Major: Bachelor of Arts

The field of African and African American Studies has a rich history and tradition of being grounded in theory, practice, and community. The field was founded out of community demand and thus we have a social responsibility to engage in work that services Black, African, and/or African diasporic communities. The DAAAS community engaged learning requirement allows students to engage with communities to address a collective problem or societal need, critically examine public issues, and/or engage in a community-based project. This requirement allows students to either take a relevant class from one of these Community Engaged Learning course offerings via Cardinal courses opens in a new tab (courses must have a focus on Black, African, and/or African Diasporic community/communities). Students can also choose to design their own community engaged learning experience in close collaboration with their faculty advisor and the DAAAS Director of Advanced Studies and Community Engaged Learning. This could involve an individualized and ethical strategy for engagement with an African diasporic community in the Bay Area (examples include the Congolese Community Center in Oakland; the Central African Dance Center in Richmond; the Eritrean Community Center in San Francisco, amongst many other possibilities). Students are also able to fulfill the requirement through participation in a one of Stanford’s Bing Overseas Study programs (BOSP). Either through BOSP’s Global Seminars opens in a new tab or quarter-long Stanford-In programs opens in a new tab, particularly the Cape Town program opens in a new tab,  students are able to fulfill their community engaged learning requirement via participation in an overseas program that focuses on Black, African, and/or African diasporic communities. Note that a study abroad course must contain a community engaged learning component in the course to fulfill the requirement for the major.  DAAAS students must take a 2 credit “re-entry” directed readings course with their faculty advisor upon returning from an overseas study course. In connection with this community engaged requirement, students could design a public deliverable that could also become the basis for their final Capstone project or Honors thesis project.

The other 15 units (to make the total of 64 units required by our Major) will consist of Department approved electives both within and outside of DAAAS.