ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app

Courses appropriate for prospective majors

AFST 100, Introduction to Africana Studies

For course descriptions and requirements for the major, refer to the

Courses that fulfill distribution requirements

Social Sciences (Division II):
AFST 100, Introduction to Africana Studies

Comparative Civilizations:
AFST 100, Introduction to Africana Studies

Writing in the Disciplines:

AFST 200: Approaches to Africana Studies

Suggested curricular flow through the major

First Year
AFST 100
AFST 200

Sophomore Year
Three courses to fulfill the 220/300 Africa/African Diaspora course requirement
 Africana Studies Elective

Junior Year
One course to fulfill 220/300 Africa/Africana Diaspora course requirement
Two 300-level Africana Studies courses in an area of concentration (Africa or Diaspora)

Experiential Learning requirement

Senior Year
One 300-level Africana Studies course in an area of concentration (Africa or Diaspora)

AFST 400

Senior Thesis

During the spring of their senior year, Africana Studies majors are required to complete a thesis or project that is based on an original research topic that resonates with their concentration in African or Diasporan studies. The thesis/project must clearly demonstrate that the student understands the concept of African agency, can apply theories and methods of the discipline, and articulate the historical trajectory of the particular topic being examined.

Honors

Criteria
To be eligible for consideration for honors, an Africana Studies major must have a minimum 3.5 grade point average in the major by the end of the fall semester of junior year and must maintain this GPA through the spring semester. The student normally must not have any breach of the College’s academic code of conduct. Candidates for honors must find a departmental advisor in their area of interest willing to supervise their project during the fall semester of the senior year.

Independent Study (AFST 500)
During the fall of the senior year, the candidate will take an independent study with the advisor. The candidate will develop and submit a prospectus during the 10th week of the fall semester. A prospectus is a detailed research proposal that includes an annotated bibliography of both primary and secondary sources. A candidate must receive formal approval of their prospectus from the Africana Studies Department in order to proceed.

Africana Studies 400
During the spring semester, the candidate will enroll in Africana Studies 400.

Applying for Honors
The department chair, in consultation with the candidate and advisor, will recommend a secondary reader. The primary advisor will assign one grade at the end of the spring term for work in both semesters. Honors candidates will present their work in a public forum as part of Africana Studies 400. The department faculty will read the final thesis and engage each candidate in an oral defense before rendering a decision on honors.

An honors thesis should be approximately 50 pages in length and should demonstrate advanced research and writing skills; extensive use of primary and secondary sources; and effective utilization of key theories and methods in Africana Studies.

Time Line for Honors

Independent study and independent research

The Africana Studies Department encourages advanced students in the major to undertake independent research and independent study projects. The student, in consultation with the supervising professor, will submit a topic proposal and program of work the semester before the study is undertaken.

Independent study allows a student to pursue an academic interest outside the listed course offerings. The study may include library research and reading and may culminate in several short papers, a single paper, or any other project acceptable to the supervising faculty member and the student.

Independent research, like independent study, allows a student to pursue an academic interest outside the listed course offerings, but it involves primary research which is largely self-initiated and self-directed. Students are encouraged to present the results of independent research at a professional conference, regional meeting, or other public forum.

Internships

Students may choose to pursue a registered internship (through INP) that will meet the experiential learning requirement. To satisfy the academic requisite, students will apply specific aspects of the histories and theories of Africana Studies to the work experience. The internship must be approved by the Department Chair.

Opportunities for off-campus study

In order to gain a deeper understanding of African and African diasporic communities, students are encouraged to study abroad. Typically, students have studied in Cameroon or Tanzania. For a full list of study abroad options, students should contact the .

Additional Remarks

Experiential Learning: The experiential learning component of the Africana Studies major complements classroom instruction by requiring students to engage directly with people of African descent through some form of cultural immersion in Africa or in its Diaspora. By doing so, students will come to understand and evaluate issues relevant to these communities more substantively. Examples of experiential learning opportunities that may be approved by the Department include: study abroad in Africa or African diasporic communities, service learning courses, mosaic programs, internships, and independent ethnographic research.