Skip to main content
College of Liberal Arts »

Africana Studies

Information » Programs » AFRS Courses »

Courses - AFRS Upper Division

General Education Category A must be completed prior to taking any upper-division course except upper-division language courses where students meet formal prerequisites and/or competency equivalent for advanced study.

310. African American Male and Female Relationships (3)

A comprehensive study of male/female patterns of interaction in the African American community. Some attention given to institutional impact, role changes and projected images of relationships.

319. The Ethnic Experience in the U.S. (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
Comparative study of race, cultures, and ethnic relations in U.S. society with special focus on experiences of four core groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans.
Same course as AIS 319, ASAM 319, CHLS 319. Not open for credit to student with credit in AIS 319, ASAM 319, CHLS 319, WGSS 319. (Lecture/Discussion.)

325. Africana Psychology (3)

Prerequisite: AFRS 110 or PSY 100
Develops the concept of Africana Psychology. Using comparative techniques, the course introduces students to common consequences in the experience of being a person of African descent, or a person of color.

330. Politics of the African American Community (3)

Prerequisites: AFRS 110 and 121.
Study of the perspectives, styles, problems and dynamics of political activity in the African American Community.

332. Civil Rights and the Law (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
Designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of the interaction between the American legal system and civil rights of African Americans, other minorities, women and the general citizenry.

335. Economic Development in the African American Community (3)

Prerequisites: AFRS 110 and AFRS 121.
Development of business and banking institutions in the African American community. Some attention given to the impact of external factors on development.
Letter grade only (A-F).

343A. African Literature (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements and one or more Exploration courses.
A general survey of traditional and contemporary African Literature within the context of the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural movements. Also a comparison of Pan-African literature and Western literature.

343B. Caribbean Literature (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
A general survey of traditional and contemporary Caribbean literature within the context of the historical, political, social, economic and cultural movements. Also a comparison of Pan-African literature and Western literature.

346. Africana Theatre (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements.
Introductory survey course of Africana theatre as a historic medium, profoundly revealing in its humanistic, literary, social and cultural heritage as it relates to Africa, America and the Caribbean.
(Lecture 2 hours, activity 2 hours)

353. Religions of African Peoples (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements, one or more Exploration courses and upper-division standing.
Critical examination of selected spiritual and ethical traditions of the world African community with emphasis on Maat, Ifa, Christianity and Islam, their sacred texts and commentaries, major themes, representative figures, and comparative analyses of their continental and diaspora expressions.

354. African American Women and the Civil Rights Movement (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
A critical examination of vital and multiple roles African American women played in the modern civil rights movement. Emphasis on African American women's agency, activism and shared vision, and role as an essential political force in reconceiving and reshaping U.S. history.

363. History of African Art (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
Survey of African art from antiquity to the present as an integral part of African culture, including historical, cultural and religious contexts.

400. African American Social Thought (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements, one or more Exploration courses, and upper-division standing.
Survey of African American intellectual history, with emphasis on social theories and opposing schools of intellectual thought.

410. The African American Family (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements. AFRS 325 or consent of instructor.
Systematic study and social-historical analysis of the structure and function of the African American Family in the United States. Sociological/ theoretical analysis of the models of family units, roles and interpersonal relations in society. Comparison with other family units in America.

415. International Africana Children's Literature (3)

A survey of literature for and/or about African and African American children by authors from Africa, the U.S. the Caribbean and the rest of the Diaspora.

420. African American Children in Public Schools (3)

Theories, concepts and principles relating to the intellectual growth, development and learning of African American children.

423. Issues in Psychological Assessment of African Americans (3)

Prerequisites: candidates must have working knowledge of statistical concepts, upper-division standing in Africana Studies or consent of instructor.
Examination of issues, problems, and practices in the assessment of African American children.

430. African Political Leadership in the Twentieth Century (3)

Prerequisite: GE Foundation requirements.
Critical examination of African's search for national liberation and cohesion, collectively built institutions, movements/parties and ideological self-definition. Comparative study of traditional African leadership concepts and modern forms. Focus on selected countries and major African leaders.

454. Africana Womanism: An Intellectual History (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements, one or more exploration courses and upper-division standing.
Historical and critical study of the major schools of thought in Africana womanism, including continental and diasporan sources, historical evolution, cultural grounding, methodology, discourse on and with feminism, enduring and current issues and its relevance and relation to social change.

475. Racism and Sexism: An Analytical Approach (3)

Prerequisite: AFRS 332
Examination of institutions and a study of legislation which has been written and implemented in consequence of racism and sexism in American society. Social theories used to support and reject concepts of racism and sexism will also be presented.

490. Selected Topics in Africana Studies (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics of current interest in Africana Studies selected for intensive development.
May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units with different topics in the same semester. Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes.

495. Research Methods in Africana Studies (3)

Prerequisites: AFRS 110 and 6 units upper-division work in Africana Studies. For Department majors.
Presents information on use of scientific methods in Africana Studies, research theory, research design, sampling, measurement and science techniques. Focuses on instrument construction as well as test reliability and validity.
Letter grade only (A-F).

498. Ancient Egyptian Ethical Thought (3)

Prerequisites: GE Foundation requirements, one or more Exploration courses, and upper-division standing.
Critical study of ethical thought of ancient Egypt with due attention to theological, literary and socio-historical context in which it was developed and evolved, including examination of its major ethical texts and comparative analysis with surrounding traditions.

499. Directed Studies (1-3)

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Permits individual students to pursue topics of special research interest.
May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units.


College of Liberal Arts
University Course Listings
PDF Document IconPrint (PDF) Versions of the Catalog