Florida State University 2008-2009 General Bulletin Undergraduate Edition

Program in African-American Studies

College of Social Sciences

Director: Dr. Patrick L. Mason

The African-American Studies Program is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary study of the history, culture, and socio-economic well-being of African-Americans. Knowledge and research methods drawn from several disciplines enable students to enhance their understanding of African-Americans' unique social circumstances and heritage, and acquire a deeper comprehension of the history and culture of the nation as a whole. Located in the College of Social Sciences, the program utilizes faculty from several departments within and beyond the college. African-American Studies offers students the opportunity to understand American society and the international arena from the unique vantage point of the African Diaspora, most especially focusing on Americans of African descent.

Computer Skills Competency

All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in African-American Studies satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100.

With the director's approval, courses offered at Florida A&M University that are not offered at FSU may be used to fulfill the requirements for African-American Studies major and minor. A minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours in African-American Studies courses must be taken at Florida State University.

Requirements for a Minor in African-American Studies

The program minor consists of eighteen (18) semester hours with and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in all course work and a grade of "C-" or better in each course. The minor is to be structured as follows:

  1. Completion of nine (9) hours in African-American Studies, including the core sequence:
    1. AFA 2000 Introduction to the African-American Experience (3)
      1. And
    2. AFA 3101 Black Families in America (3)
      1. Or
    3. SYD 4700 Race and Minority Group Relations (3)
      1. And
    4. ANT 4352 Peoples and Cultures of Africa (3)
      1. Or
    5. SOP 3782 Psychology of the African-American (3)
  2. At least three (3) hours of African or African-American History
  3. At least six (6) hours of African-American Studies Supplementary Courses listed at the last section under requirements for the major

Requirements for a Major in African-American Studies

The African-American Studies major requires a total of thirty-six (36) semester hours. Courses from the African-American Studies core provide the foundational knowledge and theoretical perspectives for the major. Utilizing the electives, students complete a specialty within a particular area of intellectual interest. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree may specialize in economics, political science, or sociology. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree may specialize in humanities. In each case, the student selects nine (9) hours from African-American Studies core courses, six (6) hours of either African or African-American history, and twenty-one (21) hours of elective courses from a chosen specialty area. Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in all course work for the major and a grade of "C-" or better in each course.

Core Course Requirements

Students must complete nine (9) hours in the African-American Studies core sequence:

History Requirement

Completion of six (6) hours in African and/or African-American history courses selected from the following:

Bachelor of Science (BS) Track Requirements

Completion of an economics, political science, or sociology specialty area as described below.

Economics Specialty

The economics specialty consists of twenty-one (21) hours of coursework from the following set of courses. Students should consult with their academic adviser for necessary prerequisite coursework.

  1. Required courses (six [6] hours):
    1. ECO 4421 Introduction to Econometrics (3)
      1. And
    2. ECO 3104 Applied Microeconomic Analysis (3)
      1. Or
    3. ECO 4101 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (3)
  2. Additional specialty courses (nine [9] hours):
    1. ECO 4704 International Trade (3)
    2. ECP 3143 Afro-Americans in the American Political Economy (3)
    3. ECP 3203 Labor Economics (3)
    4. ECP 4613 Urban Economics (3)
    5. ECS 4013 Economics of Development (3)
  3. Supplementary courses (six [6] hours) selected from the approved African-American Studies supplementary course list.

Political Science Specialty

The political science specialty consists of twenty-one (21) hours of course work from the following set of courses. Students should consult with their academic adviser for necessary prerequisite coursework.

  1. Required course (three [3] hours):
    1. POS 3713 Research Methods in Political Science (3)
  2. Additional specialty courses (twelve [12] hours):
    1. CPO 3034 Politics of Developing Areas (3)
    2. POS 3142 Urban Politics (3)
    3. POS 3931 Special Topics in Government (1–3)
    4. POS 4624 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights (3)
    5. PUP 3002 Introduction to Public Policy (3)
    6. PUP 4024 Interest Groups, Social Movements, and Public Policy (3)
    7. URP 4741 Introduction to Issues in Housing and Community Development (3)
  3. Supplementary courses: (six [6] hours ) selected from the approved African-American Studies supplementary course list.

Sociology Specialty

The sociology specialty consists of twenty-one (21) hours of coursework from the following set of courses. Students should consult with their academic adviser for necessary prerequisite coursework.

  1. Required courses (six [6] hours):
    1. SYA 4010 Sociological Theory (3)
    2. SYA 4400 Social Statistics (3)
  2. Additional specialty courses (six [6] hours):
    1. SYA 4930 Selected Topics in Sociology (3)
    2. SYD 4700 Race and Minority Group Relations (3)
    3. SYD 4730 African Americans in Modern Society (3)
    4. SYO 3530 Social Classes and Inequality (3)
    5. SYP 3350 Collective Action and Social Movements (3)
  3. Supplementary courses: (six [6] hours) selected from the approved African-American Studies supplementary course list

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Track Requirements

Completion of the foreign language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and completion of requirements for the humanities specialty area:

Humanities Specialty

The humanities specialty consists of twenty-one (21) hours from the following set of courses. Students should consult with their academic adviser for necessary prerequisite coursework.

  1. Humanities specialty courses (fifteen [15] hours)
    1. AFH 3451 Sub-Sahara Africa Since 1800 (3)
    2. AFH 4302 North African History: A Survey (3)
    3. AMH 1091 The African-American Experience in the United States (3)
    4. AMH 2096 Black Women in America (3)
    5. AMH 2097 Nationality, Race, and Ethnicity in the United States (3)
    6. AMH 4571 Black America to 1877 (3)
    7. AMH 4572 Black America Since 1877 (3)
    8. AML 2600 Introduction to African-American Literature (3)
    9. AML 3680 American Multi-Ethnic Literature (3)
    10. AML 4604 The African-American Literary Tradition (3)
    11. ARH 2630 Survey in African-American Art and Aesthetics (3)
    12. ARH 4118 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (3)
    13. DAN 3185  African-American Dance in American Culture (3)
    14. HIS 4930r Special Topics in History (3) (*with approved topic)
    15. LAH 4470 History of the Caribbean (3)
    16. LAH 4723 Race and Class in Colonial Latin America (3)
    17. LIT 4329 African American Folklore (3)
    18. MUH 4801 History of Jazz I (2)
    19. MUH 4802 History of Jazz II (2)
    20. PHM 2121 Philosophy of Feminism (3)
    21. REL 3936r Special Topics in Religion (1–3) (*with approved topic)
    22. REL 4190r Undergraduate Religion and Culture Seminar (3) (*with approved topic)
  2. Supplementary courses: (six [6] hours) selected from the approved African-American Studies supplementary course list below:

African-American Studies Supplementary Course List

Anthropology

Art History

Communications

Criminology

Dance

Economics

English

History

Music

Philosophy

Political Science

Psychology

Religion

Sociology

Textiles and Consumer Sciences

Urban and Regional Planning

*Note: Special topics and seminar courses receive credit toward the African-American Studies major or minor only when it is appropriate for them to do so. Where appropriate, courses offered at Florida A&M University that are not offered at FSU may be used to fulfill the requirement for a Bachelor's degree with permission of the academic dean.

Definition of Prefix

AFA—African-American Studies

Undergraduate Courses

AFA 1003. Diversity and Justice (1). This course integrates African authors, pre- and post-Apartheid, to demonstrate the problems of living in a diverse world. It fosters awareness and acceptance of people different from students through the study of African-American culture, and stimulates an appreciation and respect for people of all cultures.

AFA 2000. Introduction to the African-American Experience (3). An interdisciplinary examination of African-American culture and socio-economic status. This course also explores elements of the African Diaspora.

AFA 3101. Theory and Dynamics of Racism and Oppression (3). A conceptual, institutional, and historical analysis of the operation and inner logic of racism and oppression.

AFA 3330. Black Families in America (3). This course explores the social, economic, and cultural forces that have shaped the development of African-American families. In examining historical and contemporary transitions in the structure and functioning of African-American families, special emphasis is given to the bifurcation in the distribution of wealth and power in American society, as well as the role of racial stratification. The course also seeks to empirically examine contemporary policy and political debates on crucial issues confronting African-American families.

AFA 3930r. Special Topics (1–3). Varies with instructor, and semester. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.

AFA 4905r.  African-American Studies Directed Individual Study (1–4). May be repeated during the same semester.

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