Why a Dual MA Degree?
The dual degree provides an opportunity for students in African American and African Studies and students in Language, Literacy and Culture to earn a dual MA degree with relevant concentrations in both areas. The degree will contribute to the development of leaders for school districts and state departments of education who are from diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds and have content knowledge of African Americans and African cultures, literature, history, political science, and languages.

Who might apply?
Students attracted by the dual degree include (1) American elementary, middle and high school teachers who seek to improve their teaching of African American and African students and their content knowledge in African American and African history, systems of thought, politics, literature, languages, and cultures of peoples on the African continent and the African diaspora, (2) reading or curriculum specialists who are interested in Africentric history and literature; (3) educators from Africa and countries of the African diaspora who have interests in developing instructional materials for teaching languages; (4) teachers who are interested in researching issues related to racial identity; (5) teachers who want to teach African literature in both French and English; and (6) educators who are interested in both African Studies and American educational reforms in global education.

How to apply?
Students should apply to both AAAS and to LLC and must be accepted by both programs in order to be eligible for a dual degree. The students have two co-advisors, one from AAAS and one from either Social Studies/Global Education or Foreign and Second Language Education.

What are the requirements?
The dual degree includes 30 credit hours of courses through LLC in Ed T&L and 30 hours in African American and African Studies for a 60 credit hour dual MA.

For the 30 hours in Education, students would choose either the LLC Foreign Language/Second Language Specialty or the Social Studies/Global Education Specialty.

Requirements for the LLC part of the dual degree
(1) Two LLC core courses (881 Multicultural Education and one other of the LLC core courses) (6 hrs) (2) An education elective or independent study (3 hrs) (3) A concentration in either Foreign Language/Second Language Education or Social Studies/Global Education (21 hrs)

For the Foreign Language/Second Language Education concentration of 21 hrs:
  • a. SLA foundations strand (3 hrs)
    • For example, EDT+L 703M, second language acquisition
  • b. Methodology strand (3_6 hrs)
    • For example, EDT+L 640, Intro to TESOL; 710, Instructional Material
  • c. Curriculum and Teacher Education strand (3 hrs)
    • For example, EDT+L 868, Syllabus Design
  • d. Independent Studies (3_6 hrs)
    • For example, EDT+L 893.45 Individual Study

For the Social Studies/Global Education Concentration: 21 hrs

  • 805 Economic Perspectives in Global Education (3 hrs)
  • 807 Teaching About Africans and African Perspectives (3 hrs)
  • 808 Research in Multicultural and Global Education (3 hrs)
  • 925.28 Culturally Relevant Teaching (3 hrs)
  • 925.28 Global Education Through Literature and Social Action (3 hrs)
  • 887.28 Cross-Cultural Field Experience (3 hrs)
  • Plus one elective or independent study (3 hrs)

Requirements for the African-American and African Studies part of the dual degree

Students who elect to pursue the dual degree in AAAS and LLC have the option of choosing a concentration in either African American or African Studies.

The African American Studies Concentration

  1. All students who elect to pursue the African American concentration would take our two required core courses for a total of 10 credit hours.
    • AAAS 754: Research Methods in African American and African Studies (5 hrs)
    • AAAS 756: Theorizing Race (5 hrs).


  2. The students will take 15 credit hours from the following list of courses, with at least 5 credit hours from each of the fields of social science and humanities.


      Social Science Courses

    • 630: Black Political Movements and Organizations
    • 633: Black Community Politics
    • 690: African American Children and Youth
    • 691: Black American Family
    • 712: Development in the Black Community
    • 718: Citizen Participation
    • 762: Mental Health in the Black Community
    • 775.03: Feminism and Black Political Thought
    • 782: Modern Black Political Thought
    • 865: Black Role Models: Racism and Sexism

      Humanities Courses

    • 605: Introduction to African-American Vernacular English
    • 752: Readings in African American History
    • 757.01: Introduction to Graduate Studies in African American Literature I
    • 757.02: Introduction to Graduate Studies in African American Literature II
    • Hist. 875.01: Seminar in African American History I
    • Hist. 875.02: Seminar in African American History II


  3. Other Requirements include 5 credit hours of coursework from courses in either the African Studies Concentration or the Comparative Black Experience.

      Comparative Black Experience Courses

    • 669: Slavery in Comparative Context
    • 748: Contemporary Art Music in Traditions of Africa and the Diaspora
    • 753: The Discipline of African American and African Studies
    • 851: Seminar in Critical Approaches to Black Literatures
    • 854: Seminar in Major Black Authors
    • 860: Seminar in Comparative Black Literature

The African Studies Concentration

  1. All students who elect to pursue the African Studies concentration would take three core requirements for the degree for a total of 15 credit hours:
    • AAAS 650: Introduction of African Languages and Societies (5 hrs)
    • AAAS 754: Research Methods in African American and African Studies (5 hrs)
    • AAAS 756: Theorizing Race (5 hrs)


  2. In addition, students who elect the African Studies concentration will take 10 credit hours from the following list of courses, with at least 5 credit hours from each of the fields of social science and humanities.

      Social Science Courses

    • Pol. Sci.: 541: Politics of the Developing World
    • Anthro. 702: Theories in Cultural Anthropology
    • 725: Political Development of Sub-Saharan Africa
    • 781: Topics in African Political Philosophy
    • Anthro. 805L: Seminar on Africa
    • 833: Seminar in US-Africa Relations
    • Geog. 850.03: Third World Urbanization

      Humanities Courses

    • 643: History of Islam in Africa
    • 674: Africa Before Colonial Rule
    • 675: History of South Africa
    • 742: African Historiography and Methods
    • 743: Studies in African History
    • 751: Introduction of Graduate Studies in African Literature
    • 780.20: African Performing Ensemble
    • 789: Performance Practices in African Music
    • Music 672: Ethnomusicology
    • All Department of History of Art course on African Art


  3. Other Requirements: 5 credit hours of coursework from the lists of courses in either the African American Studies Concentration or the Comparative Black Experience (see above).

MA Examination/Thesis Requirements The student’s advisors from AAAS and LLC work together with the student in either a thesis or a non-thesis option. #12;

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