Bachelor of Arts in African and African Diaspora Studies

at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee USA

Our performance programs are led by renowned performing artist faculty. Piano majors take private lessons and master classes, and perform regularly in concerts and recitals.

In the Comparative Literature major, students examine literature across languages, geographic location, time periods, and genres. The discipline also explores the relationship between literature and other forms of cultural expression such as pop culture, technology, arts, music, or film, as well as the relationship between literature and other academic disciplines, like anthropology, history, religious studies, or women's and gender studies. It's a great major for anyone who loves to explore other cultures.

Students sometimes ask whether they need to be fluent in a foreign language in order to study comparative literature. Definitely not! While all of UWM's instructors and faculty in comparative literature do research in other languages, all Comparative Literature courses are taught entirely in English. Comparative Literature majors choose one of two paths - one path that requires some literature courses be taken in a foreign language program, or another path where all classes are taught in English.

The study of Philosophy can be challenging because it asks students to critically examine very fundamental questions about what it means to be human - behavior, values, ethics, logic, aesthetics. Some describe it as "thinking in slow motion" because of the way it explores in depth the human experience.

Students choose philosophy because it instills a lifelong love and quest for knowledge, it imparts a disciplined and systematic way of thinking, and it enhances critical and analytical capacities. Most graduates of philosophy describe the great personal reward that comes from exploring the great thinkers of the past in the context of modern issues. But, they also passionately value the career skills that they developed - how to read and comprehend difficult text; how to understand different interpretations of information and assess opposing viewpoints; how to craft a clear and logical position on an issue in writing and orally; and how to make connections between smaller, seemingly disparate details and the big picture.

The purpose of the MLIS program is to prepare librarians and information professionals who are able to manage change in an urbanized, technologically oriented, and knowledge-based society. The MLIS program provides a systematic course of study which enables individuals with a strong service orientation to apply principles of library and information science, use current methods and tools, and recognize the value of research.

Students may elect to specialize according to the type of library or information service which best meets their needs: i.e., school, public, academic, or special; or to follow a more generalized approach. Concentrations in archival studies, information organization, information technology, and public libraries are available.

Mediated communication brings information, persuasion, and entertainment to our neighborhoods, our nation, and our world. As the choices expand and the reach of the media becomes more global, media producers can be anyone from a major corporation to an individual activist with a Web site, and media consumers can interact with the products they encounter in a multitude of ways.

The MA in Media Studies offered through the Department of Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies is wide ranging and interdisciplinary. The goal of the program is to foster knowledge and understanding of mass media and society through critical, cultural, historical, legal, ethical, or social scientific approaches. One particular emphasis of the program is the relationship between the media and the public interest.

The MS in Computer Science program is a rigorous graduate program designed to meet the needs of any student wishing to gain advanced understanding of the principles and practices needed to harness the power of computing to help society and the world.  The program can be a stepping stone on the way to further studies and the pursuit of advanced research, such as can be obtained by pursuing the PhD. Or the program can provide a pathway to professional advancement through greater technical knowledge and intellectual maturity.

This 30-credit non-professional degree program is appropriate for students who want to develop a personalized and specialized program of architectural studies centered on scholarly studies and research. Graduates will bring specialized knowledge to diverse professional settings that involve collaboration, interaction and communication with other professionals. Students propose their own course of study, to be reviewed and approved by faculty in accordance with the program requirements. Students may use the degree to explore their chosen field of research prior to continuation with PhD studies or, if they are mid-career professionals, may shape or extend their expertise in a particular field relevant to their area of practice.

The Department of Film Studies' BA program focuses on the history, theory and criticism of film and television. Students learn how to critically analyze analyze the impact of film and television on individuals and society; make connections between media, historical themes and cultural change; and compare different formats. Film and media cross time periods and locations, languages and cultures. The courses that a well-rounded Film Studies student will take are equally as diverse. The major blends courses in Film Studies with classes from English, Art History, Comparative Literature, History, Religious Studies, French, Italian, Japanese, and other languages. UWM students have the advantage of being in the heart of the largest city in Wisconsin, home to a lively art house movie scene, a growing independent film industry, and a thriving cinematic culture.

Students who are more interested in film and video production process and who are looking to become a filmmaker or videographer may wish to also explore the majors offered through UWM's Peck School of the Arts.

This concentration is designed primarily for students who wish to do advanced study in music history and literature. For some students, the degree is a terminal degree (for example, music teachers who may wish to pursue graduate work in music history rather than in music education), while for others it serves as preparation for the study of musicology at the doctoral level.

The counseling program in the Department of Educational Psychology offers two distinct concentration areas:

• Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• School Counseling

Given UWM’s location in the largest urban area in Wisconsin, the counseling faculty is committed to training multiculturally competent community counselors and school counselors to serve clients in urban environments. Both concentrations share a core preparation in the areas of counseling and educational psychology. As students make progress in their program of studies, their focus will take on a more specialized training with content specific courses and field placements where they will refine their counseling skills in practical settings.

The concentrations train counselors to work with a diverse group of clients in urban settings and to deliver services in an ethical manner, as outlined by professional codes of conduct. They share in common courses comprising an Educational Psychology core of studies, a general Counseling core of studies, and a Concentration core. The Educational Psychology core provides knowledge for understanding research and professional scholarship, techniques of educational and psychological measurement, and typical human growth and development across the life-span. The Counseling core courses provide training in basic helping processes and relationships, career development, social and diversity issues in counseling, group work, appraisal of client issues, counseling theory, and the role of family systems. The Concentration core provides training in advanced strategies for helping clients change, and opportunities for increasing competency with specific populations through field placement. Pre-Practicum, Practicum I and Practicum II provide 700 hours of supervised clinical training which involves the refinement of more advanced and sophisticated counseling skills in placements in actual counseling settings.

Students are required to spend 20 hours each week during the semester at their placement site (an exception to this hour requirement is described below for students interested in seeking experience in dual concentrations).

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration prepares students for work in a variety of community settings such as mental health clinics, community agencies, counseling centers, colleges and universities, and business and industry. Students arrange their program of studies in consultation with their advisors so that the 60 credits earned toward a master’s degree will meet selected state certification requirements.