The department of African American studies is offering a new graduate degree program that will focus on black people living in Brazil, France, Canada, Cuba, South America and other areas around the world not always emphasized by the department, which focuses mainly on African-American, African and African-Caribbean populations.

The new master’s degree, Pan-African studies, which Syracuse University will implement next fall, will offer students new insight into the culture and social sciences of black people internationally as well as here in America, according to professor Micere Githae Mugo, director of AAS graduate studies.

‘This program is unique in that it has built-in credits from external sites, which we call experiential learning,’ Mugo said. ‘We send students to sites, here in the country and internationally, who will interact with scholars while working on their thesis.’

Mugo said that six of the 30 required credits for the graduate students will come from experiential learning. This requires students to travel to certain designated locations, such as University of Cape Town in South Africa, University of the West Indies in Jamaica, and York University in Canada, sites the department of African American studies has collaborated with to allow students to interact with scholars.

‘We really want to zero in on the exchange with scholars,’ Mugo said.

Students will also be able to travel to sites where a Syracuse University study abroad program is available, such as ‘Paris Noir’ in France, ‘Beyond the Beach’ in the Caribbean and ‘Faces of Independence’ in Southern Africa. Mugo said the department plans on opening a future program somewhere in East Africa as well.

At these sites, it is required that students complete research, an independent study project, an internship or an educational project. They will also be able to interact with important scholars at the site.

‘We want to become part of the world of research,’ Mugo said.

The implementation of a Pan African master’s degree will be a historical step for the AAS department, and is something it has tried to realize for 14 years.

‘There were many hurdles to go through. (The university) was cutting down on graduate programs,’ Mugo said. ‘The department (of African American studies) cannot realize itself at the scholarship level unless a graduate program was involved.’

Linda Carty, the AAS department chairwoman, said the new program, because of its unique experiential learning requirement, is the only one of its kind.

According to Mugo, Columbia University is the only other school that offers a graduate program in Pan-African studies.

‘(The Columbia program) constructs itself more around historical personalities,’ she said. ‘We teach actual tools and theories. Personalities are a part of that.’

Mugo said that the department hopes to register between 10 and 12 graduate students for the program next fall.

Graduate students entering into this program can expect to find jobs in many different fields, Mugo said, but many students will go into the program with the intention of continuing on to obtain a doctorate degree. Completion of the degree will provide students with skills to teach in high schools, work in government at the state, national or international level, or even be involved with small businesses.

‘Many NGOs especially are looking for a multicultural presence,’ Mugo said, referring to nongovernmental organizations.

Though AAS professors illustrated positive feelings about the new program, some AAS undergraduates, such as freshman Kamari Guthrie and sophomore Tristan Taylor, voiced hesitant opinions about considering it.

‘I’m double-majoring, so I don’t think it would be something I would look into,’ Taylor said.

Guthrie, also a double major, echoed Taylor’s words.

‘My main concentration is communications, so a master’s (in Pan African studies) wouldn’t do anything for me,’ she said.

Published on October 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm