Africana Studies

William & Mary inaugurated the Africana Studies (AFST) major in the 2009-10 academic year under Interdisciplinary Studies. It combines and supplants the former concentrations in African Studies and Black Studies, and focuses on the history, cultures, and politico-economic circumstances of the 1.2 billion of people of African descent.

The central mission of the AFST program of study is to prepare future leaders for lifelong learning, graduate study in various fields, and careers in private and public organizations across the globe.  It accomplishes this mission through classroom and experiential learning  which seeks to meld an empathetic disposition with a creatively analytical habit of thinking that is shaped by a nuanced exposure to a multiplicity of disciplines, cultures, and historical contexts.

The curriculum in Africana Studies has three tracks:

1.        African Studies
2.         African American Studies
3.         African Diaspora Studies

Rising seniors in 2009-10 may choose to to opt out of the old curriculum in favor of Africana Studies. Otherwise, they will graduate under the old curriculum (see Pre-2009-10 Curriculum under the Undergraduate Program button).

Look under the "Undergraduate Program" button for a full description of the Major, the Minors, and courses.  Course planning forms for majors and minors are also available from our office in Morton 322.