African & African Diaspora Studies adds new online undergraduate certificate


The African & African Diaspora Studies Program (AADS) in the School of International and Public Affairs will launch its new online undergraduate certificate program in Fall 2009. The online undergraduate certificate in African & African diaspora studies provides students with the opportunity to study the peoples of continental Africa and the African Diaspora with the added flexibility of a fully online learning environment.

The new online undergraduate certificate in African & African Diaspora Studies is another way in which AADS is advancing a mission dedicated to the study, research, interpretation and dissemination of knowledge concerning individuals and communities of continental Africa and the African diaspora, while providing students with an excellent university education.

“We are truly delighted to be able to meet students’ need for more convenient and accessible education with a program that is not only flexible but also rigorous, engaging and true to our mission,” says Jean Rahier, director of AADS and associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies.

In addition to the online certificate, AADS academic programs include a traditional undergraduate certificate, a graduate certificate, a Master of Arts program in African and African Diaspora Studies, a combined MA in AADS/PhD in international relations, and a combined MA in AADS/PhD in global & sociocultural studies. AADS programs provide students with the opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African descent from an interdisciplinary approach.

AADS also offers the opportunity for study abroad in Senegal and The Gambia. Scheduled to take place for the first time in May 2010, the study abroad program will expose students to West African cultures and traditions, with a special emphasis on the growing centrality of tourism as a key sector of the global economy. AADS also hosts an annual colloquium series during which students and members of the university and the wider community are addressed by academics and professionals on some of Africana studies’ most relevant topics. Past colloquia have featured lectures by renowned scholars, writers and activists, including Angela Davis, Edwidge Danticat and Paul Gilroy.

For further information, please go to Africana@fiu.edu or call 305-348-6860.

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