Major in African and African Diaspora Studies, B.A.

Program Description | Job Opportunities | How to Complete the Program | Faculty

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Howard Shealy, Chair, Department of History & Philosophy (770-423-6294) hshealy@kennesaw.edu
Dr. Akanmu G. Adebayo, HUM 201, 770 423 6336, aadebayo@kennesaw.edu
Dr. Rosa Bobia, PS 132, 770-423-6113, rbobia@kennesaw.edu
Dr. Eva Thompson, ENG 257, 770-499-3625, ethompso@kennesaw.edu

 

Program Description:

The Bachelor of Arts degree in African and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) 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.

Job and Career Opportunities:
The AADS major educates students on the black experience and prepares them for careers in education, social work, urban research, law, public service, foreign service, industrial relations, business, community development and leadership, and other comparable employment opportunities. Potential employers include government, businesses, multinational corporations (MNCs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Atlanta area and the southeast that seek graduates with such expertise as African business culture, political economy, and investment climate. As a liberal arts program, the AADS major meets these demands by educating students and would-be employees in critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills, and equipping them with the ability and skills to function in a diverse, global, and multicultural environment.

		Credit Hours
GENERAL EDUCATION (see listing of requirements)		45	45
LOWER DIVISION MAJOR REQUIREMENTS		18	18
PSYC 2110	Interacting Effectively in a Diverse Society: Psychological Approaches	3
ENGL 2300	African and African Diaspora Literatures	3
GEOG 1101	World Regional Geography	3
HIST 2206	Origins of the Great Traditions	3
Six hours of lower-division foreign language: an African language preferred, or choose from French, Arabic, Portuguese, or Spanish		6
UPPER DIVISION MAJOR REQUIREMENTS		15	36
HIST 3334	The Africans in the Diaspora	3
HIST 3393	Emerging Themes in African History	3
GEOG 3350	Geography of sub-Saharan Africa	3
HIST 4499/ENGL 4620	Senior Seminar and Thesis	3
Three hours from the following
SA 4400	A study abroad course in Africa	3
HIST 3398	Internship	3
There are three Concentrations: “Literature”, “History”, and “Social, Cultural, and Political Issues.” Students are to select a concentration. See courses in each concentration below. With the assistance of their advisors, students are to take four courses (12 hours) in their concentration and three courses (9 hours) from the other two concentrations for a total of 21 hours.		21
Literature
ENGL 3360	African American Literature	3
ENGL 3400	Survey of African Literature	3
ENGL 3500	Topics in African American Literature	3
ENGL 3600	Topics in African Diaspora Literature	3
ENGL 4401	Topics in African Literature	3
FREN 4432	Topics in French and Francophone Literature Since 1800	3
History
HIST 3333	African American History to 1865	3
HIST 3335	African American History, 1865 to present	3
HIST 3357	Africans in Asia	3
HIST 3358	Africans in Latin America and the Caribbean	3
HIST 3382	North Africa and the Middle East in Modern Times	3
HIST 3391	History of West Africa	3
HIST 3392	History of Southern, Eastern and Central Africa	3
Social, Cultural, and Political Issues
ANTH 3310	Cultural Diversity in the US	3
ARH 3570	African Art	3
ARH 3800	African American Art	3
MUSI 3411	Survey of African-American Music	3
MUSI 3319	Introduction to Jazz	2
POLS 4454	Politics of the Middle East and North Africa	3
PSYC 3355	Cross-Cultural Psychology	3
PSYC 3385	Ethnic Minority Psychology	3
POLS 4455	International Relations of Africa	3
SOCI 4434	Emerging Social Issues in Africa	3
SOCI 3314	Race and Ethnicity	3
RELATED STUDIES		12	12
Twelve hours of upper-division studies in related disciplines. These could be courses not already taken from the above list of upper-division major requirements, foreign language, study abroad, internship, coop, and directed study as approved by the academic advisor.
FREE ELECTIVES		12	12
Any course in the university curriculum
PROGRAM TOTAL			123

 

 

AADS Program Faculty

Dr. Samuel Abaidoo, Sociology

Dr. Akanmu Adebayo, African, African Diaspora History

Dr. Nurudeen Akinyemi, Pol Science & Int’l Affairs

Dr. Rosa Bobia, Comparative Literature, French

Dr. Lovett Elango, African, African American History

Mr. Don Fay, African American Literature

Dr. Oral Moses, Music

Mr. Ayokunle Odeleye, Visual Arts

Dr. Dan Paracka, History and International Education

Dr. Elizabeth Parks, Psychology

Dr. Garrett Smith, Geography

Dr. Eva Thompson, African American and African Diaspora Literatures

Dr. Ginny Zhan, Psychology

Dr. Valerie Whittlesey, Psychology

Dr. Harold Wingfield, Political Science

 

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