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The African and African-American Studies (AAAS) Program offers a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the history, art and cultures, economics, politics and social organization of the African diaspora. The focused as well as comparative study of Africa, North America and the Caribbean are central components of the program. Students explore the innovative scholarship within the field of African and African-American Studies while integrating theoretical perspectives and methodologies from various disciplines.

The AAAS major consists of eleven courses:

1. Two survey courses (must include either Introduction to African-American Studies or Introduction to African Studies).

   One African survey course: Introduction to African Studies; Pre-Colonial African History, or History of Africa since 1800.

   One African-American survey course: Introduction to African-American Studies; Race and Slavery in U.S. History (formerly Black America to the Civil War) or Black America since the Civil War.

2. Eight elective courses, including at least two courses from each of the following distributive designations. The program office has a current list of courses satisfying each distributive requirement.

   Two courses with SOC (Introduction to African American Studies; Black America since the Civil War; Africa and the World; The African American Intellectual; The History of North Africa from the Arrival of Islam to the Present; Politics of Africa; Islam in Africa; Nationalism and Revolution in the Caribbean; Affirmative Action in Brazil: Race, Class, and Social Reformation; The 1970s: Decolonization & Diaspora; The Ethnography of Violence; Race and Slavery in US History; Pre-Colonial African History; History of Africa since 1800; The Black Sporting Experience and Slavery and Emancipation in Latin America and the Caribbean), TMV (Intro to African Religions), or TAS.

   Two courses with ART (History of Jazz; Dave the Potter: Slavery Between Pots and Poems; Topics in African Theater/Performance and African Cinema) or LIT (Early Black American Literature; Modern Black American Literature; African Literatures: Masterpieces of Literature from Africa; Literature of Black Migration; The Harlem Renaissance; Caribbean Lyric and Literature and South African Lit in English).

   One course focused on Africa and one course on African America (including the Caribbean) must be among the eight elective courses. Survey courses may be used to fulfill this requirement, but more advanced courses are strongly recommended.

3. One of the following culminating experience options: 

   Senior Seminars: Identity and Power in the Americas; Afro-Diasporic Dialogues: Latin America and the U.S.; The Black Male: Invented or Engineered?; The Harlem Renaissance.

   Senior Independent Research: Senior Independent Research in African and African American Studies.

   Honors Thesis: Honors Thesis in African and African American Studies.

Majors are encouraged to take at least one diaspora course, which may be used to satisfy either area requirement. Courses with the INT distributive designation may satisfy either of the disciplinary requirements. With approval of the Chair, one associated course may be counted toward the major.

Students desiring a minor in African and African-American Studies may select one of three areas of concentration: African Diaspora Studies, African Studies, or African-American Studies. Minors (especially African Diaspora minors) are encouraged to elect at least one diaspora course, which may be substituted for either area requirement. A senior seminar is not required, but is strongly recommended.

The Minor in African Diaspora Studies consists of six courses:

1. Two survey courses, (one must be Introduction to African-American Studies or Introduction to African Studies):

   One African survey course: 

   Introduction to African Studies; Pre-Colonial African History, or History of Africa since 1800

   One African-American survey course: 

   Introduction to African-American Studies; Race and Slavery in U.S. History (formerly Black America to the Civil War), or Black America since the Civil War.

2. Four electives, which must include: 

   One course in SOC (Introduction to African American Studies; Black America since the Civil War; Africa and the World; The African American Intellectual; The History of North Africa from the Arrival of Islam to the Present; Politics of Africa; Islam in Africa; Nationalism and Revolution in the Caribbean; Affirmative Action in Brazil: Race, Class, and Social Reformation; The 1970s: Decolonization & Diaspora; The Ethnography of Violence; Race and Slavery in US History; Pre-Colonial African History; History of Africa since 1800; The Black Sporting Experience and Slavery and Emancipation in Latin America and the Caribbean), TMV (Intro to African Religions), or TAS

   One course in ART (History of Jazz; Dave the Potter: Slavery Between Pots and Poems; Topics in African Theater/Performance and African Cinema) or LIT (Early Black American Literature; Modern Black American Literature; African Literatures: Masterpieces of Literature from Africa; Literature of Black Migration; The Harlem Renaissance; Caribbean Lyric and Literature and South African Lit in English).

   The elective courses for the African Diaspora Studies minor must include:

   One course on African America (including the Caribbean)

   One course on Africa.

The Minor in African Studies consists of six courses:

1.  Introduction to African Studies is required.
2. Five elective courses on Africa, which must include: 

   One course in SOC (Introduction to African American Studies; Black America since the Civil War; Africa and the World; The African American Intellectual; The History of North Africa from the Arrival of Islam to the Present; Politics of Africa; Islam in Africa; Nationalism and Revolution in the Caribbean; Affirmative Action in Brazil: Race, Class, and Social Reformation; The 1970s: Decolonization & Diaspora; The Ethnography of Violence; Race and Slavery in US History; Pre-Colonial African History; History of Africa since 1800; The Black Sporting Experience and Slavery and Emancipation in Latin America and the Caribbean), PHR, TMV (Intro to African Religions), or TAS

   One course in ART (History of Jazz; Dave the Potter: Slavery Between Pots and Poems; Topics in African Theater/Performance and African Cinema) or LIT (Early Black American Literature; Modern Black American Literature; African Literatures: Masterpieces of Literature from Africa; Literature of Black Migration; The Harlem Renaissance; Caribbean Lyric and Literature and South African Lit in English).

The program office has a current list of courses satisfying this requirement.

The Minor in African-American Studies consists of six courses:

1. Introduction to African-American Studies is required.
2. Five elective courses on African America including the Caribbean, which must include: 

   One course in SOC (Introduction to African American Studies; Black America since the Civil War; Africa and the World; The African American Intellectual; The History of North Africa from the Arrival of Islam to the Present; Politics of Africa; Islam in Africa; Nationalism and Revolution in the Caribbean; Affirmative Action in Brazil: Race, Class, and Social Reformation; The 1970s: Decolonization & Diaspora; The Ethnography of Violence; Race and Slavery in US History; Pre-Colonial African History; History of Africa since 1800; The Black Sporting Experience and Slavery and Emancipation in Latin America and the Caribbean), TMV (Intro to African Religions), or TAS

   One course in ART (History of Jazz; Dave the Potter: Slavery Between Pots and Poems; Topics in African Theater/Performance and African Cinema) or LIT (Early Black American Literature; Modern Black American Literature; African Literatures: Masterpieces of Literature from Africa; Literature of Black Migration; The Harlem Renaissance; Caribbean Lyric and Literature and South African Lit in English). 

1. SAT Reasoning or ACT (with Writing);
2. 2 SAT Subject Test Scores
3. The common application essay;
4. Within the Common Application, Dartmouth’s writing supplement requires that applicants write a brief response to one of the following supplemental essay prompts. Candidates choose one topic and respond;
5. A counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations. In addition, a peer recommendation is strongly encouraged;
6. Resume;
7. Brief abstract of an independent research project;
8. IELTS or TOEFL (no minimum scores).

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