Undergraduate Program

African, African-American and Caribbean thinkers have played a major role in defining the critical issues of our time, just as the culture of Africans and their descendants has transformed the cultures of the Americas and the world. A major or minor in African and Afro-American studies allows you to explore intellectual, cultural, economic, religious, social and historical issues related to Africans and people of African descent.

Courses are drawn from, and use the methods of, several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. You will develop the analytical tools to read different kinds of texts, to write persuasively, and to participate knowledgeably in debates about developments in Africa, as well as the United States and the rest of the Americas.

Requirements for the Major

The major requires nine courses drawn from department and cross-listed offerings:

  • AAAS 5a (Introduction to African and Afro-American Studies), which should be taken as the first AAAS course, as it provides an introduction to themes and methods of analysis.
  • One course each in the areas of social science, humanities and history.
  • Four courses in one of the specializations. Students may elect either (a) four courses in one of the following disciplines: literature, music, history, political science, sociology and economics or (b) an interdisciplinary focus on Africa or Afro-American affairs. Students must confirm their choice of specialization with the department academic adviser.
  • Of the nine courses, five must be from within the department.

If you wish to pursue honors, you must satisfactorily complete AAAS 99d (Senior Research).

Requirements for the Minor

The minor requires five courses:

  • AAAS 5a (Introduction to African and Afro-American Studies). This should be taken as the first AAAS course, as it provides an introduction to themes and methods of analysis.
  • AAAS 70a (Introduction to Afro-American History), AAAS 79b (Afro-American Literature of the Twentieth Century), AAAS 115a (Introduction to African History) or AAAS 133b (The Literature of the Caribbean).
  • Three other courses offered in the department.

Students are required to declare the minor in AAAS no later than the beginning of their senior year. Each student will be assigned a departmental adviser by the undergraduate advising head.

Career Opportunities

During their time here, some of our majors pursue study-abroad opportunities in Africa and the Caribbean. Some are involved in internships in the Boston area. After they graduate, our majors go on to work in public policy, social activism, teaching (at all levels), law, administration, the arts and many other fields.