The Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) provides an intellectual home for the exploration, critical examination, analysis, and interpretation of the experiences, traditions, and dynamics of people of African descent in the United States and Africa and its diaspora. The department offers a broad selection of courses addressing historical, cultural, sociological, political, and psychological factors that affect the lives of African peoples from disciplinary, interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary, and comparative perspectives.
Career Areas/Job Titles
(Some careers may require licensure, certification, or further education. Talk to an advisor about specific requirements.)
Management and Industry
Cultural Resources Manager, Civil Services Worker, Social Worker, Human Resources
Communication and Media
Journalist, Media Relations Specialist, Linguist/Interpreter
Education
High School Teacher, Administrator, Professor, Student Affairs, University Administration
Non-Profit/Advocacy
Peace Corps Staffer, Program Administrator, HIV/AIDS Activist
Government/Politics
Foreign Service Specialist, Political Analyst, Public Administration, State and Local Government, Civil Service Work, Community Urban Planning, Public Affairs and Policy
Graduate School
The Department of African American and African Studies offers graduate degrees at the M.A. and PhD. levels.
Transferable Skills
Expressing Ideas, Listening Skills, Persuasion, Public Speaking, Technical Writing, Written Communication, Cultural Understanding, Gathering Information, Identifying Problems, Research Skills, Planning, Strategic Planning/Visioning, Creating Innovative Solutions, Multi-tasking, Analytical/Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and many more!
Notable AAAS Majors
- Angela Bassett, award-winning actress. (BA in African-American Studies from Yale University.)
- Rakim H. D. Brooks, Rhodes Scholar and C. Edwin Baker Fellow in Democratic Values at Demos. (BA in Africana Studies from Brown University.)
- Megan L. Comfort, Senior Research Sociologist, Urban Health Program at RTI International and Adjunct Asst Professor of Medicine, UCSF. (BA in Black Studies from Wellesley College.)
- Jendayi Frazer, Distinguished Professor, Carnegie Mellon University and former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. (BA in African and Afro-American Studies & Political Science from Stanford University.)
- Brian L. Harper, Medical Director and COO of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention. (BA in Afro-American Studies & Biology from Brown University.)
- Mae Jemison, Physician and NASA astronaut on the Endeavor in 1992. (BA in Afro-American Studies from Stanford University.)
- Do Kim, Civil rights attorney & founder of the Korean American Youth Leadership Program. (BA in Afro-American Studies & Sociology from Harvard University.)
- Aaron McGruder, Cartoonist, writer and creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip "The Boondocks." (BA in African-American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.)
- Gloria Naylor, Educator and novelist. Winner of the National Book Award in 1983 for The Women of Brewster Place. (MA in Afro-American Studies from Yale University.)
- Michelle Obama, attorney and First Lady of the United States. (BA in Sociology with a minor in African-American Studies from Princeton University.)
- Richard W. Roberts, US District Court Judge for Washington DC. (BA in Black Studies & Political Science from Vassar College.)
- Claudia Thomas, author and first black female orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. (BA in Black Studies from Vassar College.)