Graduate

Scholarship of the highest quality

We provide an intellectual arena in which faculty and students work together to critically examine, analyze, and interpret historical and cultural phenomena as they impact the experience, tradition, and culture of peoples of African descent. Our philosophical approach is Black-centered in that we believe that an epistemological and ontological understanding of the African diaspora must aid and inform our analysis and interpretation of race and culture in their many complexities.

AAADS is a multidisciplinary department of the College of Arts and Sciences, offering Master of Arts, a Ph.D., and a Ph.D minor. We also offer three dual master’s degrees: an M.A./M.L.S with the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering; an M.A./M.P.A. with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and an M.A/M.F.A. with English (Creative Writing).

While research is our driving force, teaching reaches others

Both research and teaching are valued within our graduate program. You will work side by side with dedicated faculty mentors to perform research in some of academia’s oldest and newest fields of study. Ours is a Research 1 university where you’ll find technical assistance, exceptional libraries, and resources around every campus corner, available day and night to assist you in your endeavors.

Explore our research + creative activity  Meet our faculty