African and African Diaspora Studies Minor

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The African and African Diaspora Studies program is designed to help students explore, examine, and critically analyze the African presence in a global context. This presence stretches back to antiquity in Europe and Asia, and for centuries in the Americas, but serious and sustained efforts to understand the profoundly rich, dynamic, and complex contributions to the world’s civilizations have been lacking. Students are provided background and tools to investigate the agency, experiences and movements of African and African Diaspora people that span time and place and bridge academic disciplines. The program is a cross-disciplinary study area with course offerings in anthropology and sociology, economics, history, political science, fine arts, literature, language, psychology and philosophy that address the black experience in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. The broad goals of the program are to investigate the historical and cultural linkages between African and African Diaspora people and between people of the Diaspora and other groups in the cultures where they live; to examine theories of race and ethnicity; and to explore critical issues and contributions of Diaspora people in major fields of knowledge and aspects of life.

The foundation of the program is the core course AADS 214, Africa and the African Diaspora, which serves as a gateway to the field of African and African Diaspora Studies and a common experience for all students in the program. The course includes scholarship produced by African and African Diaspora scholars that recognizes the intellectual and cultural histories of black people. It introduces students to a broader range of scholarship to provide a thorough grounding in the experiences of peoples of African origin.

The required core course is offered every spring semester and provides a broad overview of the peoples, languages, culture, history, and institutions across the African continent and the African Diaspora. Any student with an interest in pursuing study in this particular area should consult the program coordinator. Formal declaration of intent to complete the program’s requirements must be preceded by completion of the core course. Students may declare their minor at any time prior to the final semester of their senior year, but are encouraged to declare their participation and seek curricular advising as soon as possible.

Degree Requirements

General College Requirements

General College requirements
All requirements in a major discipline of study

Core Course

A 4-credit core course (AADS 214 )

Electives

Electives: From the list below, the student must choose at least 16 credit hours of courses, of which 8 credit hours must be upper division (300-400 level) courses selected from at least two disciplines. Students must obtain a minimum grade of C in each course.

Each year the coordinator and participating program faculty will designate other courses, including new courses, topic courses, and special offerings that will satisfy elective requirements. A complete list of approved current offerings will appear in the online Schedule of Classes.

ANTH 303 - The Gambia, West Africa Field Study Program (8ASu)
ANTH 348 - African American Culture Credit Hours: 4 (4AS)
ANTH 336 - The Cultured Body Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
ANTH 390 - Cultures of Africa Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
ECON 316 - The Economics of Race and Gender Credit Hours: 4 (4S)
ECON 372 - Economics of Developing Countries Credit Hours: 4 (4F)
ENGL 235 - Topics in Literature and Culture Credit Hours: 4 (4E)
ENGL 365 - Studies in American Literature Credit Hours: 4 (4E)
ENGL 430 - Special Topics in Literature Credit Hours: 4 (4A)
HIST 317 - In Our Times, 1945 to the Present Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
HIST 360 - Early African Civilization Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
HIST 361 - African Civilization, 1800-1900 Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
HIST 369 - The History of Apartheid Credit Hours: 4 (4AS)
HIST 400 - Comparative Slave Systems in the Americas Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
HIST 401 - The Caribbean Experience Credit Hours: 4 (4AS)
HIST 419 - African-American History in America Credit Hours: 4 (4AS)
ILCF 356 - Culture and Civilization II: The Francophone World Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
ILCF 364 - Topics in Francophone Literature Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
ILCS 362 - African Diaspora Cultural Expressions in Latin America Credit Hours: 4 (4)
PSYC 363 - Cross-Cultural Psychology (4AF)
SOCI 320 - Sociology of the Family Credit Hours: 4 (4F)
SOCI 347 - Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
TDPS 332 - Theater in History Credit Hours: 4 (4AF)
TDPS 220 - Introduction to Film and Media Studies Credit Hours: 4 REMOVE (4)
TDPS 251 - Introduction to Traditional African Dance Credit Hours: 4 (4F)
TDPS 258 - Dance in History Credit Hours: 4 (4A)

Field Experiences

Students are encouraged to participate in an approved field experience. Credits obtained for such activities will count toward the elective credit hours. Activities may include study abroad, internships, independent study, directed research, and other hands-on initiatives.

Currently, study-abroad programs exist in The Gambia and Sénégal. Plans are being made to establish programs in Brazil and other countries.

St. Mary’s Project

Students may pursue their St. Mary’s Project in African and African Diaspora Studies with the permission of their major department and an African and African Diaspora Studies faculty member serving as mentor. Project credit (8 hours) does not apply toward fulfillment of the curriculum requirements of the program.