Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
AADS offers a one-year three-semester M.A. degree that can be taken either on-campus or through a fully online program. Courses in the on campus program are offered both online and in a face-to-face format. The degree provides interdisciplinary, graduate-level training where students master theoretical knowledge, gain training in research methods, become proficient with multidisciplinary analytical frameworks, and gain exposure to the fundamental principles and in-depth knowledge of the field of African and African Diaspora Studies. Students develop and use theoretical, analytical, and methodological approaches that they can apply critically to diverse fields of engagement in which they choose to specialize. . Multidisciplinary in scope and diverse in approach, the M.A. program attracts students from around the world. It is ideally suited is ideal to students interested in a wide array of subjects pertaining to African America, continental Africa and the African diaspora. These include development and underdevelopment; social and public policy. cultural studies,religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness; history, culture, and society; race and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; language and linguistic training; and all aspects of aesthetic and creative expression, including film, literature and material culture,Social and Public Policy, Cultural Studies, International Relations, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Literary Study, History, Globalization Studies, Education, Religious Studies, Trans-Atlantic Studies, Critical Race Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology. Both the In addition to a terminal M.A, AADS provides the opportunity for students to enroll in four combined M.A./Ph.D programs in partnership with the departments of Politics and International Relations, History, and Global & Sociocultural Studies.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. Programs
AADS offers four combined MA/PhD programs. After completing the one-year three-semester M.A. program in AADS, students can go on to earn their Ph.Ds jointly with the departments of Global and Sociocultural Studies (Anthropology, Sociology, and Geography), History, Political Science and International Relations. These programs are ideally suited to students interested in gaining a firm grounding in the field of African and African Diaspora Studies using a multidisciplinary approach and in employing a comparative framework in their training in traditional disciplines. Graduates are trained for careers in academia, in research-related fields, in the private, public, or non-profit sectors requiring specialized knowledge of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Graduate Certificates
AADS offers two graduate certificates. One in African & African Diaspora Studies and one in Afro-Latin American Studies. The Graduate Certificate in African & African Diaspora Studies employs a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the economic, social, cultural and historical experiences of people of African with a specific focus on Africa and people of African descent globally. The certificate is designed to complement students’ professional and academic interests and qualifications by providing additional expertise on U.S. born African Americans, Continental Africans, and/or international communities of the African Diaspora, singularly or in combination. The Graduate Certificate in Afro-Latin American Studies employs a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the economic, social, cultural, and historical experiences of people of African descent and their communities in the Latin American Region. These include descendants from those brought over during Transatlantic slave trade and those who came in subsequent migration movements. The certificate is designed to complement students’ professional and academic interests and qualifications and who want to excel in a variety of careers demanding expertise in international, Transnational, and multicultural issues.