Department of African American Studies
Important Note: This is the archived version of the 2013–2015 Undergraduate Catalog. The information on these pages was archived on August 6, 2013 and will not be updated as requirement and/or program changes are approved. Please see www.uic.edu/ucat for the most up-to-date requirements.
BA with a Major in African American Studies
Minor in African-American Studies
Distinction
1223 University Hall (UH)
(312) 996–2950
carlap@uic.edu
http://aast.las.uic.edu
Administration: Head, Cynthia Blair
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Teresa Moreno
African American Studies, a comprehensive study of the African American people’s experience, combines the approaches of the humanities and the social sciences. Students may take African American Studies to enhance their knowledge and/or pursue it as a major to provide a well-rounded approach to understanding problems through the African American example. The major also imparts skills in critical thinking, research methods, theory building, analysis, and written and oral expression.
Training in African American Studies is useful for graduate work in literature, American studies, law, history, sociology, social work, government, business, journalism, and employment in the public sphere.
BA with a Major in African American Studies
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of African American Studies degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BA with a Major in African American Studies Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Major Requirements | 33 |
| General Education and Electives to reach Minimum Total Hours | 87 |
| Minimum Total Hours—BA with a Major in African American Studies | 120 |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
| Courses | Hours |
| AAST 100—Introduction to African American Studiesab | 3 |
| One 100- or 200-level humanities course:c | 3 |
| AAST 105—African Americans in Film 1900–Present: Images, Individuals, and Ideas on Screen (3) | |
| AAST 110—Introduction to African American Literature: 1760–1910 (3) | |
| AAST 111—Introduction to African American Literature: since 1910 (3) | |
| AAST 191—African and Caribbean Francophone Literature: in Translation (3) | |
| AAST 212—Techniques of African American Creative Writing (3) | |
| AAST 250—Comparative Black Literatures (3) | |
| AAST 261—Reading Black Women Writing (3) | |
| AAST 262—Black Cultural Studies (3) | |
| AAST 263—African American Intellectual History (3) | |
| AAST 265—The Harlem Renaissance (3) | |
| One 100- or 200-level social science course:c | 3 |
| AAST 103—African American Politics and Culture (3) | |
| AAST 104—Race, Place, and Schooling: African Americans and Education (3) | |
| AAST 120—African American Religious Traditions (3) | |
| AAST 141—African Civilization (3) | |
| AAST 200—History of Race Relations in America (3) | |
| AAST 201—The Psychology of African Americans (3) | |
| AAST 202—African American Behavioral Patterns (3) | |
| AAST 203—The African American Family in the United States (3) | |
| AAST 225—Racial and Ethnic Groups (3) | |
| AAST 241—Precolonial Africa (3) | |
| AAST 242—Modern Africa (3) | |
| AAST 245—Politics and Government of Africa (3) | |
| AAST 249—Black Freedom Movements in the U.S. (3) | |
| AAST 258—Race and Urban Life (3) | |
| AAST 271—African Americans and the Politics of Incarceration (3) | |
| AAST 272—Race, Gender, and Sexuality (3) | |
| AAST 206—Interdisciplinary Research Methods in African American Studies | 3 |
| AAST 247—African American History to 1877 | 3 |
| AAST 248—African American History since 1877 | 3 |
| AAST 340—Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar in African American Studiesd | 3 |
| AAST 390—Senior Seminar in African American Studies | 3 |
| An additional 9 hours of credit in African American Studies courses selected in consultation with a departmental advisor and distributed in the following way: | 9 |
| 200- or 300-level: at least 6 hourse | |
| 400-level: at least 3 hours | |
| Total Hours—Major Requirements: | 33 |
a This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
b This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.
c Students should consult General Education section of the catalog to determine which of the following courses are approved General Education courses.
d AAST 340 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
e Students wishing to substitute 400-level courses for those at the 200- or 300-level may do so with the permission of the department.
To view a recommended plan of study for the major in African American Studies, please visit the LAS website http://www.las.uic.edu/students/prospective-undergraduate/degree-programs/four-year-model-plans.
Minor in African American Studies
Students from other disciplines who want to minor in African American Studies must complete 18 semester hours as outlined below.
| Required Courses—African American Studies Minor | Hours |
| AAST 100—Introduction to African American Studies | 3 |
| One 100- or 200-level humanities course: | 3 |
| AAST 105—African Americans in Film 1900–Present: Images, Individuals, and Ideas on Screen (3) | |
| AAST 110—Introduction to African American Literature, 1760–1910 (3) | |
| AAST 111—Introduction to African American Literature since 1910 (3) | |
| AAST 191—African and Caribbean Francophone Literature in Translation (3) | |
| AAST 212—Techniques of African American Creative Writing (3) | |
| AAST 250—Comparative Black Literatures (3) | |
| AAST 261—Reading Black Women Writing (3) | |
| AAST 262—Black Cultural Studies (3) | |
| AAST 263—African American Intellectual History (3) | |
| AAST 265—The Harlem Renaissance (3) | |
| One 100- or 200-level social science course: | 3 |
| AAST 103—African American Politics and Culture (3) | |
| AAST 104—Race, Place, and Schooling: African Americans and Education (3) | |
| AAST 120—African American Religious Traditions (3) | |
| AAST 141—African Civilization (3) | |
| AAST 200—History of Race Relations in America (3) | |
| AAST 201—The Psychology of African Americans (3) | |
| AAST 202—African American Behavioral Patterns (3) | |
| AAST 203—The African American Family in the United States (3) | |
| AAST 225—Racial and Ethnic Groups (3) | |
| AAST 241—Precolonial Africa (3) | |
| AAST 242—Modern Africa (3) | |
| AAST 245—Politics and Government of Africa (3) | |
| AAST 249—Black Freedom Movements in the U.S. (3) | |
| AAST 258—Race and Urban Life (3) | |
| AAST 271—African Americans and the Politics of Incarceration (3) | |
| AAST 272—Race, Gender, and Sexuality (3) | |
| One of the following courses: | 3 |
| AAST 247—African American History to 1877 (3) | |
| AAST 248—African American History since 1877 (3) | |
| Two additional African American Studies courses, one at the 300-level and one at the 400-level, chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor. | 6 |
| Total Hours—African American Studies Minor | 18 |
To be considered for Departmental Distinction, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25/4.00, a GPA of 3.50/4.00 in all African American Studies courses, and meet all course requirements for a major in African American Studies.
To be eligible for High or Highest Distinction, the student must have a grade point average of 3.75/4.00 in all African American Studies courses. In addition, eligible students must submit a final project for departmental review that demonstrates excellent work and must make a seminar presentation on this project to a session of African American Studies majors and faculty. The determination of high or highest distinction will be made by the faculty on the basis of the grade point average, the project, and the presentation.
