Academic Accelerator - Bachelor of Arts - African American Studies

Academic Accelerator Program (AAP) is a balanced first-year program for international students with good English-language skills. It supplements immersive classes taught in English with just the right amount of support.

As a student in the Academic Accelerator, you’ll receive:

• The right amount of support for your academic and English-speaking needs
• A full year’s worth of college credits
• Access to courses exclusively for international students
• English-language help with words you need to know for your classes
• A mix of classes with international and U.S. students

African American Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the history, politics and cultural production of persons of African descent. Courses consider the United States, Africa, and the global dispersal of persons of African descent, including the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. The department has strong links to community organizations and social movements in Chicago, across the United States, and internationally. Students are encouraged to use their training to address “real world” problems and conflicts. African American Studies offers a liberal arts education that develops skills in critical thinking, research methods, theory building, analysis, and written and oral expression.

An African American Studies major is excellent preparation for any field of public service (including health care, social work, and education) policy and government, the arts, and media, as well as advanced graduate and professional work in fields ranging from the law to history, literature, and sociology.