Dear students, prospective majors, alumni, faculty and friends of the department:

Welcome to the African American Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University. Our department offers an engaging and supportive environment where students not only acquire a classical liberal arts foundation, but courses that encourage critical thinking, effective communication skills and scholarly reflection across a broad and deep range of topical areas addressing black racial formation in America. In addition, our faculty are grounded in multiple methodological approaches that compliment the interdisciplinary nature of African American Studies and provide students a theoretical and research focused framework for comparative analysis across all disciplines. Below are several core points that speak to why you should seriously consider African American Studies for an undergraduate major, minor or even double-major.

• You gain a broad education. Coursework in African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University is interdisciplinary, meaning that it encompasses a number of fields (Anthropology, English, History, Psychology, Sociology, Theology). This academic background prepares you for employment in a range of occupations (law, business, teaching, medicine, community organizing, social work, government service, or the non-profit sector); or graduate study in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, or Humanities. This includes skills such as critical thinking; effective written and oral communication; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data; the use of a range of technology and media to obtain, organize, and disseminate information effectively; and the ability to integrate knowledge from different disciplines.
• You learn to challenge your understandings of people, cultures, places, and events. With an interdisciplinary and comparative focus, African American Studies gives you the opportunity to explore the processes of identity construction and community formation that take place in numerous locales. You learn to delve beyond sound bites and conventional wisdom to understand the history, social structure, and cultural dynamics of African-descended communities in the Americas and beyond. We encourage self-reflection; support lifelong education, and a foster commitment to working for social justice.
• You gain a competitive edge in today's global economy. Employers and graduate school admissions officers look for candidates who have a broader awareness of the world and its people. A major in African American Studies will do more than prepare you for law school, medical school, or your chosen graduate program. It prepares you for meaningful, informed, and critical interactions with diverse populations, both locally and globally. By critically examining the human experience, you learn how to interact with diverse populations in meaningful and positive ways.
• You stand to succeed! Statistics indicate that liberal arts majors rank well against other majors in terms of future salaries. We believe this is due to their acquisition of superior communication and analytical skills.

Lastly, the African American Studies Department is committed to cultivating a vibrant community of majors and minors by providing various events and programs throughout the year that allow students, faculty and the campus community to engage one another in scholarly dialogue and social fellowship. I invite you to enroll in a course, attend an event or drop by the department and see for yourself.

Adilifu Nama, Ph.D.Associate Professor and Chair of African American Studies