B.A. Degree

Bachelor of Arts degree

If you are interested in learning about history, art, literature, and social issues from a cross-cultural perspective, the B.A. in African American and African Diaspora Studies may be the right choice for you. Students in the program enjoy an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

Coursework in this major helps you gain the skills needed to think critically about African American, African Diasporic, and American cultures. You focus on one concentration area for most of your advanced coursework, working with the academic advisor to choose among:

  • Arts
  • Literature
  • History, culture, and social issues

As a humanistic discipline in the democratic tradition, African American and African Diaspora Studies dispels myths and exposes those attitudes that perpetuate racism in American life. Students in our department study art, literature, film, folklore, music, dance, history, institutions, communities, culture, stratification, movements, and identities.

Our faculty represents a wide variety of interests and disciplines, allowing AAADS students to explore and customize their experience. You are encouraged to research and develop your own projects while completing your degree, and may wish to pursue an Honors version of the degree.

Find our more about the AAADS Honors Program

The Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies also offers an undergraduate minor.

If you have strong academic interests in another area, one of the following interdepartmental majors may be a good fit for you:

Develop skills of civic duty and value

This degree helps you focus and develop a scholarship of value, engagement, civic duty, and interdisciplinary analysis. The skills stressed in AAADS include critical thinking and experiential learning, creative writing, reflective reading and writing, ethical and moral reasoning, service learning, community service, intercultural competence, and social justice.

Graduates from AAADS successfully pursue careers in academics, information technology, law, engineering, education, theatre and drama, music composition, journalism, criminal justice, creative writing, fundraising, politics, social work, business, community organizing, nonprofits, health care, the legal profession, banking, and technology industries.

Learn more in the major guide

Read about the requirements in the bulletin