African American Studies Major

Coordinator:

Edwins Gwako, Associate Professor, Chair


African American Studies celebrates the achievements of Africans and peoples of African descent throughout the Diaspora while addressing their pursuit of justice, equality, and self-determination. The major focuses on North America while encompassing Africa, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world. It seeks to develop greater respect for scholarship as a tool for problem-solving and to prepare students to become agents of change who will pursue social justice and promote an appreciation of racial and cultural differences in the United States and the wider world.

Courses are taught from different disciplinary and philosophical perspectives, and students are encouraged to examine their own values and develop their own perspectives. Students are also encouraged to participate in the Study Abroad semester in Ghana and to get involved in the local Greensboro community through internships and service projects. African American Studies helps prepare students for a wide range of careers in such fields as human relations, social work, sports management, health care, criminal justice, education, management, and law and lays a foundation for graduate studies in the field.

Degrees Offered

The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in African American studies.

Major Requirements

African American Studies is an interdisciplinary major that requires students to have a second major in a discipline and an advisor in both the disciplinary major and African American Studies. The major requires at least eight courses (32 credit hours). No more than two of these courses may be at the 100 level. Other requirements are as follows:

 

1.   Historical Dimensions:  one course

4 credits
   

      HIST 225 African American History

   

2.   Creative Voices:  one course

4 credits
   

      ENGL 230 African American Literature

      ENGL 331 Black Women Writers

      ENGL 332 Black Men Writers

   

3.   Theoretical Frameworks:  one course

4 credits
   

      PSCI 222 African Government and Politics

      PSY 242 Psychology of African Americans

      PSY 349 Multiculturalism and Psychology

      SOAN 265 Racial and Ethnic Relations

   

4.   African Connections: one course

4 credits
   

      ENGL 334 African Women Writers

      HIST 241 Africa before 1800

      HIST 242 Africa since 1800

      HIST 343 Women in Modern Africa

      SOAN 235 African Families in Transition

      SOAN 325 Underestanding Poverty

      SOAN 358 African Cultures in Film

      SOAN 415 Gender and Development in Africa

   

5-6.Two courses from:

8 credits
   

      MUS 110 Jazz Appreciation

      ENGL 151 HP:Black Women's History and Literature

      ENGL 230 African American Literature

      ENGL 331 Black Women Writers

      ENGL 332 Black Men Writers

      ENGL 334 African Women Writers

      ENGL 338/IDS 422 Harlem Renaissance

      ENGL 378 Caribbean Literature

      HIST 241 Africa before 1800

      HIST 242 Africa since 1800

      HIST 308 The Underground Railroad

      HIST 315 The Civil Rights Movement

      HIST 343 Women in Modern Africa

      JPS 365 Race in Criminal Justice

      JPS 439 Understanding Oppressive Systems

      PHIL 261 Philosophy and Race

      PSY 242 Psychology of African Americans

      PSY 213/SOAN 213 Class, Race and Gender

      PSY 349 Multiculturalism and Psychology

      REL 103 Voices of Liberation

      SOAN 215 Anthropology of Slavery

      SOAN 235 African Families in Transition

      SOAN 265 Racial and Ethnic Relations

      SOAN 325 Underestanding Poverty

      SOAN 358 African Cultures in Film

      SOAN 415 Gender and Development in Africa

      SPST 111/THEA104 Jazz Dance

   

7.   One course from:

4 credits
   

      ENGL 230 African American Literature

      ENGL 331 Black Women Writers

      ENGL 332 Black Men Writers

      ENGL 338/IDS 422 Harlem Renaissance

      ENGL 378 Caribbean Literature

      HIST 308 The Underground Railroad

      HIST 315 The Civil Rights Movement

      JPS 365 Race and Criminal Justice

      JPS 439 Understanding Oppressive Systems

      PHIL 261 Philosophy and Race

      PSY 213/SOAN 213 Class, Race and Gender

      PSY 242 Psychology of African Americans

      PSY 349 Multiculturalism and Psychology

      SOAN 215 Anthropology of Slavery

      SOAN 265 Racial and Ethnic Relations

      SOAN 325 Underestanding Poverty

     SOAN 415 Gender and Development in Africa

   

8.   Practical Applications: A one-semester advanced internship or independent study in the senior year, supervised by a faculty member teaching regularly in the African American studies program. One course from:

 

4 credits
   

AFAS, ENGL, HIST, JPS, PHIL, PSY, SOAN 260, 360, 460, 290, 390 Independent Study/Internship

   

Total credit hours required for A.B. degree in African American studies

32 credits