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Program Details

African American Studies Program

Undergraduate Program

The Department of African American Studies provides a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education emphasizing informed multicultural, analytical, and critical approaches to the historical development; societies; cultures; economic, social, and political problems; contributions; and potentials of Black people of the Americas and Africa. Students can earn a major or a minor through this deparment. (Learn more...)

students in classroomGraduate Program

The Department of African American Studies offers courses for graduate credit to any interested graduate student registered at WIU. Students from other departments interested in earning graduate credit in AAS should first contact their Department Graduate Advisors for guidance about which AAS courses will count toward their graduate degree program.

The Department also offers the Graduate Certificate program in African and African Diaspora World Studies and participates in the College of Arts and Sciences Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences (M-LAS) Degree program. Students thus have the advantage of obtaining the Graduate Certificate in African and African Diaspora World Studies as part of their M-LAS. (Learn more...)

Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The M-LAS students are required to complete a minimum of 33 hours of credit. Students interested in the African and African Diaspora World Studies focus would be able to include 12 hours of required LAS Core Courses (LAS 501, 502, 503, 504); 15 hours of graduate courses in AAS, i.e., AAS 501 Africa and the African Diaspora World, AAS 502 Research Methodology in Africana Studies, and three other courses selected from a wide range of AAS Graduate courses. After the students satisfy necessary course requirements, they are also able to proceed to the Thesis, Internship, or Applied Project stage level (6 hours) and work within an AAS area under the supervision of a committee that includes AAS Faculty.

M-LAS students are required to select one of Thesis, Internship and Applied Project. Completed Thesis, internships, and Applied Project must be defended before a committee of three faculty members, including the Director of M-LAS and two members selected by the student and approved by the Director.

The M-LAS program is designed to promote the understanding of an appreciation for the value of the fundamental knowledge and “Great Ideas” in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics.

Our graduates have secured employments in national and international career areas and many have proceeded to do further graduate studies. The Masters of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree with the African and African Diaspora World Studies graduate certification is especially a great opportunity for students to specialize in the Africana World Studies while also taking the core courses in liberal arts and science education to position them to explore the scholarly, professional, and career opportunities of the twenty-first century. (Learn more...)

Honors Program

The honors experience in African American studies prepares students for careers in various fields, which include teaching, international relations, writing, publishing, social work, communications, community development, law enforcement, and many other careers that can be obtained through a liberal arts/humanities degree. Moreover, the honors work in African American Studies prepares the student for graduate studies.
(Learn more...)

Minority Internship Program (Five University Consortium)

The Minority Internship Program (MIP) is a one semester, paid internship sponsored by the Illinois Board of Higher Education that allows full-time junior, senior, and graduate minority students to combine work and learning experience. (Learn more...)

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