Major In African American Studies

The Program in African American Studies is administered by the Institute for African American Studies (IAAS).

The program in African American Studies is committed to providing students with understanding and appreciation of the heritage, culture, contributions, experiences, socioeconomic conditions, and political life of people of African descent in the United States and throughout the world. Specifically, the program aims to acquaint students with critical issues that African Americans have faced and continue to encounter.

Students seeking in-depth knowledge and intensive examination of the African American experience may major in African American Studies as an "individualized major" through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. African American Studies can also serve as a minor concentration or "Related Field of Study." Students who concentrate in African American Studies, or just take a course or two, will benefit from an intellectual exposure that will afford them a more diverse and enriched educational experience.

African American Studies Major

Faculty Appointments

Students majoring in African-American Studies must complete 24 credits of course work in AAS at the 200-level as prescribed: Core Courses: Students are required to take the following core courses (12 credits total)

ENGL 276W or 277W Black American Writers I; Black American Writers II Professor Nelson

HIST 238W or 246 History of Black America; The Black Experience in 20th Century America Staff

HDFR 271 Black American Family Patterns

SOCI * Sociology of the African American Community*

POLS 248 African American Politics

The major must take four supporting courses, two each from Group I and Group II

Group I (6 credits; choose any two courses):

- Anthro 242W Afro-American Culture
- EDLR 291 Black Experience in Education
- Econ/Pol* Political Economy of Black America*
- Psy 241W African American Psychology (not offered in 97)
- Mus* African American Music*

Group II (6 credits; choose any two courses):

- Anthro 225 Contemporary Africa
- Art Hist 283 Investigation of Special Topics
- Hist 222 History of Pre-Colonial Africa Professor Omara-Otunnu
- Hist 223 History of Modern Africa Professor Omara-Otunnu
- Hist 224 History of Pan-Africanism Professor Omara-Otunnu
- Hist 285 Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Spanish Caribbean
- Pols 239W Politics in Africa Professor Vengroff
- Soc. 226 Modern Africa Professor Gugler
- Soc. 235 African Americans and Social Protest

Students must complete 12 credits in courses related to AAS such as those listed below or other courses from Group I or II. The student's program of study must also include the senior seminar AAS 299. Majors will in close consultation with their advisers in AAS fulfill this aspect of the program:

- AAS 299* Senior Seminar*
- Anthro 248 Urban Anthropology
- Anthro 285 Anthropological Perspectives on Art
- Com 236 Protest and Communication
- Dram 231 & 231W African American Theater
- Econ 279 Women and Minorities in the Labor Market, Prof Kimenyi & Randolph
- Fina 181 African-American Experience in the Arts: Contemporary Problems and Expressions of African-Americans
- French 218 Francophone Studies
- Interdep 211 Seminar in Urban Problems Professor Simmons
- Interdep 257 The Poor Countries of the World
- Mus 217 History of Jazz
- Mus 292W Music of World Cultures, Staff
- Pols 203W Women in Political Development Professor Creevey
- Pols 212 Global Interdependence and the Crisis of World Order, Professor Bowman
- Pols 296 Women in Political Development Professor Turner
- Soc 227 Revolutionary Movements Professor Defronzo
- Soc 243 Prejudice and Discrimination
- Soc 249 Sociological Perspectives on Poverty Professor Cazenave
- Soc 258 Sociology of Third World Development
- Soc 282 Urbanization Professor Gugler

*Instructor needed; course not presently being offered