This minor in African American Studies provides an interdisciplinary investigation of the experiences, conditions, origins, accomplishments, and contributions of people of African ancestry in the United States. Students may deepen their appreciation and understanding of African Americans by studying their earlier history in Africa, their transition to the New World, and their diasporan experiences in other parts of the world. The program is comprised of eighteen courses offered through seven departments of instruction within the College of Arts and Sciences.

The minor in African American Studies takes advantage of those characteristics of the African American experience that make it uniquely valuable for serious academic study and teaching, for it exposes students to the diversity and unity of the African American experience as well as to the similarities and differences among the cultures of Africa.

Core Requirements

1. AFR 101, Introduction to African-American Studies (three semester hours). This course is to be taken immediately after the African-American Studies minor is declared.

2. At least one humanities and one social sciences courses selected from the African-American Studies course offerings. (See below.)

3. The election of additional courses to bring the total credits to at least 21 hours to be determined by the faculty advisor in consultation with each student participating in the minor program.

African-American Studies Course Offerings
AFR 101 Introduction to African-American Studies (Required)

Humanities Courses
EH 242 Black Writers in America
EH 468 Contemporary Black Fiction
HY 262 African History Since 1500
HY 279 African-American Experience
HY 321 The Caribbean
HY 326 Modern Brazil
HY 435 Civil War and Reconstruction
HY 477 The Old South
HY 478 The New South
PHL 331 Alienation

Other
ARH 250 African Art
ARH 343 African-American Art

A description of these courses may be found under the appropriate departments.