Africana Studies (Minor)

Black Panther event group photo

Africana Studies promotes the awareness and understanding of the African Diaspora through the exploration of historical and contemporary phenomena. The program brings together scholars and courses from different disciplines in the humanities and social sciences such as history, political science, literature, and sociology. Africana studies hosts a variety of events throughout the year including film screenings, conferences, guest lectures, and student gatherings.

Opportunities for Minors

One of the most commonly asked questions concerning the practical usefulness of becoming a student of Africana Studies is:

What can I do with a major/minor in Africana Studies?

The answer is: the same thing you can do with any liberal arts or science major or minor—and much more! Africana Studies is an academic discipline that provides rigorous academic preparation that emphasizes writing, discussion, critical thinking and analysis, the ability to discern and trace the connections between ideas and social phenomena, and the ability to identify the relationship of particular concepts and social realities to larger systems of knowledge and human relations.

Students in Africana Studies courses explore history, philosophy, literature, religion, culture, politics, economics, language, law, and social dynamics with a special emphasis on African people in the United States and their interaction with African and other peoples in the global human experience. A concentration in Africana Studies, therefore, provides the foundation for critical thinking and broad education, which guide successful personal and professional ambitions.

Furthermore, in a world that is increasingly more conscious of the value of diversity and cross-cultural communication, the Africana Studies perspective also makes the student a more attractive candidate to prospective employers.

Africana Studies minors go on to become lawyers, diplomats, public health practitioners, teachers, professors, archivists, and entrepreneurs.

Panel discussion
Pharmacy in Africa
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REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR IN AFRICANA STUDIES

The minor in Africana Studies requires nine (9) credit hours of Africana Studies courses: AFST-201, AFST-202, and AFST-400. The remaining nine (9) credit hours may be selected from any three (3) courses drawn from the humanities and the social sciences that have as their core the study of any part of or any people of the global African world.

Electives: The remaining nine (9) credit hours may be selected from any three (3) courses drawn from the humanities and social sciences that embrace at their core the study of any part of the African Diaspora.  

Options include but are not limited to:

  • HIST 203: African American History to 1865
  • HIST 204: African American History From 1865
  • HIST 315: African History to 1884
  • HIST 316: African History from 1884
  • HIST 461: Seminar in American History: the Atlantic World
  • HIST 334: African Americans and the Building of a Nation
  • HIST 336: African Americans and Modern America, 1919-Present
  • HIST 461: Seminar in American History: the Southern Plantation
  • ENGL 205: African American Literature I
  • ENGL 206: African American Literature II
  • ENGL 207: Black Prose and Poetry
  • ENGL 214: The Black American Novel
  • ENGL 321: Seminar in Hughes, Wright, and Baldwin
  • POL 320: Black Politics in America