Area Studies
Area studies are traditionally understood as academic efforts to better understand the languages, cultures, and societies of specific regions or geographical areas. While area studies emerged with the purpose of supporting — and occasionally critiquing — the interests and mission of European colonial powers, they have matured and also adopted a richly critical posture that rejects the implicit intellectual and economic inequalities of colonialism while embracing mutuality and more diverse modes of producing meaning.
At present Baylor has four Area Studies programs for students to explore. Each of the programs is supported by a large cohort of faculty with research expertise and teaching experience in their respective areas. We invite you to check them out: