Courses
Students take 10 weeks of language courses in French and Wolof at the Baobab Center. Additionally, each week, lectures are given by highly qualified faculty, mostly from the Université Cheikh Anta Diop, covering a variety of topics, including West African literature, West African history, and Islam in Senegal, as well as Senegalese art and music. With the exception of a few lectures by American academics and the Wolof language courses, all of the course instruction, lectures, and discussions are in French.
Credits
Students who complete the program earn a total of 18 units of credit. Students take 6 units in Senegalese culture (French 400, cross-listed as Anthropology 450), 6 units in Senegalese literature and history (French 401), three units in French language (French 402), and 3 units in beginning Wolof (French 403). Students may choose to take all 18 units in French, 12 units in French and 6 units in anthropology, or 12 units in French and 6 units in music. Students may earn credit in musical instruction.
Recent Course Topics and Lectures
- Senegalese culture and society through literature and film
- History of Islam in Senegal
- Senegalese history and politics
- The Atlantic slave trade
- History of traditional African art
- The literature of Saint-Louis, Senegal
- Senegalese music and dance
Recent Faculty
- Abdoulaye Camara, Directeur, Le musée historique de Gorée
- Viyé Diba, Professor, Faculte des Beaux-Arts, Université de Dakar
- Penda Mbow, Professor of History, Université de Dakar
- Ousmane Sène, Professor of History, Université de Dakar
- Adama Sow, Professor of African Literature, Université de Dakar
- Abdou Sylla, Researcher on civilization and literature
- Institut Français de l’Afrique, Noire (IFAN)
- Ibrahima Thioub, Professor of History, Université de Dakar
- Lifongo Vetinde, Associate Professor of French, Lawrence University
