Black Studies

Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as a part of their degree program.

Students in the Black Studies curriculum are recommended to enroll in FYE 101: First Year Experience within the first 12 credits and complete recommended courses ENGL 101, ENGL 102, college-level math, CIS 103, SOC 101, BLAS 101, and BLAS 102 within the first 24 credits. To qualify for the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Black Studies, a student must complete a minimum of 61 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

The Black Studies Program provides a coherent set of courses for the development of the academic knowledge and skills appropriate to the scholarly study of global African and African American communities. The program includes Afrocentric courses, a critical race theory framework, a focus on social justice, and a capstone course that may include service learning or an African destination study abroad option. Students will engage topics such as African intellectual genealogies, historical patterns of resistance movements, and relevant theoretical frameworks.

The Black Studies curriculum is for students planning to transfer to baccalaureate programs after study at Community College of Philadelphia. Students are expected to consult with an academic advisor, counselor and/or program coordinators upon entry to the program and in subsequent semesters.

Transfer planning should begin early so that the student can gain the most benefit from the curriculum. Students who follow the Black Studies curriculum and plan to attend a specific four-year college after graduation should choose elective courses that duplicate as closely as possible those in the first two years of the program of that college.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Create and refine a personal leadership vision that develops pathways to transfer, internship, or future employment within local and global Black communities 
• Evaluate and interpret primary and secondary texts using global Black Studies theories and concepts. 
• Apply relevant critical race and social justice theories as they pertain to local-global Black communities. 
• Produce independent research and apply research and other relevant theoretical frameworks to resolve local and global concerns within Black communities.
• Evaluate the intersections of historical, socio-political, economic, and environmental discourses and its impact on local global Black communities.