Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies

The study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora has a long and dynamic history. So too does the Department of African and African American Studies (AAAS) at Brandeis. AAAS is one of the oldest departments of its kind in the country, founded in 1969 at the height of a movement to institutionalize Black Studies in U.S. colleges and universities.

Just as Black Studies is a foundational field, AAAS is a foundational department. People of African descent, in countless ways, have transformed the cultures of the Americas and the world. African, African-American and Caribbean thinkers have also played a major role in defining some of the most critical issues in modern history of our time, just as the cultures of Africans and their descendants have transformed the cultures of the Americas and the world.

As a AAAS major or minor, you will take courses in the humanities, creative arts and social sciences. You will gain the analytical tools needed to read, write, talk and think knowledgeably about the past, present and future of black people on the African continent, in the Americas and around the world.

The possibilities of a degree in AAAS are endless. Some of our students go on to pursue graduate study in African and African American studies or in a discipline represented in our department. Others use their knowledge to pursue careers in health care, social work, government, international organizations, business, journalism, law, education and other professions.

Official copies of all high school transcripts and/or GED certificate and/or marks from any externally graded national exams. (If the original documents are not in English, please submit both original documents and English translations.) This should include transcripts for courses taken for credit outside your high school. Transcripts must include official grades from all years of secondary school.
A school report and a letter of recommendation from a secondary school official.
High School Senior Grades: Send your senior midyear grades as soon as they become available.
A letter of recommendation