Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation
Main content start

African and African American Studies

African and African American Studies (Adrinka Cloth photo by Historic Hudson Valley.)

Provides you with an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of people of African descent as a central component of American culture.

What You'll Study

The mission of the undergraduate department in African and African American Studies is to provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of people of African descent as a central component of American culture. Courses in the major promote research across disciplinary and departmental boundaries as well as provide students with research training and community service learning opportunities. Courses of study are drawn from anthropology, art, art history, economics, education, drama, history, languages, linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology among others. The department provides an intellectual background for students considering graduate school or professional careers. We aim to provide students with an outstanding, rigorous, and engaging intellectual experience in which students acquire analytic skills grounded in a traditional discipline as well as interdisciplinary skills of investigation and research. African American Studies offers training of special interest to those considering admission to graduate or professional schools and careers in education, literary studies journalism, law, business, international relations, politics, psychology, anthropology, social science, theatre, performing arts and cultural studies, among many others.

Degrees Offered

  • BA
  • Minor
  • Honors

More Information

Learn more about African and African American Studies in the Stanford Bulletin

Exploratory Courses

AFRICAAM 104

Foundations of African American Studies I: Black Religion, Culture, and Experience to the Civil War

AFRICAAM 123

Foundations of Global Black Diaspora Studies I: Diaspora, Literature, Cosmopolitanism

AFRICAAM 145

Foundations of African Studies I: Africa in the 20th Century

AFRICAAM 176

Introduction to Themes in Black Studies I

Related Links

School

  • School of Humanities and Sciences

Degrees and Offerings

  • BA,
  • Minor,
  • Honors

Interest

  • Economic and Political Systems,
  • Arts and Performance,
  • History and Literature,
  • Human Cultures and Behavior,
  • Interdisciplinary Programs,
  • Languages