Douglass statue on UMD campus

The University of Maryland African American and Africana Studies graduates have been successful in many fields post-graduation. AAAS majors work in many areas including advocacy, human services, government, policy, and entertainmentUsing information from the University of Maryland graduation survey, we have compiled information about AAAS majors, such as where they work or go to graduate school post-graduation. Use this information as a place to start exploring your career interests. Review additional resources below and on the Feller Center's website. 

Quick View: Careers and Skills related to AAAS Major

Start Exploring Career Titles/Work Areas

Use the sample job and internship titles (mentioned above) to start exploring career paths. The links below provide a short overview of the positions. Review more career areas related to this major as well as tips to succeed. 

  • African civilization
  • Artistic development
  • Black community
  • Black culture
  • Black history
  • Civil rights
  • Correction facilities (youth/adult and private/public)
  • Cultural anthropology
  • Economic development
  • Education
  • Halfway houses and pre-release programs
  • Immigration and naturalization services
  • Justice
  • Law
  • Local, state, and federal courts
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Police department: State, City, County
  • Policy research
  • Political development
  • Psychology
  • Public management/ policy
  • Racism
  • Reintegration programs
  • Social change
  • Social issues
  • Urban planning
  • Youth group home

Resources: Career Planning & Graduate School

Explore career path options with these resources:

Policy:

Politics:

Political internships are for all majors; the experience benefits students within all majors. It is an excellent networking opportunity as well as hard evidence on a resume that the student can work in a fast paced environment.  Students also build communication, written, and interpersonal skills. Review this Guide to Political Jobs and Internships to get started!

 

Start researching your career path of interest to identify the educational requirements. The list below offers a brief overview of some of the more popular graduate degree programs and institutions our AASD undergraduates have attended.

  • African American Studies, Ph.D.
  • Law, J.D.
  • Medicine, M.D.
  • Psychology, M.S.
  • Psychology, Ph.D.
  • Public Health, M.P.H.
  • Public Policy, M.P.P. - University of Maryland, College Park
  • Social Work, M.S.W.
  • Student Affairs, M.A.
  • Urban Planning, M.S.

Graduate School Resources: Researching programs:

senam okpattah picture

BSOS ALUMNI CAREER SPOTLIGHT: Read more about how Senam's coursework helped her excel as a Attorney Support Assistant at Latham & Watkins, LLP

Market Skills Developed: AAAS Major

Skills lead to jobs. Which skills do you possess?

  • Assess your abilities, interests, and values and explore how they relate to career options.
  • Skills inventory - get started identifying your unique assets.

African American & Africana Studies majors have skills in…Review learning objectives

  • Accumulating and interpreting information
  • Analysis
  • Contending analytical and theoretical approaches
  • Oral and written communication
  • Proactivity and initiative
  • Quantitative and qualitative methods
  • Research
  • Understanding of multidisciplinary work
Professional Competencies for a Career-Ready Workforce, NACE

Skills lead to jobs. Which skills do you possess?

Highlight your skills in your application materials

Gain Experience

Internships are a great way to try out an interest, regardless if they are directly related to your major. Employers tend to favor job seekers who have had an internship in the field they are hiring for.

Sample internship titles/sites

  • Campaign Inter, Fair Sentencing of Youth
  • Community Impact Intern, United Way of Frederick County
  • Congressional Intern, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Counselor Intern. Parks & People Foundation
  • Digital Intern, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Family and Community Engagement Intern, Institute for Educational Leadership
  • Intern, Black Child Development Institute
  • Intern, National Council for Negro Women
  • Intern, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
  • Intern, WUSA 9 News
  • Major Investigations Unit Intern, State’s Attorney for Baltimore City
  • Marketing Intern, Live Nation Entertainment
  • Politics Marketing Intern, Blavity
  • Public Service Aide Intern, Prince George’s County Council
  • Research Assistant, Center for Substance Abuse Research
  • Research Assistant Intern, American Institutes for Research
  • Research Intern, The Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice and Ethics 
  • U.S. Africa Business Center Intern, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Sample list of opportunities

The UMD Department of African American Studies Student opportunities

Prepare to apply: Tips to customize your resume, cover letter, etc. 

bsos intenship success stories

Review notes from a recent What to Do with a Major in African American Studies panel of professionals. 

Build Connections

After researching career paths, consider talking with people working in your field of interest to gain inside information. The links below provide sample events where you may be able to meet professionals in your field of interest. Use these opportunities to learn more about your field of interest, establish new networking contacts, and informational interviews.

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