Overview

Key Features

The Black Studies program from Amherst College consists of eight courses: three core courses, three distribution courses, and two electives. The three core courses are BLST 111, BLST 200, and BLST 300. The three distribution courses consist of one course in three of four geographic areas: Africa; the United States; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Africa and its Diaspora. The student may choose the two electives from the department’s offerings, from cross-listed courses, or from other courses at the Five Colleges. Majors fulfill the department's comprehensive requirement by successfully completing Black Studies 300.

Black Studies majors learn in many ways. For a start, all majors take an introductory course (BLST 111) that familiarizes them with some of the central debates and problems within the field: Is there such a thing as a "Black" experience? How African is African-American culture? What kinds of theories can we advance to explain the relationship between race and a range of social and economic indicators? How have scholars traditionally understood the connections between Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas? How do issues of gender affect issues of race? What new insights do postmodern and postcolonial theories offer on all these subjects? Many of the thematic and disciplinary questions raised in the introductory course are expanded upon in other courses.

Research in Black Studies (BLST 300) prepares students for the kinds of research expected of an honors thesis at the College. In addition to being a required course, for the major, students hoping to write a senior honors thesis in the department are strongly encouraged to take BLST 300 in their sophomore year whenever possible, especially if the student plans to study abroad in their junior year.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The Blues Muse: African American Music in American Culture

Transnational American Studies
African Popular Music

Black Sexualities

Race and American Capitalism: From Slavery to Ferguson

The Colonial City: Architecture, Empire, Resistance

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-05 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

130

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TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Amherst Center, United States

Disciplines

Area & Cultural Studies History Literature View 1016 other Bachelors in Literature in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

130

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Common Application, Coalition Application OR QuestBridge Application
Amherst College Writing Supplement
$65 Application Fee (non-refundable) or Fee Waiver (requested through Common Application, Coalition Application or Amherst's Quick Pass).
School Report
Secondary School Transcript
Counselor Recommendation (College Counselor / Guidance Counselor)
Two Teacher Recommendations (English, Math, Science, Social Studies or Foreign Language)
Optional Standardized Test Results for the SAT or ACT (either self-reported or official scores).
Early Decision Agreement (for ED applicants)
First marking period grades from senior year (for ED applicants)
Mid-Year School Report Form (as soon as first trimester/first semester grades are available)
Mid-Year Transcript (as soon as first trimester/first semester grades are available)

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

73140 USD / year

≈ 73140 USD / year
Out-of-State

73140 USD / year

≈ 73140 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

73140 USD / year

≈ 73140 USD / year

Living costs

Amherst Center

United States

1228 - 2543 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Black Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Key Features

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Amherst Center

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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