Africana Studies

William & Mary ushers in a new Africana Studies (AFST) major in the 2009-10 academic year. It combines and supplants the former concentration in African Studies and the former major in Black Studies. The curriculum in Africana Studies has three tracks:

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

Rising seniors in 2009-10 retain the option of opting 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).

The AFST major employs rigorous interdisciplinary and comparative approaches for the study of the 1.2 billion people of African descent, a fifth whom are in the Diaspora. The central mission of the program is to prepare students for lifelong learning, graduate study in various fields, and careers in private and public organizations across the globe.

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.