African American and Africana Studies
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
1119 Taliaferro Hall
Phone: 301-405-1158
http://aaas.umd.edu
The Department of African American and Africana Studies (AAAS) offers three highly-regarded majors:
(1) African American and Africana studies major (BA)
(2) African American and Africana studies major with a concentration in Public Policy (BA)
(3) Social Data Science major with a concentration in African American and Africana studies (BS)
The department offers three dynamic minors:
(1) Black Women's Studies, in collaboration with the university's Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
(2) Anti-Black Racism, in collaboration the College of Arts and Humanities, the School of Public Health, the School of Public Policy, and the School of Education
(3) African Studies
The department offers a certificate in African American and Africana Studies
For advanced students, the department offers a combined Bachelor's/Master of Public Policy degree
Chair: S. Madhavan (Prof & Chair)
Directors: S. Hodgson (Director of Admin Services), A. Newby (DUGS)
Professors: O. Barbarin, J. Drabinski, S. Harley, J. Richardson
Associate Professor: C. Osuji
Assistant Professors: A. Dunbar, C. Hardaway
Lecturers: R. Choflet, G. Kintiba, J. Nichols, K. Patterson, S. Walsh
Assistant Program Director: M. Washington
Staff: M. Deloatch (Admin Coordinator, Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center), N. Rivera (Program Management Specialist)
Graduate Assistant: E. Grusebeck (Grad Assistant of Communication)
The African American and Africana Studies Department has mandatory advising for all AAAS majors.
Undergraduates in good academic standing may enroll in the African American and Africana Studies Department or obtain more information about available options and services by contacting Marshal Washington, the Assistant Program Director, via email at lashram9@umd.edu, via phone at 301-405-1161, or in person at the African American and Africana Studies Department, 1119 Taliaferro Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
African American and Africana Studies majors and certificate students have three opportunities to engage in undergraduate research and/or experiential learning opportunities:
- AASP399: Research in African American Studies (required for majors). Students must be an AAAS major. Students will work with an AAAS faculty member in their research lab. All majors must complete 2 credits of Research Lab.
- AASP386: Experiential Learning. The student must be in good standing and have at least 56 cumulative credit hours to apply. (details below)
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA). The student must have received a grade of A- or higher in the course and have at least 56 cumulative credit hours to apply. May also be taken through the TLTC.
Additionally, AAAS majors with an overall GPA of 3.0 or above may enroll, with department permission, in the AASP397, Senior Thesis, working with one or more core AAAS faculty members.
For more information and details, please call the AAAS Academic Advisor at 301-405-1161.
FIELDWORK OPPORTUNITIES
Experiential Learning, AASP386, in African American and Africana Studies is an academic seminar for majors and certificate students who are working at internship or service sites and organizations whose mission and goals relate to the African American experience. Through course work and class discussions, students are challenged to integrate their experiential experiences with the interdisciplinary study of past and present African American communities. To successfully earn credit for experiential learning students must fulfill the requirements at the internship or service site, participate in a weekly seminar, and complete the assigned projects aimed at bringing together academic research, reflective work, and professional development.
The internship or service portion of the course requires students to work closely with their site supervisors. Students are required to fulfill the job responsibilities and work the number of hours per week that is outlined in their learning proposals. Site supervisors define specific job responsibilities and assignments, monitor their training, and evaluate their performance at the end of the semester by completing an evaluation form and submitting a letter of recommendation to be included in their portfolios.
Students are also required to participate in a weekly seminar and complete assignments that examine the relationship between classroom, work, and service experiences. The seminar will give students the opportunity to discuss their internships and how their experiences are enhanced by their understanding of African American studies. During the seminar, students will share information about assignments and give each other feedback. Students will evaluate their internship sites and the roles the sites play in black communities and in promoting social change.
INTERNSHIPS
AASP386 was developed to enable majors and certificate students to formally link their academic studies to experiences as undergraduate teaching assistants, undergraduate research assistants, and through external internships while doing so in a structured learning context.
Undergraduate teaching assistants and undergraduate research assistants work directly with an AAAS faculty member who provides supervision and mentoring to the student in all aspects of their undergraduate assistantship.
Students participating in external internships work closely with their site supervisors. Students are required to fulfill the job responsibilities and work the number of hours per week that are outlined in their learning proposals. Site supervisors define specific job responsibilities and assignments, monitor their training and evaluate their performance at the end of the semester by completing an evaluation form and submitting a letter of recommendation to be included in their portfolios.
All students must participate in a weekly seminar and complete assigned projects aimed at bringing together academic research, reflective work, and professional development.
HONORS PROGRAM
AAAS offers honors sections for many of our General Education and upper-level elective courses.
AASP397 is a capstone course that offers AAAS majors who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher the opportunity to work with a tenured or tenure-track AAAS faculty member in an independent study to complete a senior thesis project.
Senior thesis students have the opportunity to research, write, and orally defend their thesis project before a panel of AAAS faculty.
Please make an appointment to see the AAAS Academic Advisor about the honors sequence by calling 301-405-1158.
STUDENT SOCIETIES AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AAAS majors have the opportunity of being well prepared for leadership positions in campus organizations. AAAS majors have historically held notable positions at the University of Maryland in such organizations as the NAACP; Alpha Nu Omega Sorority, Incorporated; and the Black Student Union.
The Society of African American Studies is the student-run organization associated with and supported by the department. The Society provides community service in local schools, hosts on-campus programs and events, and annually has supported a local family through its "Adopt-a-Family" program.
The Society annually sponsors a "Saturday Freedom School" program which brings middle school children from a local Prince George's County Public School to campus for seven consecutive Saturdays. The program provides mentoring and academic support that seeks to foster the development of positive Black identities in the student participants while strengthening their academic performance.
Students are recruited from across the UMD campus to serve as mentors to Saturday Freedom School participants.
Please call 301-405-1158 to inquire about the Society of African American Studies.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) administers all types of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs and, in cooperation with other university offices, participates in the awarding of scholarships to deserving students. For information, please visit http://financialaid.umd.edu.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Graduating seniors with an overall GPA of 3.2 who have earned a 3.5 GPA within the major are recognized with departmental honors.
Graduating seniors with an overall GPA of 3.5 who have earned a 3.7 GPA within the major are recognized with departmental high honors.