Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Black Studies

There are ample opportunities to enhance your education in Black Studies through independent research, off-campus study, and internships. These programs are integral to a Knox education, teaching you how to apply your skills in “real world” situations.

Photo: A West African village, taken by Harvey Wiley as part of a course on slavery.

Student Research and Creative Projects
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students’ projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. In addition, special fellowships awarded to Knox through national competitions and through the research grants of Knox faculty make Knox a leader in promoting undergraduate research. Examples of some recent student research projects include:

• “The Ideological Evolution of the Black Panther Party,” Quadir Bruce, ’05, history and black studies major, independent study/senior research funded by McNair program.
• “The Role of Skin Color in Judgments of Attractiveness,” Aisha Nurse, ’05.

College Honors
Outstanding students may elect to undertake College Honors in their senior year, carrying out an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes a distinguished outside examiner. Examples of recent Honors projects include:

• Biology and Black Studies: “Asing’anga in Mulanje and Thyolo: Belief Systems and Medicinal Plant Knowledge,” Kirsten Janosek, ’04.
• “A Celebration of Heritage: Meeting Instructional Needs Through the Evaluation and Creation of Functional Black Studies Materials,” Meghan Leiseberg, ’01.

Off-campus Study
Knox offers you plenty of opportunities to begin exploring the world while still a student. Almost 50% of Knox students participate in off-campus study and consider their studies abroad to be the highlight of their college experiences. Off-campus study can significantly enhance course work in Black Studies. Relevant programs include:

• Urban Studies in Chicago—Interdisciplinary academic work, an internship, plus the social, political, and intellectual life of the city.
• Tanzania—Conduct field work studying human evolution and ecology. Research plus language instruction in Swahili.
• Botswana—Studies national building and development in Africa and language instruction in Setswana.
• Washington Semester—Studies government in action in Washington, DC. Research plus an internship in a governmental agency, media organization, lobby group or other government-related organizations.

Internships
As a student of Black Studies at Knox, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your education—to get that valuable experience you hear so much about—by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. Knox’s Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development specializes in helping you find an internship that best matches your goals and interests.