus life includes four student-run spaces, a student senate with 54 representatives, and opportunities to influence academic policy, faculty hiring, building design and campus artworks. Every student completes a social responsibility praxis course with a service-learning component before graduation, while most complete more than 40 community engagement hours through that course. Six mixed-use residence halls include solar panels, green roofs, living walls, gray-water systems and water-efficient fixtures.

Since 1963, Pitzer has organized its education around social responsibility, interdisciplinary learning, environmental sustainability, intercultural understanding and student engagement. Students can choose from more than 60 majors and minors across the arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies, while more than 2,000 courses are available across Pitzer and The Claremont Colleges. A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio supports close academic work. Faculty from different fields often influence one another’s work and co-teach, and students can create their own major. International and globally minded students can take part in study abroad programs; 53.1% of the Class of 2026 participated in study abroad. The college’s community includes students with connections from Los Angeles and New York to Nepal, and its programs connect academic study with community engagement.