Graduate Minor in Africa & the African Diaspora

Rose Brewer2

The graduate minor in Africa and the African diaspora centers on interrogating the complex histories, cultures, and epistemologies of the African world. From the multiple societies on the continent, to the African diasporas of the United States, Latin and South America, and the Indian Ocean and Europe, the complicated routes and roots of the continent and the diasporas are explored.

In the minor, at the PhD and master’s levels, the global Black world in its multiple expressions is critically assessed. Both the PhD and master's program provides a multidisciplinary, integrated foundation in the study of Africa and the people of African descent. These programs are based on a series of core courses, concentrating in either the social and behavioral sciences, or humanities and the arts. 

Some course offerings provide explicitly cross-cultural and comparative focuses on diasporic themes such as politics, race, colonialism, gender, and food. Other seminars deal specifically with selective regional emphasis on Africa, African American or the Caribbean histories and current statuses.  

Students are expected to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in the Africa and the African diaspora, as well as the DGS for their home discipline, in order to develop programs. 

We believe that the best approach for you to declare a graduate minor in the field is based on a strong foundation in your chosen discipline. The minor offers an opportunity to broaden and strengthen analytical, technical, and interpretive skills in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary study.

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