African and African American Studies

Dr. Tom Williams, Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Irby 120, 450-5137
Dr. Wendy Lucas, Chair, Department of History, Irby 105B, 450-5624
Dr. Michael Kithinji, Co-Director, African/African American Studies, Irby 421, 450-5650
Dr. Kristen Epps, Co-Director, African/African American Studies, Irby 403, 450-5616

[1] Purpose

The African and African American Studies program aims to nurture in students an understanding of the diversity that makes for human culture, an understanding that will foster respect for difference. This program is housed in the History Department and is comprised of courses taught across the UCA campus in art, communications, history, literature, music, philosophy and religion, political science, sociology, world languages, and writing. Thus, it gives students an interdisciplinary understanding of the history and cultures of Africa, the effects of colonialism and slavery on those cultures and on the United States and Caribbean nations, including the contributions of Africans to the culture of America. Giving students the ability to look at an issue from the perspectives of different disciplines is, of course, one of the most important goals of a liberal arts education, and this program accomplishes that goal while enabling students to deal with some of the questions that are most central to our development as a nation and culture. It will prepare students to work successfully in fields that require an understanding of diversity and an ability to relate to people from different cultures, two increasingly important qualifications in today’s world, and qualities that are especially needed in Arkansas.

[2] Bachelor of Arts

The degree of Bachelor of Arts, with a major in African/African American Studies, requires successful completion of at least 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (see the UCA Core requirements); (2) degree requirements; (3) major requirements; and (4) a minor.

Abbreviation Key – UCA Core Program

[2.1] Major in African/African American Studies (37 hours)

Thirty-seven hours of interdisciplinary courses, from the following categories:

Introduction (3 hours) This is required for all majors.

AFAM 1330 Intro to African / African-American Studies

Literature (9 hours)

ENGL 4380 African and African-American Literature [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4381 Major African and African American Writers [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4382 Race in American Literature [UD UCA Core: D]

History (9 hours, 3 of the following courses)

HIST 3353 African-American History before 1868 [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 3354 African-American History, 1868 to present [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 3360 Pre-Colonial African History [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 3365 Modern African History [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 4372 Pan-Africanism, Anti-Colonialism, and African Unity [UD UCA Core: C, R]

Critical Analyses of Race (6 hours, 2 of the following courses)

PHIL 2360 Gender, Race, and Class Issues [UD UCA Core: D, R]
PHIL 3340 Critical Theories of Race [UD UCA Core: D, R]
LING 3325 Sociolinguistics [UD UCA Core: D]
SOC 3310 Racial and Ethnic Relations [UD UCA Core: D, R]

Capstone (1 hour)

AFAM 4105 Senior Interdisciplinary Capstone [UD UCA Core: Z]

Electives (9 hours, 3 of the following courses)

AFAM 4300 Special Topics in African and African American Studies
WLAN 2325 Issues of Cultural Identity in African Diaspora [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4362 Southern Literature and Folklore [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 4306 Atlantic Slave Trade [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 4355 Role of Arkansas in the Nation [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 4359 Civil Rights Movement [UD UCA Core: C, I]
MUS 4301 Jazz: History of An American Art Form
RELG 3345 African American Religious Thought [UD UCA Core: D]
COMM 4305 African American Rhetoric
ART 3307 Arts of Africa [UD UCA Core: D]
PSCI 3355 Race and U.S. Politics [UD UCA Core: D]
PSCI 4345 The Governments and Politics of Africa
Any upper-division course listed above that is not used to satisfy another requirement may count as an elective

[2.2] Minor in African/African American Studies (18 hours)

Eighteen hours of interdisciplinary courses, from the following categories:

Introduction (3 hours) This is required for all minors.

AFAM 1330 Introduction to African and African American-Studies OR
HIST 1330 Introduction to African and African American History

Literature and History (9 hours, 3 of the following courses. At least 3 hours in ENGL and 3 hours in HIST)

ENGL 4380 Africa and African-American Literature [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4381 Major African and African American Writers [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4382 Race in American Literature [UD UCA Core: D]
ENGL 4362 Southern Literature and Folklore [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 3353 African-American History before 1868 [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 3354 African-American History, 1868 to present [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 3360 Pre-Colonial African History [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 3365 Modern African History [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 4359 Civil Rights Movement [UD UCA Core: C, I]
HIST 4306 Atlantic Slave Trade [UD UCA Core: D]
HIST 4372 Pan-Africanism, Anti-Colonialism, African Unity [UD UCA Core: C, R]
AFAM 4300 Special Topics in African/African American Studies (when cross-listed with ENGL or HIST)

Critical Analyses of Race and Society (6 hours, 2 of the following courses)

PHIL 2360 Gender, Race, and Class Issues [UD UCA Core: D, R]
PHIL 3340 Critical Theories of Race [UD UCA Core: D, R]
LING 3325 Sociolinguistics [UD UCA Core: D]
SOC 3310 Racial and Ethnic Relations [UD UCA Core: D, R]
MUS 4301 Jazz: History of An American Art Form
ART 3307 Arts of Africa [UD UCA Core: D]
PSCI 3355 Race and U.S. Politics [UD UCA Core: D]
PSCI 4345 The Governments and Politics of Africa
RELG 3345 African American Religious Thought [UD UCA Core: D]
COMM 4305 African American Rhetoric
WLAN 2325 Issues of Cultural Identify in African Diaspora [UD UCA Core: D]
AFAM 4300 Special Topics in African and African American Studies (when cross-listed with ART, COMM, LING, MUS, PHIL, PSCI, RELG, SOC, or WLAN/FREN)

 

[3] Course Links

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