Minor in Africana Studies
About the Minor
The interdisciplinary program in Africana Studies exposes students to the conditions, concerns, and cultures that situate black life and black thought across the globe. Within the minor, students are equipped to mobilize the theory and practice that emerge from Black Studies’ rich, critical engagement with history, expressive culture, health, religion, economy, law, politics, social movements, and studies of land and ecology. Africana Studies grows students skills in a range of analytic and interpretive research methods. Our courses not only introduce new and unique perspectives drawn from multiple scales and systems of black knowledge, but we also build student capacity in reaching and supporting their own critical perspective, a skill necessary for any professional pursuit. Drawing on the inventive, communitarian, and action-oriented traditions of the field, this program excels most in helping students investigate and contribute to the broader shape and functioning of the social, cultural, and structural worlds that surround them.
All prospective students should meet with an advisor from the College as soon as possible.
Program Requirements
| Required Courses | ||
| AFAS 101 | Introduction to Africana Studies | 3.0 |
| AFAS 201 | Cross Currents in Africana Studies | 3.0 |
| Students must complete a minimum of 18 credits from the list provided: * | 18.0 | |
| Topics in Africana Arts | ||
| Topics in Africana Society | ||
| Topics in African History | ||
| Topics in Africana Current Events | ||
| Gender and Black Popular Culture | ||
| Race, Politics and Religion | ||
| Politics of Hip Hop | ||
| Rum, Rice and Revolution: Caribbean History | ||
| Urban Social Justice Practicum I | ||
| Urban Social Justice Practicum II | ||
| Independent Study in Africana Studies | ||
| Special Topics in Africana Studies | ||
| Special Topics in Africana Studies | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Diversity | ||
| History of African-American Art | ||
| African Art | ||
| African Dance Technique I | ||
| Survey of World Literature (WI) | ||
| Post-Colonial Literature | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Topics in World Literature ** | ||
| Seminar in World Literature | ||
| American Slavery | ||
| Freedom in America | ||
| Jazz Ensembles | ||
| World Musics | ||
| Afro-American Music USA | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| City in United States Political Development | ||
| Race, Ethnicity and Social Inequality | ||
| Urban Sociology | ||
| Women and Society in a Global Context | ||
| Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies *** | ||
| Total Credits | 24.0 | |
- *
Students must check with the Program Director for approval prior to making substitutions.
- **
With a focus on the Caribbean, Latin America or the Diaspora.
- ***
With a focus on race or the Diaspora.
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.