Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary undertaking devoted to scholarship on the histories, political and cultural movements, institutions, economies and identities of Africans and the African diaspora across the globe. Africa’s own overlapping maternities and the transnational migrations of its peoples–whether forced or voluntary--have complicated the meanings of “black” and “African” identities and experiences, prompting us to rethink the geographical boundaries and conceptual paradigms surrounding the production of knowledge about Africa and its diasporic communities.
Courses taught at NYU Accra focus on various aspects of Ghanaian society and culture, with courses ranging from literature and music to the African liberation movement.
Students in Accra explore Africa through the voices of the African people and their personal Ghanaian experiences to further inform their creative voices. With the unique opportunity to engage with this exciting culture, students are inspired to create original work discussing issues such as class, gender, and ethnic and national identities. Courses use mediums such as creative writing, photography, journalism, literature, and documentary film, to encourage students to discover and refine their artistic voice in a new context.
Widely recognized as one of the top institutions of higher education in West Africa, the University of Ghana-Legon, based on the Oxbridge model (reflecting Ghana’s former status as a British colony), is the country’s flagship university. Home to some of West Africa’s foremost scholars, it offers hundreds of courses and a full range of academic programs with particular strengths in African studies, the social sciences, and the performing arts. NYU Accra enjoys a strong multicultural exchange with scholars and students at the University of Ghana-Legon. Many students compliment their studies at the NYU academic center by enrolling directly in one or two courses at the University of Ghana-Legon.
Metropolitan Studies focuses on the study of cities and metropolitan regions in historical and contemporary perspective. Students in Accra use this metropolitan center as their laboratory for understanding processes of urban and regional development, the major institutions of urban life, urban social movements, urban cultural dynamics and the socio-environmental consequences of worldwide urbanization. With courses such as Global Connections: Accra, students learn first-hand what factors define the spatial geography and political economy of urban Africa.
Many NYU schools and departments offer special global track degree programs. These programs are designed to give students unique global experience in their field of study and often involve studying abroad at multiple locations. Students in the programs listed below spend one or more semesters in Shanghai.