The African and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) program offers students an interdisciplinary educational experience that fosters an understanding of the global experiences of African and African-descended peoples in Asia, Europe, the Oceania, and the Americas. In particular, students will gain an appreciation for the diverse character of humanity, explore the complex historical and cultural relations between Africans on the continent and African-descended peoples in the Diaspora, and engage in a comparative study of issues affecting Africans in the continent and the Diasporas.

"Diaspora" has come to mean the migration or dispersion of any group of people from their ancestral homelands. “Diaspora” in this program refers to the African Diaspora in Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Students in the program gain special knowledge and skills that are relevant and essential for understanding contemporary African societies and societies around the world inhabited by people of African descent. Students in this program have the opportunity to learn about the African experience in its entirety.

COLLABORATING DEPARTMENTS

• Department of English
• Department of Foreign Languages
• Department of History and Philosophy
• Department of Music
• Department of Political Science and International Affairs
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
• Department of Geography and Anthropology
• Department of Theater and Performance Studies
• Department of Visual Arts