Patterson attended graduate school after receiving a scholarship from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Upon receiving his Ph.D., Patterson became a professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University.

[1][2] In 2016, Patterson became the first chair of the African American Studies department at Georgetown University, holding the position until 2019.

[3] Patterson serves as the co-chair of the committee of teachers who developed College Board's new AP African American Studies course.

[4][5] Patterson, alongside other historians like Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, oversaw the development of the course curriculum.