University of Connecticut |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. The minor in African American Studies is now available. 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
Plan of Study
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To graduate, students need a total of 120 credits (123 for students who take MATH 1010) At least 45 of the 120 credits must be at the 2000-level or above: African American Studies majors need at least 27 credits of 2000-level or above History courses, 12 related credits at 2000-level or above, and add up to 45 credits, at least 6 more credits of other 2000-level or above coursework. African American Studies majors must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the 27 credits counting towards the major.
Distribution requirement: The 27 credits in African American Studies must include one 3-credit course from each of Groups A, B, and C. Variable Topics Courses (AFAM 4994W, AFAM 3295, AFAM 3299, or a graduate-level course) may be applied to distribution groups as determined course content and advisor content.
All majors must take AFAM 3211 in the semester after declaring the major, and all majors except honors students must take AFAM 4994W/ HIST 4994W in their senior year.
Group A — History
- AFAM 3703/ HIST 3752 History of Pre-Colonial Africa
- AFAM 3753/ HIST 3753 History of Modern Africa
- AFAM 3563/ HIST 3563 African American History to 1865
- AFAM 3564/ HIST 3564 African American History Since 1865
- AFAM 3568/ HIST 3568 Hip-Hop: Politics and Youth Culture in Late 20th Century
- United States
- AFAM 3224/ HIST 3770 History of Pan-Africanism
- AFAM 3620/ HIST 3620 Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Spanish Caribbean
- AFAM 3206/ HIST 3206 Black Experience in the Americas
Group B — Social and Political Inquiry
- AFAM 3152/ ANTH 3152 Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
- AFAM 3025/ ANTH 3025 Contemporary Africa
- AFAM 3642/ POLS 3642 African American Politics
- AFAM 3652/ POLS 3652/ WS 3652 Black Feminist Politics
- AFAM 3252/ POLS 3252 Politics in Africa
- AFAM 3647/ POLS 3647 Black Leadership and Civil Rights
- AFAM 3703W/ SOC 3703W Modern Africa
- AFAM 3703/ SOC 3703 Modern Africa
- AFAM 3501/ SOC 3501 Ethnicity and Race
- AFAM 3505/ SOC 3505 White Racism
- AFAM 3825/ SOC 3825 African Americans and Social Protest
- AFAM 3106/ PSYC 3106 Black Psychology
Group C — Literature and the Arts
- AFAM 3214/ ENGL 3214 Black American Writers I
- AFAM 3214W/ ENGL 3214W Black American Writers I
- AFAM 3216W/ ENGL 3216W Black American Writers II
- AFAM 3131/ DRAM 3131 African American Theater
- AFAM 3131W/ DRAM 3131W African American Theatre
- AFAM 1100/ FINA1100 Afrocentric Perspectives in the Arts
- MUS 3611 History of Jazz
Related Courses
African American Studies will accept as "related" the following courses.
- HIST 3575 Latinos/as and Human Rights in the United States
- HIST 3510 Civil War America
- HIST 3202 International Human Rights
- HIST 3220 History of Latinos/as in the United States
- HIST 3554 Immigrants and the Shaping of American History
- HIST 3422 History of Southern Africa
- HIST 3561 History of Women and Gender in Early America
- HIST 3562 History of Women and Gender in the United States, 1790-Present
- HIST 3201 The History of Human Rights
- HIST 3541 The History of Urban America
- ARTH 3645 Caribbean Art, 19th and 20th Centuries
- ARTH 3645W Caribbean Art, 19th and 20th Centuries
- ENGL 3218 Ethnic Literatures of the United States
- ENGL 3218W Ethnic Literatures of the United States
- ENGL 4203W Advanced Study: Ethnic Literature
- ENGL 3609 Women in Literature
- ENGL 3210 Native American Literature
- ENGL 3212 Asian American Literature
- ANTH 3450 Anthropological Perspectives on Art
- COMM 4320 Media and Special Audiences
- COMM 4422 Protest and Communication
- ECON 2444 Women and Minorities in the Labor Market
- FREN 3218 Francophone Studies
- MUS 3421W Music in World Cultures
- POLS 3255 Politics of South Africa
- POLS 3216/ WS 3216 Women in Political Development
- POLS 3406 Globalization and Political Change
- POLS 1007/ HRTS 1007 Introduction to Human Rights
- POLS 3662/ PRLS 3270 Latino Political Behavior
- POLS 3632W/ URBN 3632W Urban Politics
- AASI 3221/ SOCI 3221/ HRTS 3571 Sociological perspectives on Asian American Women
- AASI 3222/ SOCI 3222/ HRTS 3573 Asian Indian Women: Activism and Social Changein India and the United States
- SOC 2827 Revolutionary Social Movements Around the World
- SOC 3503 Prejudice and Discrimination
- SOC 3429/ HRTS 3429 Sociological Perspectives on Poverty
- SOC 3701 The Developing World
- SOC 3701W The Developing World
- SOC 3905 Urbanization
- SOC 3905W Urbanization
- SOC 3421/ HRTS 3421 Class, Power, and Inequality
- WS 3267 Women & Poverty
- WS 3209 Ethnicities, Sexualities and Modernisms
- WS 3266 Women and Ethnicity: Changing Roles in a Changing Society
- ECON 2444 Women and Minorities in Labor Market
- INTD 3584 Seminar in Urban Problems
- COMM 3321/ WS 3260/ PRLS 3264 Latinas and Media
- HDFS 2001 Diversity Issues in Human Development and Family Studies
- HDFS 3422 Black American Family Patterns
Other courses need advisor approval. Related courses may be taken from a single department of from a variety of departments. *Instructor needed; course not presently being offered.
African American Studies Minor
Degree Requirements for African American Studies Minors
- NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn a C (2.0) or better in each of the required courses for that minor. A maximum of 3 credits towards the minor may be transfer credits of courses equivalent University of Connecticut courses. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.
- The purpose of this is to expose students to the history, literature, culture and social/political experiences of African Americans. The minor requires that students earn fifteen credits taking AFAM 3211 and, at least, one three-credit course class from sections A, B, and C.
Group A — History
- AFAM 3703/ HIST 3752 History of Pre-Colonial Africa
- AFAM 3753/ HIST 3753 History of Modern Africa
- AFAM 3563/ HIST 3563 African American History to 1865
- AFAM 3564/ HIST 3564 African American History Since 1865
- AFAM 3568/ HIST 3568 Hip-Hop: Politics and Youth Culture in Late 20th Century
- United States
- AFAM 3224/ HIST 3770 History of Pan-Africanism
- AFAM 3620/ HIST 3620 Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Spanish Caribbean
- AFAM 3206/ HIST 3206 Black Experience in the Americas
Group B — Social and Political Inquiry
- AFAM 3152/ ANTH 3152 Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
- AFAM 3025/ ANTH 3025 Contemporary Africa
- AFAM 3642/ POLS 3642 African American Politics
- AFAM 3652/ POLS 3652/ WS 3652 Black Feminist Politics
- AFAM 3252/ POLS 3252 Politics in Africa
- AFAM 3647/ POLS 3647 Black Leadership and Civil Rights
- AFAM 3703W/ SOC 3703W Modern Africa
- AFAM 3703/ SOC 3703 Modern Africa
- AFAM 3501/ SOC 3501 Ethnicity and Race
- AFAM 3505/ SOC 3505 White Racism
- AFAM 3825/ SOC 3825 African Americans and Social Protest
- AFAM 3106/ PSYC 3106 Black Psychology
Group C — Literature and the Arts
- AFAM 3214/ ENGL 3214 Black American Writers I
- AFAM 3214W/ ENGL 3214W Black American Writers I
- AFAM 3216W/ ENGL 3216W Black American Writers II
- AFAM 3131/ DRAM 3131 African American Theater
- AFAM 3131W/ DRAM 3131W African American Theatre
- AFAM 1100/ FINA1100 Afrocentric Perspectives in the Arts
- MUS 3611 History of Jazz