The cross disciplinary minor in African, African American and Diaspora Studies broadens students' world perspectives by enhancing their acquaintance with and understanding of the peoples, cultures, and institutions of Africa and the African Diaspora.The African, African American and Diaspora program engages cross disciplinary approaches to understand and to encounter Africa and the African Diaspora in a global context. The cross disciplinary character of the program is further enhanced by the fact that courses taken to fulfill program requirements are drawn from several departments. From these course offerings, students will examine and engage with some of African, African American and Diaspora Studies key contributing disciplines, concepts, methods and topics including the development of new identities.

The minor program in African, African American and Diaspora Studies is open to all undergraduate students at JMU. Courses taken to complete the Africana studies minor can also be used to satisfy the student's major, as well as General Education requirements.

The requirement for a minor in African, African American and diaspora studies is 19 credit hours, in which no more than nine credit hours come from a single discipline.