Major: Area Studies
If the magical realist novels of Latin America capture your imagination, you might major in comparative literature or Spanish. Or if it’s the history of colonialism in African countries that fires your brain, you might major in history. But if you want to know Latin America or Africa inside out, then major in area studies. You’ll not only study everything from an area’s history to its present-day economy and art, you’ll also bring greater understanding to specific topics, from magical realism to colonialism.
While only a few schools have departments called area studies, many more have programs dedicated to specific regions. Some schools offer programs in comparative area studies. At others, you’ll have to design your own area studies major.
Area studies majors study the histories, politics, economics, and cultures of various areas of the world. They usually focus on a specific area, but sometimes compare two or more areas.
“How can you understand a region if you don’t speak its language, understand its history, and discover the cultural forces that act upon it? ”
Jennie, senior, Latin American studies,
University of Texas, Austin
Are You Ready To...?
- Work closely with an advisor to design your course of study
- Take classes in a wide range of departments, from art history to economics
- Choose a specific focus, such as women’s issues or development economics
- Learn a language
- Write a paper on a topic, such as salsa music, that has roots in different areas of the world
- Possibly immerse yourself in another country’s language and culture while studying abroad
- Help teach recent immigrants English as part of an internship
It Helps to Be...
Self-motivated yet open to new ideas and experiences. After studying abroad or even just taking a great class, you may find that you look at a country or area in a whole new light.
College Checklist
- Is area studies a major in its own right or is it a concentration in another major?
- Does the program offer classes in your area of interest, such as Latin America or Asia, literature or history?
- How many of the professors teach only in the area studies program?
- Are professors readily available to students for advice on majors, courses, and projects?
- What study-abroad options will you have?
Did You Know?
- Learning a foreign language is an important part of being an area studies major. Most schools recommend beginning in high school and then continuing your language studies in college.
Course Spotlight
You may start off with an introductory course in international and area studies. You’ll get an overview of the major’s possibilities and grow to understand its basic concepts. In class, which may be graded pass/fail, you’ll look at specific issues as they play out in a range of countries. For example, you may discuss globalization: the world’s countries now depend on each other economically more than ever before. How does globalization affect the economies of individual countries?
Explore this major in more depth on MyRoad™