AA/AS in Area Studies

Santa Ana College offers an Associate in Arts in Black Studies for students who want to examine the history and lived experience of people of African descent in the United States. The program views the community through social, cultural, political, economic and historical lenses. Coursework asks students to analyze questions of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, national origin and ability, and to build understanding of the cultural variety within American society. The curriculum centers the Black American narrative and the ways communities have responded to exclusion through resistance and organizing. This is an associate-level program at a public community college, so it can serve students who plan to enter the workforce as well as those continuing to a four-year university. The college page links a program map and a catalog entry for planning courses, and students are encouraged to talk with a counselor to confirm how the degree fits their goals.