UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 19 MAY 2016
Birmingham City University is set to become the first university in Europe to offer a degree in Black Studies.
Launching in September 2017*, the undergraduate BA Honours degree will focus on examining the histories, social movements and contributions of people of African descent.
“Birmingham is the perfect place to launch Black Studies, being one of Europe’s most diverse cities, with a strong history of community activism and engagement”, said Dr Kehinde Andrews, Associate Professor in Sociology at Birmingham City University.
Despite a long tradition of Black Studies available in the United States, Dr Andrews argues that the opportunity to study such courses in the UK is long overdue.
“Student movements have recently demonstrated this across the country, complaining of a ‘narrow knowledge’ in universities, including the ‘Why is my curriculum white?’ campaign.”
Academics at Birmingham City University have an international reputation for research in the area of Black Studies, with recent projects focusing on the exploration of Black men’s desistance from crime and the influence of pop culture on young Black British women.
“The new degree offers students a critical understanding of British and global society, international study abroad opportunities and experiences working to improve conditions in communities”, added Dr Andrews.
Students interested in the Black Studies course can find out more information at the University’s Open Day on Saturday 11 June 2016.
*This new course is in the final stages of design. Once this is complete, and the course has been reviewed and approved as meeting our quality standards, students will be able to apply through UCAS. The course starts in September 2017.