Caribbean Studies, B.A.

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Program Overview

This course of study is designed to train you in interdisciplinary, comparative, and scientific approaches to Caribbean studies, including the Caribbean diaspora. You will gain knowledge of a dynamic, historically deep, and extensive region, and focus on Caribbean social, political, and cultural events. When you major in Caribbean studies, you must declare this program as a double major with any other major. This interdisciplinary degree may include classes in Caribbean studies, Africana studies, and history.

Caribbean Studies, B.A.

Where You'll Go

A bachelor’s degree in Caribbean studies provides the foundation for success in a variety of careers. You can pursue a job in international trade and industry, international affairs, business, journalism, banking, education, government, immigration, and social service.

Major Details

The program information listed here reflects the approved curriculum for the 2024–25 academic year per the Brooklyn College Bulletin. Bulletins from past academic years can be found here.

Major Requirements (18 Credits, Plus a Major in Another Department)

Students must complete parts 1 through 4.

  1. Caribbean Studies 1001 and Africana Studies 1040 Introduction to Caribbean Studies
  2. Three courses from the courses listed below, plus any prerequisite of the courses.
    • Caribbean Studies 2300 or Sociology 2300 or Puerto Rican and Latin American Studies 2300
    • Caribbean Studies 3000 or Africana Studies 3243
    • Caribbean Studies 3118 or Africana Studies 3246 or Comparative Literature 3620 or Women’s and Gender Studies 3118.
    • Caribbean Studies 3130 or Africana Studies 3350 or Anthropology 3145 or Puerto Rican and Latin American Studies 3130
    • Africana Studies 3145 or Political Science 3305
    • Africana Studies 3147
    • Africana Studies 3240/Comparative Literature 3623/ PRLS 3315W
    • Africana Studies 3344
    • Caribbean Studies 3900
    • History 3515
    • History 3517
    • Puerto Rican and Latino Studies 3125
    • Puerto Rican and Latino Studies 3315
    • Puerto Rican and Latino Studies 4505
  3. One additional course in Caribbean studies chosen either from the courses listed above or approved by the program director. Students may use credits in relevant special topics courses and/or seminars toward satisfying this requirement. Such courses are offered by the Caribbean Studies program, departments of Africana Studies, English, History, Music, Political Science, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, and Spanish. Some seminars offer opportunities for field study in Caribbean countries. However, students must complete 12 credits in Caribbean studies before enrolling in a seminar.
  4. A major in any of the departments of the college. Courses taken to satisfy requirements in the primary major may not be used to satisfy dual major requirements in the Caribbean Studies Program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Describe the formation of post-1492 Caribbean societies from the early encounter to the development of plantation slave economies, as well as from emancipation to independence and neo-colonialism.
  • Define, compare, and contrast discourses of Caribbean multiculturalism: creolization, pluralism, métissage, and mestizaje.
  • Identify the Caribbean region as doubly diasporic, predominantly inhabited by people whose ancestry originates elsewhere, and also a sender-society with extensive population centers in Europe, Latin America, and North America.
  • Describe the centrality of performance, as both art and politics, to Caribbean identity and culture, from the theater of everyday life to spectacles such as elections and Carnival.
  • Compare the relationship of Caribbean history and development to the regional issues, policies, and practices that impact the environment.

Degree Maps

To help you pursue your studies in the most efficient manner, and to maximize your efforts to graduate in four years, Brooklyn College has created four-year degree maps for all its majors.

View degree maps for this major and others.

Contact

Contact the Caribbean Studies program for information on academic advisers and office hours.

Or contact:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

222 West Quad Center
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
E: adminqry@brooklyn.cuny.edu

To make an appointment with an undergraduate admissions counselor, visit:

Virtual Admissions Counselor Appointments

Internships and Employers

Through job fairs, the internship database, and internship panels, the Magner Career Center gives students in the Caribbean studies B.A. program access to career opportunities at a wide variety of employers, including:

  • Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Science
  • Caribbean Cultural Center and African Diaspora Institute
  • Fashion Institute of Technology
  • New York City Department of Education
  • New York Public Library
  • New York University
  • Pace University
  • Research Foundation of the City of New York
  • St. John’s University
  • UNICEF
  • U.S. Agency for International Development
  • U.S. Department of State
  • World Bank

Learn More

Student Resources

Academic calendar
Advising
Magner Career Center
The Brooklyn College campus with a view of the Library and East Quad

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