African American Studies, BA

The Department of African American Studies aims to provide students throughout the University with critical, interdisciplinary, and specialized knowledge about African and African American populations and their communities. Our curriculum, programming, and scholarship examines, explores, and engages the intellectual traditions within the African Diaspora from multiple perspectives-historical, cultural, philosophical, political, social, and theoretical-in service to its students and society.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 25 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 0 (6 units may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 3 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units satisfied by Any 100W)

Major Requirements: 42

University Electives: 48

Total: 120

2. Major Requirements (42 units)

Any 100W (Recommend AFAM 100W - Writing Workshop 3 unit(s) OR COMM 100W - Writing Workshop: Writing for Influence OR SOCI 100W - Writing Workshop 3 unit(s) (All WID)
AFAM 2A - African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
AFAM 2B - African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 and US123 / Formerly Area D)
AFAM 22 - The Humanities in African American Culture 3 unit(s)
AFAM 40 - African Origins 3 unit(s) or AFAM 111 - African Nations: History, Politics, and Culture 3 unit(s)
AFAM 134 - The Black Civil Rights Movements 3 unit(s) (GE Area 6 / Formerly Area F)
AFAM 151 - Race, Class and the Environment 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
AFAM 152 - Black Feminisms 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)

Major Electives (18 units)

Complete six courses from:

AFAM 102 - Black Music 3 unit(s)
AFAM 105 - Race and Health Inequities in the US 3 unit(s)
AFAM 106 - Black Diasporas 3 unit(s)
AFAM 110 - Race and Education in the US 3 unit(s)
AFAM 111 - African Nations: History, Politics, and Culture 3 unit(s)
AFAM 112 - Black Immigrant Communities 3 unit(s)
AFAM 115 - The Great Migration and Black Communities 3 unit(s)
AFAM 120 - Sociology of Black Communities 3 unit(s)
AFAM 125 - Black Kinship in the US - Black Families Past and Present 3 unit(s)
AFAM 130 - Black Perspectives in Psychology - Black Psychology 3 unit(s)
AFAM 137 - Introduction to Black Religion 3 unit(s)
AFAM 142 - Race, Justice, and the Legal System 3 unit(s)
AFAM 145 - Race, Policy, and Urban Cities 4 unit(s)
AFAM 156 - Black Women’s Writing 3 unit(s)
AFAM 157 - Race, Tech, and Global Futures 3 unit(s)
AFAM 158 - Race, Sport, Activism & Social Movements 3 unit(s) (GE Area 6 / Formerly Area F)
AFAM 159 - The Racial Wealth Gap in America 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
AFAM 160 - Black Political Power in the US 3 unit(s)
AFAM 161 - Black Representations in Media and New Technology 3 unit(s)
AFAM 162 - The Aesthetics of Hip-Hop 3 unit(s) (GE Area 6 / Formerly Area F)
AFAM 165 - Topics in Ethnic American Literature 4 unit(s)
AFAM 166 - Black Women’s Histories 3 unit(s)
AFAM 170 - Interracial Intimacies and Mixed Race Identity in the U.S. 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
AFAM 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
AFAM 184 - Directed Reading 1-4 unit(s)
AFAM 185 - Special Topics in African American Studies 3 unit(s)
AFAM 190 - Internship in Community Development 1-4 unit(s)
AFAM 192 - International Program Studies 1-6 unit(s)

3. University Electives (48 units)

At least 4 units must be Upper Division. A minor or double major is recommended (selected with advisor approval).

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