african and african diaspora studies graduate brochure
DESCRIPTION
School of International and Public Affairs African and African Diaspora Studies Graduate BrochureTRANSCRIPT
African & African Diaspora Studies
School of International and Public AffairsAfrican & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public AffairsCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 S.W. 8th Street, LC 304Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-6860Fax: 305-348-3270Email: africana@fi u.eduhttp://africana.fi u.edu
About Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s fi rst public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and more than
135,000 alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25 largest universities in the country based
on enrollment. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in
its colleges and schools. Recently, the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida’s only public College of Medicine, and the
accreditation of its College of Law.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital
role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The
college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and
engaged citizens in a global society.
About the School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) brings together many of FIU’s
internationally oriented disciplines to provide cutting-edge research, fi rst-rate teaching, and
innovative training necessary for the globalized world of the 21st Century. SIPA includes
four signature departments: Politics and International Relations, Global and Sociocultural
Studies, Public Administration and Criminal Justice. The school also houses many of the
university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs.
Photo: The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
Cover Photo: Gerard ‘Lil Bo’ Dollis performs with the Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Magnolias during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These ‘tribes’ fi rst appeared in the city in the 1880s in response to policies that excluded African-Americans from Mardi Gras festivities. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images; reprinted with permission from Gerard Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.
10880_5/10
Sample of Course Offerings
• Sex, Race and Power in Colonial Times
• Representations of Africa and Africans in Film
• Health Issues in the African World
• Comparative U.S./South African History
• Cold War and Civil Rights
• Seminar in African Development
• U.S.-Haiti Relations
• Literature of the Black Atlantic
• Diasporas, Migration and Globalization
• Comparative Analysis of Race and Ethnicity
• Haiti: Language, Culture and Society
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Psychology
• Rasta, Voodoo and Santeria
• Race and Gender in Historical and Transnational Perspective
Faculty
AADS core and affi liated faculty comprise a distinct group of globally-oriented scholars with
specializations that range from the humanities and social sciences to environmental studies, law
and social justice, health sciences, education and international business. For a complete list of
AADS faculty, please visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
For general information, visit www.fi u.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.
For more information about online programs offered by the School of International and Public Affairs, please visit http://international.fi u.edu.
African & African Diaspora Studies, FIU and the School of International and Public A� airs together o� er students studying Africa and the African diaspora a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other programs of interest.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
This two-year M.A. degree prepares students to develop and use theoretical, analytical,
and methodological approaches to critical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in black
communities around the globe. Students study topics as diverse as development and
underdevelopment; technology; religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness;
questions of self-determination and mutual cooperation; and all aspects of aesthetic and
creative expression, including fi lm, literature and material culture. Many AADS students take the
opportunity to understand and confront the unique socioeconomic problems facing communities
of Africa and the African diaspora. Research projects for the M.A. seek to create new knowledge
through close study of relevant communities and disseminate this knowledge to the various
constituencies we serve, both academic and non-academic.
The degree can lead to professional positions in a range of areas, including international
organizations; multicultural curriculum development and teaching and other educational
contexts; race, social and public policy; public administration; journalism and other fi elds.
It also prepares graduates for further study at the Ph.D. level.
For more information about any of our current graduate programs,
please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
About African & African Diaspora Studies
African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) is an integral part of the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) in Florida International University’s College of Arts & Sciences. AADS is one
of the leading programs in the United States for the study of the peoples of continental Africa
and their experiences, as well as the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
The program features a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and
active outreach programs. AADS sponsors the annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Recent
lecturers have included John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Kaunda, Colin Palmer, Hilary Beckles
and Angela Davis. In addition, the program hosts the annual Chris Gray Memorial Lecture and
organizes a series of lectures each semester. AADS also sponsors a regular interdisciplinary
colloquium in which both visiting scholars and FIU faculty can present their work. AADS’
collaboration with other SIPA units makes it possible for students to fi nd an event of interest
almost any day of the week.
Undergraduate and Graduate Certifi cate Programs
AADS offers an undergraduate certifi cate (15 credits), a fully online undergraduate certifi cate (15
credits) and a graduate certifi cate (18 credits). The certifi cate programs provide students with the
opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African
descent from an interdisciplinary approach. They are designed to complement students’ work in
their major fi elds of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while fostering greater
understanding of traditionally marginalized topics. The certifi cate programs emphasize African
and African diasporic cultural expressions in all their regional, temporal and socioeconomic
diversities, while offering insights into the ongoing challenges black communities face locally
and globally. The programs also focus on the ways in which communities and individuals have
developed strategies for survival in the midst of, and resistance to, racism and subsequent
political, economic and social oppression. The programs offer students the fl exibility to choose
courses that will allow them to focus more specifi cally on African Americans, Continental
Africans, or communities of the African diaspora internationally. For more information, please
visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and International Relations
The combined M.A./Ph.D. in AADS and International Relations allows students to pursue
two graduate degrees at the same time. By taking core requirements from both AADS and
International Relations, students will develop expertise in the methods and theories of both
areas. Required courses include Contemporary Dynamics of International Relations,
Political Economy of International Relations, and African & African Diaspora Studies Theory.
Students will be able to write a Ph.D. dissertation that combines expertise in the fi eld of
International Relations with a deep knowledge of issues relevant to the African diaspora. This
combined program is ideal for doctoral students who want to begin with a fi rm grounding in a
multidisciplinary approach to the human sciences while pursuing a Ph.D. in a well-established
fi eld of inquiry. The International Relations program at FIU is particularly strong in the areas of
Latin America, Central Africa, the Caribbean and Haiti. Students in this program will be trained
for employment in academia, diplomacy, government, security and public affairs, especially as
U.S. engagement with Africa and its diaspora expands during the next decade.
Students should apply to both programs at the same time and must meet admissions
requirements for both.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Atlantic History
FIU’s Department of History has long offered one of the fi rst doctorates focused on the history
of the Atlantic world. The Ph.D. is designed around a curriculum emphasizing the comparative
framework of the Atlantic experience, while refl ecting the vitality of a cross-disciplinary
approach. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program trains students within the discipline of Atlantic
History while giving them full area studies expertise in African & African Diaspora Studies in
order to help them in seeking careers with an international focus in today’s global cultural and
intellectual environment. In tandem, these two programs offer students an unusually close fi t and
remarkably benefi cial synthesis in interdisciplinary approaches to both the history of the Atlantic
world and the African diasporic experience so central to the making of that world.
African & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public Affairs
“I was attracted to the African & African Diaspora Studies program because of its interdisciplinary structure…The AADS program provided me with a comprehensive education of the Diaspora, while enabling me to hone my specifi c research focus on African American domestic workers.”
— Ava Purkiss, MA ’09
Proposed Graduate Degree Program Pending Approval
M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Global & Sociocultural Studies (Coming in 2011)
The Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies provides graduate students a unique
opportunity to integrate the disciplinary approaches of anthropology, geography and sociology
with cross-disciplinary theorizing and research. This innovative Ph.D. program focuses
on three overlapping themes, all of them highly relevant to AADS students: identities and
inequalities, migrations and diasporas, and nature-society. Utilizing comparative, transnational,
diasporic and global perspectives, students can pursue research on these themes through a
variety of theoretical approaches and by utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and applied research
methods. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program will allow students to specialize in the fi eld of
African & African Diaspora Studies for the M.A. degree while pursuing an interdisciplinary
doctorate in Global & Sociocultural Studies with a designated major in anthropology,
geography or sociology.
For more details on this program, please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
African & African Diaspora Studies, FIU and the School of International and Public A� airs together o� er students studying Africa and the African diaspora a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other programs of interest.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
This two-year M.A. degree prepares students to develop and use theoretical, analytical,
and methodological approaches to critical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in black
communities around the globe. Students study topics as diverse as development and
underdevelopment; technology; religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness;
questions of self-determination and mutual cooperation; and all aspects of aesthetic and
creative expression, including fi lm, literature and material culture. Many AADS students take the
opportunity to understand and confront the unique socioeconomic problems facing communities
of Africa and the African diaspora. Research projects for the M.A. seek to create new knowledge
through close study of relevant communities and disseminate this knowledge to the various
constituencies we serve, both academic and non-academic.
The degree can lead to professional positions in a range of areas, including international
organizations; multicultural curriculum development and teaching and other educational
contexts; race, social and public policy; public administration; journalism and other fi elds.
It also prepares graduates for further study at the Ph.D. level.
For more information about any of our current graduate programs,
please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
About African & African Diaspora Studies
African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) is an integral part of the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) in Florida International University’s College of Arts & Sciences. AADS is one
of the leading programs in the United States for the study of the peoples of continental Africa
and their experiences, as well as the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
The program features a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and
active outreach programs. AADS sponsors the annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Recent
lecturers have included John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Kaunda, Colin Palmer, Hilary Beckles
and Angela Davis. In addition, the program hosts the annual Chris Gray Memorial Lecture and
organizes a series of lectures each semester. AADS also sponsors a regular interdisciplinary
colloquium in which both visiting scholars and FIU faculty can present their work. AADS’
collaboration with other SIPA units makes it possible for students to fi nd an event of interest
almost any day of the week.
Undergraduate and Graduate Certifi cate Programs
AADS offers an undergraduate certifi cate (15 credits), a fully online undergraduate certifi cate (15
credits) and a graduate certifi cate (18 credits). The certifi cate programs provide students with the
opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African
descent from an interdisciplinary approach. They are designed to complement students’ work in
their major fi elds of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while fostering greater
understanding of traditionally marginalized topics. The certifi cate programs emphasize African
and African diasporic cultural expressions in all their regional, temporal and socioeconomic
diversities, while offering insights into the ongoing challenges black communities face locally
and globally. The programs also focus on the ways in which communities and individuals have
developed strategies for survival in the midst of, and resistance to, racism and subsequent
political, economic and social oppression. The programs offer students the fl exibility to choose
courses that will allow them to focus more specifi cally on African Americans, Continental
Africans, or communities of the African diaspora internationally. For more information, please
visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and International Relations
The combined M.A./Ph.D. in AADS and International Relations allows students to pursue
two graduate degrees at the same time. By taking core requirements from both AADS and
International Relations, students will develop expertise in the methods and theories of both
areas. Required courses include Contemporary Dynamics of International Relations,
Political Economy of International Relations, and African & African Diaspora Studies Theory.
Students will be able to write a Ph.D. dissertation that combines expertise in the fi eld of
International Relations with a deep knowledge of issues relevant to the African diaspora. This
combined program is ideal for doctoral students who want to begin with a fi rm grounding in a
multidisciplinary approach to the human sciences while pursuing a Ph.D. in a well-established
fi eld of inquiry. The International Relations program at FIU is particularly strong in the areas of
Latin America, Central Africa, the Caribbean and Haiti. Students in this program will be trained
for employment in academia, diplomacy, government, security and public affairs, especially as
U.S. engagement with Africa and its diaspora expands during the next decade.
Students should apply to both programs at the same time and must meet admissions
requirements for both.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Atlantic History
FIU’s Department of History has long offered one of the fi rst doctorates focused on the history
of the Atlantic world. The Ph.D. is designed around a curriculum emphasizing the comparative
framework of the Atlantic experience, while refl ecting the vitality of a cross-disciplinary
approach. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program trains students within the discipline of Atlantic
History while giving them full area studies expertise in African & African Diaspora Studies in
order to help them in seeking careers with an international focus in today’s global cultural and
intellectual environment. In tandem, these two programs offer students an unusually close fi t and
remarkably benefi cial synthesis in interdisciplinary approaches to both the history of the Atlantic
world and the African diasporic experience so central to the making of that world.
African & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public Affairs
“I was attracted to the African & African Diaspora Studies program because of its interdisciplinary structure…The AADS program provided me with a comprehensive education of the Diaspora, while enabling me to hone my specifi c research focus on African American domestic workers.”
— Ava Purkiss, MA ’09
Proposed Graduate Degree Program Pending Approval
M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Global & Sociocultural Studies (Coming in 2011)
The Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies provides graduate students a unique
opportunity to integrate the disciplinary approaches of anthropology, geography and sociology
with cross-disciplinary theorizing and research. This innovative Ph.D. program focuses
on three overlapping themes, all of them highly relevant to AADS students: identities and
inequalities, migrations and diasporas, and nature-society. Utilizing comparative, transnational,
diasporic and global perspectives, students can pursue research on these themes through a
variety of theoretical approaches and by utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and applied research
methods. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program will allow students to specialize in the fi eld of
African & African Diaspora Studies for the M.A. degree while pursuing an interdisciplinary
doctorate in Global & Sociocultural Studies with a designated major in anthropology,
geography or sociology.
For more details on this program, please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
African & African Diaspora Studies, FIU and the School of International and Public A� airs together o� er students studying Africa and the African diaspora a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other programs of interest.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
This two-year M.A. degree prepares students to develop and use theoretical, analytical,
and methodological approaches to critical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in black
communities around the globe. Students study topics as diverse as development and
underdevelopment; technology; religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness;
questions of self-determination and mutual cooperation; and all aspects of aesthetic and
creative expression, including fi lm, literature and material culture. Many AADS students take the
opportunity to understand and confront the unique socioeconomic problems facing communities
of Africa and the African diaspora. Research projects for the M.A. seek to create new knowledge
through close study of relevant communities and disseminate this knowledge to the various
constituencies we serve, both academic and non-academic.
The degree can lead to professional positions in a range of areas, including international
organizations; multicultural curriculum development and teaching and other educational
contexts; race, social and public policy; public administration; journalism and other fi elds.
It also prepares graduates for further study at the Ph.D. level.
For more information about any of our current graduate programs,
please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
About African & African Diaspora Studies
African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) is an integral part of the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) in Florida International University’s College of Arts & Sciences. AADS is one
of the leading programs in the United States for the study of the peoples of continental Africa
and their experiences, as well as the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
The program features a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and
active outreach programs. AADS sponsors the annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Recent
lecturers have included John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Kaunda, Colin Palmer, Hilary Beckles
and Angela Davis. In addition, the program hosts the annual Chris Gray Memorial Lecture and
organizes a series of lectures each semester. AADS also sponsors a regular interdisciplinary
colloquium in which both visiting scholars and FIU faculty can present their work. AADS’
collaboration with other SIPA units makes it possible for students to fi nd an event of interest
almost any day of the week.
Undergraduate and Graduate Certifi cate Programs
AADS offers an undergraduate certifi cate (15 credits), a fully online undergraduate certifi cate (15
credits) and a graduate certifi cate (18 credits). The certifi cate programs provide students with the
opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African
descent from an interdisciplinary approach. They are designed to complement students’ work in
their major fi elds of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while fostering greater
understanding of traditionally marginalized topics. The certifi cate programs emphasize African
and African diasporic cultural expressions in all their regional, temporal and socioeconomic
diversities, while offering insights into the ongoing challenges black communities face locally
and globally. The programs also focus on the ways in which communities and individuals have
developed strategies for survival in the midst of, and resistance to, racism and subsequent
political, economic and social oppression. The programs offer students the fl exibility to choose
courses that will allow them to focus more specifi cally on African Americans, Continental
Africans, or communities of the African diaspora internationally. For more information, please
visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and International Relations
The combined M.A./Ph.D. in AADS and International Relations allows students to pursue
two graduate degrees at the same time. By taking core requirements from both AADS and
International Relations, students will develop expertise in the methods and theories of both
areas. Required courses include Contemporary Dynamics of International Relations,
Political Economy of International Relations, and African & African Diaspora Studies Theory.
Students will be able to write a Ph.D. dissertation that combines expertise in the fi eld of
International Relations with a deep knowledge of issues relevant to the African diaspora. This
combined program is ideal for doctoral students who want to begin with a fi rm grounding in a
multidisciplinary approach to the human sciences while pursuing a Ph.D. in a well-established
fi eld of inquiry. The International Relations program at FIU is particularly strong in the areas of
Latin America, Central Africa, the Caribbean and Haiti. Students in this program will be trained
for employment in academia, diplomacy, government, security and public affairs, especially as
U.S. engagement with Africa and its diaspora expands during the next decade.
Students should apply to both programs at the same time and must meet admissions
requirements for both.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Atlantic History
FIU’s Department of History has long offered one of the fi rst doctorates focused on the history
of the Atlantic world. The Ph.D. is designed around a curriculum emphasizing the comparative
framework of the Atlantic experience, while refl ecting the vitality of a cross-disciplinary
approach. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program trains students within the discipline of Atlantic
History while giving them full area studies expertise in African & African Diaspora Studies in
order to help them in seeking careers with an international focus in today’s global cultural and
intellectual environment. In tandem, these two programs offer students an unusually close fi t and
remarkably benefi cial synthesis in interdisciplinary approaches to both the history of the Atlantic
world and the African diasporic experience so central to the making of that world.
African & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public Affairs
“I was attracted to the African & African Diaspora Studies program because of its interdisciplinary structure…The AADS program provided me with a comprehensive education of the Diaspora, while enabling me to hone my specifi c research focus on African American domestic workers.”
— Ava Purkiss, MA ’09
Proposed Graduate Degree Program Pending Approval
M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Global & Sociocultural Studies (Coming in 2011)
The Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies provides graduate students a unique
opportunity to integrate the disciplinary approaches of anthropology, geography and sociology
with cross-disciplinary theorizing and research. This innovative Ph.D. program focuses
on three overlapping themes, all of them highly relevant to AADS students: identities and
inequalities, migrations and diasporas, and nature-society. Utilizing comparative, transnational,
diasporic and global perspectives, students can pursue research on these themes through a
variety of theoretical approaches and by utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and applied research
methods. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program will allow students to specialize in the fi eld of
African & African Diaspora Studies for the M.A. degree while pursuing an interdisciplinary
doctorate in Global & Sociocultural Studies with a designated major in anthropology,
geography or sociology.
For more details on this program, please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
African & African Diaspora Studies, FIU and the School of International and Public A� airs together o� er students studying Africa and the African diaspora a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other programs of interest.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
This two-year M.A. degree prepares students to develop and use theoretical, analytical,
and methodological approaches to critical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in black
communities around the globe. Students study topics as diverse as development and
underdevelopment; technology; religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness;
questions of self-determination and mutual cooperation; and all aspects of aesthetic and
creative expression, including fi lm, literature and material culture. Many AADS students take the
opportunity to understand and confront the unique socioeconomic problems facing communities
of Africa and the African diaspora. Research projects for the M.A. seek to create new knowledge
through close study of relevant communities and disseminate this knowledge to the various
constituencies we serve, both academic and non-academic.
The degree can lead to professional positions in a range of areas, including international
organizations; multicultural curriculum development and teaching and other educational
contexts; race, social and public policy; public administration; journalism and other fi elds.
It also prepares graduates for further study at the Ph.D. level.
For more information about any of our current graduate programs,
please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
About African & African Diaspora Studies
African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) is an integral part of the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) in Florida International University’s College of Arts & Sciences. AADS is one
of the leading programs in the United States for the study of the peoples of continental Africa
and their experiences, as well as the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
The program features a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and
active outreach programs. AADS sponsors the annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Recent
lecturers have included John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Kaunda, Colin Palmer, Hilary Beckles
and Angela Davis. In addition, the program hosts the annual Chris Gray Memorial Lecture and
organizes a series of lectures each semester. AADS also sponsors a regular interdisciplinary
colloquium in which both visiting scholars and FIU faculty can present their work. AADS’
collaboration with other SIPA units makes it possible for students to fi nd an event of interest
almost any day of the week.
Undergraduate and Graduate Certifi cate Programs
AADS offers an undergraduate certifi cate (15 credits), a fully online undergraduate certifi cate (15
credits) and a graduate certifi cate (18 credits). The certifi cate programs provide students with the
opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African
descent from an interdisciplinary approach. They are designed to complement students’ work in
their major fi elds of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while fostering greater
understanding of traditionally marginalized topics. The certifi cate programs emphasize African
and African diasporic cultural expressions in all their regional, temporal and socioeconomic
diversities, while offering insights into the ongoing challenges black communities face locally
and globally. The programs also focus on the ways in which communities and individuals have
developed strategies for survival in the midst of, and resistance to, racism and subsequent
political, economic and social oppression. The programs offer students the fl exibility to choose
courses that will allow them to focus more specifi cally on African Americans, Continental
Africans, or communities of the African diaspora internationally. For more information, please
visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and International Relations
The combined M.A./Ph.D. in AADS and International Relations allows students to pursue
two graduate degrees at the same time. By taking core requirements from both AADS and
International Relations, students will develop expertise in the methods and theories of both
areas. Required courses include Contemporary Dynamics of International Relations,
Political Economy of International Relations, and African & African Diaspora Studies Theory.
Students will be able to write a Ph.D. dissertation that combines expertise in the fi eld of
International Relations with a deep knowledge of issues relevant to the African diaspora. This
combined program is ideal for doctoral students who want to begin with a fi rm grounding in a
multidisciplinary approach to the human sciences while pursuing a Ph.D. in a well-established
fi eld of inquiry. The International Relations program at FIU is particularly strong in the areas of
Latin America, Central Africa, the Caribbean and Haiti. Students in this program will be trained
for employment in academia, diplomacy, government, security and public affairs, especially as
U.S. engagement with Africa and its diaspora expands during the next decade.
Students should apply to both programs at the same time and must meet admissions
requirements for both.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Atlantic History
FIU’s Department of History has long offered one of the fi rst doctorates focused on the history
of the Atlantic world. The Ph.D. is designed around a curriculum emphasizing the comparative
framework of the Atlantic experience, while refl ecting the vitality of a cross-disciplinary
approach. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program trains students within the discipline of Atlantic
History while giving them full area studies expertise in African & African Diaspora Studies in
order to help them in seeking careers with an international focus in today’s global cultural and
intellectual environment. In tandem, these two programs offer students an unusually close fi t and
remarkably benefi cial synthesis in interdisciplinary approaches to both the history of the Atlantic
world and the African diasporic experience so central to the making of that world.
African & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public Affairs
“I was attracted to the African & African Diaspora Studies program because of its interdisciplinary structure…The AADS program provided me with a comprehensive education of the Diaspora, while enabling me to hone my specifi c research focus on African American domestic workers.”
— Ava Purkiss, MA ’09
Proposed Graduate Degree Program Pending Approval
M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Global & Sociocultural Studies (Coming in 2011)
The Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies provides graduate students a unique
opportunity to integrate the disciplinary approaches of anthropology, geography and sociology
with cross-disciplinary theorizing and research. This innovative Ph.D. program focuses
on three overlapping themes, all of them highly relevant to AADS students: identities and
inequalities, migrations and diasporas, and nature-society. Utilizing comparative, transnational,
diasporic and global perspectives, students can pursue research on these themes through a
variety of theoretical approaches and by utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and applied research
methods. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program will allow students to specialize in the fi eld of
African & African Diaspora Studies for the M.A. degree while pursuing an interdisciplinary
doctorate in Global & Sociocultural Studies with a designated major in anthropology,
geography or sociology.
For more details on this program, please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
African & African Diaspora Studies, FIU and the School of International and Public A� airs together o� er students studying Africa and the African diaspora a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other programs of interest.
Graduate Degree Programs
Master of Arts in African & African Diaspora Studies
This two-year M.A. degree prepares students to develop and use theoretical, analytical,
and methodological approaches to critical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in black
communities around the globe. Students study topics as diverse as development and
underdevelopment; technology; religious practices; environmental policies; health and wellness;
questions of self-determination and mutual cooperation; and all aspects of aesthetic and
creative expression, including fi lm, literature and material culture. Many AADS students take the
opportunity to understand and confront the unique socioeconomic problems facing communities
of Africa and the African diaspora. Research projects for the M.A. seek to create new knowledge
through close study of relevant communities and disseminate this knowledge to the various
constituencies we serve, both academic and non-academic.
The degree can lead to professional positions in a range of areas, including international
organizations; multicultural curriculum development and teaching and other educational
contexts; race, social and public policy; public administration; journalism and other fi elds.
It also prepares graduates for further study at the Ph.D. level.
For more information about any of our current graduate programs,
please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
About African & African Diaspora Studies
African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) is an integral part of the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) in Florida International University’s College of Arts & Sciences. AADS is one
of the leading programs in the United States for the study of the peoples of continental Africa
and their experiences, as well as the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
The program features a robust interdisciplinary curriculum, cutting-edge research agendas and
active outreach programs. AADS sponsors the annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture. Recent
lecturers have included John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Kaunda, Colin Palmer, Hilary Beckles
and Angela Davis. In addition, the program hosts the annual Chris Gray Memorial Lecture and
organizes a series of lectures each semester. AADS also sponsors a regular interdisciplinary
colloquium in which both visiting scholars and FIU faculty can present their work. AADS’
collaboration with other SIPA units makes it possible for students to fi nd an event of interest
almost any day of the week.
Undergraduate and Graduate Certifi cate Programs
AADS offers an undergraduate certifi cate (15 credits), a fully online undergraduate certifi cate (15
credits) and a graduate certifi cate (18 credits). The certifi cate programs provide students with the
opportunity to study the global, economic, cultural and historical experiences of people of African
descent from an interdisciplinary approach. They are designed to complement students’ work in
their major fi elds of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while fostering greater
understanding of traditionally marginalized topics. The certifi cate programs emphasize African
and African diasporic cultural expressions in all their regional, temporal and socioeconomic
diversities, while offering insights into the ongoing challenges black communities face locally
and globally. The programs also focus on the ways in which communities and individuals have
developed strategies for survival in the midst of, and resistance to, racism and subsequent
political, economic and social oppression. The programs offer students the fl exibility to choose
courses that will allow them to focus more specifi cally on African Americans, Continental
Africans, or communities of the African diaspora internationally. For more information, please
visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and International Relations
The combined M.A./Ph.D. in AADS and International Relations allows students to pursue
two graduate degrees at the same time. By taking core requirements from both AADS and
International Relations, students will develop expertise in the methods and theories of both
areas. Required courses include Contemporary Dynamics of International Relations,
Political Economy of International Relations, and African & African Diaspora Studies Theory.
Students will be able to write a Ph.D. dissertation that combines expertise in the fi eld of
International Relations with a deep knowledge of issues relevant to the African diaspora. This
combined program is ideal for doctoral students who want to begin with a fi rm grounding in a
multidisciplinary approach to the human sciences while pursuing a Ph.D. in a well-established
fi eld of inquiry. The International Relations program at FIU is particularly strong in the areas of
Latin America, Central Africa, the Caribbean and Haiti. Students in this program will be trained
for employment in academia, diplomacy, government, security and public affairs, especially as
U.S. engagement with Africa and its diaspora expands during the next decade.
Students should apply to both programs at the same time and must meet admissions
requirements for both.
Combined M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Atlantic History
FIU’s Department of History has long offered one of the fi rst doctorates focused on the history
of the Atlantic world. The Ph.D. is designed around a curriculum emphasizing the comparative
framework of the Atlantic experience, while refl ecting the vitality of a cross-disciplinary
approach. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program trains students within the discipline of Atlantic
History while giving them full area studies expertise in African & African Diaspora Studies in
order to help them in seeking careers with an international focus in today’s global cultural and
intellectual environment. In tandem, these two programs offer students an unusually close fi t and
remarkably benefi cial synthesis in interdisciplinary approaches to both the history of the Atlantic
world and the African diasporic experience so central to the making of that world.
African & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public Affairs
“I was attracted to the African & African Diaspora Studies program because of its interdisciplinary structure…The AADS program provided me with a comprehensive education of the Diaspora, while enabling me to hone my specifi c research focus on African American domestic workers.”
— Ava Purkiss, MA ’09
Proposed Graduate Degree Program Pending Approval
M.A./Ph.D. in African & African Diaspora Studies and Global & Sociocultural Studies (Coming in 2011)
The Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies provides graduate students a unique
opportunity to integrate the disciplinary approaches of anthropology, geography and sociology
with cross-disciplinary theorizing and research. This innovative Ph.D. program focuses
on three overlapping themes, all of them highly relevant to AADS students: identities and
inequalities, migrations and diasporas, and nature-society. Utilizing comparative, transnational,
diasporic and global perspectives, students can pursue research on these themes through a
variety of theoretical approaches and by utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and applied research
methods. This combined M.A./Ph.D. program will allow students to specialize in the fi eld of
African & African Diaspora Studies for the M.A. degree while pursuing an interdisciplinary
doctorate in Global & Sociocultural Studies with a designated major in anthropology,
geography or sociology.
For more details on this program, please visit: http://africana.fi u.edu
African & African Diaspora Studies
School of International and Public AffairsAfrican & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public AffairsCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 S.W. 8th Street, LC 304Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-6860Fax: 305-348-3270Email: africana@fi u.eduhttp://africana.fi u.edu
About Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s fi rst public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and more than
135,000 alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25 largest universities in the country based
on enrollment. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in
its colleges and schools. Recently, the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida’s only public College of Medicine, and the
accreditation of its College of Law.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital
role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The
college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and
engaged citizens in a global society.
About the School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) brings together many of FIU’s
internationally oriented disciplines to provide cutting-edge research, fi rst-rate teaching, and
innovative training necessary for the globalized world of the 21st Century. SIPA includes
four signature departments: Politics and International Relations, Global and Sociocultural
Studies, Public Administration and Criminal Justice. The school also houses many of the
university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs.
Photo: The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
Cover Photo: Gerard ‘Lil Bo’ Dollis performs with the Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Magnolias during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These ‘tribes’ fi rst appeared in the city in the 1880s in response to policies that excluded African-Americans from Mardi Gras festivities. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images; reprinted with permission from Gerard Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.
10880_5/10
Sample of Course Offerings
• Sex, Race and Power in Colonial Times
• Representations of Africa and Africans in Film
• Health Issues in the African World
• Comparative U.S./South African History
• Cold War and Civil Rights
• Seminar in African Development
• U.S.-Haiti Relations
• Literature of the Black Atlantic
• Diasporas, Migration and Globalization
• Comparative Analysis of Race and Ethnicity
• Haiti: Language, Culture and Society
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Psychology
• Rasta, Voodoo and Santeria
• Race and Gender in Historical and Transnational Perspective
Faculty
AADS core and affi liated faculty comprise a distinct group of globally-oriented scholars with
specializations that range from the humanities and social sciences to environmental studies, law
and social justice, health sciences, education and international business. For a complete list of
AADS faculty, please visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
For general information, visit www.fi u.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.
For more information about online programs offered by the School of International and Public Affairs, please visit http://international.fi u.edu.
African & African Diaspora Studies
School of International and Public AffairsAfrican & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public AffairsCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 S.W. 8th Street, LC 304Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-6860Fax: 305-348-3270Email: africana@fi u.eduhttp://africana.fi u.edu
About Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s fi rst public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and more than
135,000 alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25 largest universities in the country based
on enrollment. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in
its colleges and schools. Recently, the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida’s only public College of Medicine, and the
accreditation of its College of Law.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital
role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The
college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and
engaged citizens in a global society.
About the School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) brings together many of FIU’s
internationally oriented disciplines to provide cutting-edge research, fi rst-rate teaching, and
innovative training necessary for the globalized world of the 21st Century. SIPA includes
four signature departments: Politics and International Relations, Global and Sociocultural
Studies, Public Administration and Criminal Justice. The school also houses many of the
university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs.
Photo: The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
Cover Photo: Gerard ‘Lil Bo’ Dollis performs with the Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Magnolias during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These ‘tribes’ fi rst appeared in the city in the 1880s in response to policies that excluded African-Americans from Mardi Gras festivities. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images; reprinted with permission from Gerard Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.
10880_5/10
Sample of Course Offerings
• Sex, Race and Power in Colonial Times
• Representations of Africa and Africans in Film
• Health Issues in the African World
• Comparative U.S./South African History
• Cold War and Civil Rights
• Seminar in African Development
• U.S.-Haiti Relations
• Literature of the Black Atlantic
• Diasporas, Migration and Globalization
• Comparative Analysis of Race and Ethnicity
• Haiti: Language, Culture and Society
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Psychology
• Rasta, Voodoo and Santeria
• Race and Gender in Historical and Transnational Perspective
Faculty
AADS core and affi liated faculty comprise a distinct group of globally-oriented scholars with
specializations that range from the humanities and social sciences to environmental studies, law
and social justice, health sciences, education and international business. For a complete list of
AADS faculty, please visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
For general information, visit www.fi u.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.
For more information about online programs offered by the School of International and Public Affairs, please visit http://international.fi u.edu.
African & African Diaspora Studies
School of International and Public AffairsAfrican & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public AffairsCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 S.W. 8th Street, LC 304Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-6860Fax: 305-348-3270Email: africana@fi u.eduhttp://africana.fi u.edu
About Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s fi rst public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and more than
135,000 alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25 largest universities in the country based
on enrollment. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in
its colleges and schools. Recently, the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida’s only public College of Medicine, and the
accreditation of its College of Law.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital
role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The
college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and
engaged citizens in a global society.
About the School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) brings together many of FIU’s
internationally oriented disciplines to provide cutting-edge research, fi rst-rate teaching, and
innovative training necessary for the globalized world of the 21st Century. SIPA includes
four signature departments: Politics and International Relations, Global and Sociocultural
Studies, Public Administration and Criminal Justice. The school also houses many of the
university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs.
Photo: The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
Cover Photo: Gerard ‘Lil Bo’ Dollis performs with the Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Magnolias during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These ‘tribes’ fi rst appeared in the city in the 1880s in response to policies that excluded African-Americans from Mardi Gras festivities. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images; reprinted with permission from Gerard Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.
10880_5/10
Sample of Course Offerings
• Sex, Race and Power in Colonial Times
• Representations of Africa and Africans in Film
• Health Issues in the African World
• Comparative U.S./South African History
• Cold War and Civil Rights
• Seminar in African Development
• U.S.-Haiti Relations
• Literature of the Black Atlantic
• Diasporas, Migration and Globalization
• Comparative Analysis of Race and Ethnicity
• Haiti: Language, Culture and Society
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Psychology
• Rasta, Voodoo and Santeria
• Race and Gender in Historical and Transnational Perspective
Faculty
AADS core and affi liated faculty comprise a distinct group of globally-oriented scholars with
specializations that range from the humanities and social sciences to environmental studies, law
and social justice, health sciences, education and international business. For a complete list of
AADS faculty, please visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
For general information, visit www.fi u.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.
For more information about online programs offered by the School of International and Public Affairs, please visit http://international.fi u.edu.
African & African Diaspora Studies
School of International and Public AffairsAfrican & African Diaspora StudiesSchool of International and Public AffairsCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 S.W. 8th Street, LC 304Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-6860Fax: 305-348-3270Email: africana@fi u.eduhttp://africana.fi u.edu
About Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s fi rst public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and more than
135,000 alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25 largest universities in the country based
on enrollment. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in
its colleges and schools. Recently, the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida’s only public College of Medicine, and the
accreditation of its College of Law.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital
role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The
college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and
engaged citizens in a global society.
About the School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) brings together many of FIU’s
internationally oriented disciplines to provide cutting-edge research, fi rst-rate teaching, and
innovative training necessary for the globalized world of the 21st Century. SIPA includes
four signature departments: Politics and International Relations, Global and Sociocultural
Studies, Public Administration and Criminal Justice. The school also houses many of the
university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs.
Photo: The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
Cover Photo: Gerard ‘Lil Bo’ Dollis performs with the Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Magnolias during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These ‘tribes’ fi rst appeared in the city in the 1880s in response to policies that excluded African-Americans from Mardi Gras festivities. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images; reprinted with permission from Gerard Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.
10880_5/10
Sample of Course Offerings
• Sex, Race and Power in Colonial Times
• Representations of Africa and Africans in Film
• Health Issues in the African World
• Comparative U.S./South African History
• Cold War and Civil Rights
• Seminar in African Development
• U.S.-Haiti Relations
• Literature of the Black Atlantic
• Diasporas, Migration and Globalization
• Comparative Analysis of Race and Ethnicity
• Haiti: Language, Culture and Society
• Afro-Cuban Culture
• Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Psychology
• Rasta, Voodoo and Santeria
• Race and Gender in Historical and Transnational Perspective
Faculty
AADS core and affi liated faculty comprise a distinct group of globally-oriented scholars with
specializations that range from the humanities and social sciences to environmental studies, law
and social justice, health sciences, education and international business. For a complete list of
AADS faculty, please visit http://africana.fi u.edu.
For general information, visit www.fi u.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.
For more information about online programs offered by the School of International and Public Affairs, please visit http://international.fi u.edu.