The program offers African Area courses in a wide range of disciplines, including the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and some professional fields. The M.A.A.S. is not a professional degree, but students may enroll in courses in several professional schools on campus. An articulated degree program is also offered in Public Health.
Academic flexibility draws many students to the program.
Because there are more than 50 faculty members with African interest and experience in approximately 30disciplines, students have multiple options to design individual programs suited to their specific interests.