Associate of Arts in African-American Studies

Students who complete the degree will be able to:

• Examine research, ideologies, issues, and text from an African-Centered point of view that illuminates the uniqueness of the Black experience in a holistic and contextualized manner.
• Recognize and apply their identity and activism from a unified understanding of the race, culture, and heritage of African people.
• Exhibit a positive self and collective awareness of their race and heritage.
• Recognize the sources of personal attitudes and world views and deal constructively with issues that arise out of human differences. Combat and transcend the impact of over-generalizing and stereotyping.
• Develop a perspective and behavior that incorporates African-Centered thought into all areas of life; including family, work, community commitment, and social justice activities.
• Prepare to successfully complete academic work at the university/college they transfer to.
• Commit to the role they must play in combating oppression in the African world community. Enhance self-awareness about the power of collective action and the role of the individual in collective justice.

Degree Major Requirements:

Group 1: Family and Society

Select two courses from the following for a minimum of 6 units

• AFRAM 5 The African American Family in the United States 3
• AFRAM 8 African-American Politics 3-4
• AFRAM 10 Sociology of African-Americans 3
• AFRAM 12 Psychology of African-Americans 3
• AFRAM14A Social Psychology of African American Male/Female Relationships 3
• AFRAM14B Social Psychology of African American Male/Female Relationships 3
• AFRAM16 The Prison Industrial Complex: African American Incarceration 3
• AFRAM19 Racism in the United States 3
• AFRAM38 Environmental Racism and Justice 3

Group 2: History and Economics

Select two courses from the following for a minimum of 6 units

• AFRAM 4 The Black Panther Party: Strategies on Organizing the People 3
• AFRAM30 African-American History: Africa to 1865 3-4
• AFRAM31 African-American History: 1865-1945 3
• AFRAM32 African-American History: 1945 to Present 3

Group 3: Family and Society

Select two courses from the following for a minimum of 6 units

• AFRAM25 Classical African Civilizations 3
• AFRAM27 Afro-Caribbean History, Politics, and Culture 3
• AFRAM 3 Ghana: Pan African Thought and the Struggle for Africa’s Liberation 3
• AFRAM18 African Heritage 3 of Latin America 3

Group 4: Family and Society

Select two courses from the following for a minimum of 6 units

• AFRAM33 The Roots of African-American Culture 3
• AFRAM39 Black World Films 3-4
• AFRAM41 African-American Writers (Fiction) 3
• AFRAM42 African-American Writers (Non-Fiction) 3
• AFRAM43 African-American Writers (Poetry) 3
• AFRAM45 Social Psychology of African American Male/Female Relationships 3

Total Required Units for Degree Major: 23

Career paths comprise the same opportunities as any other humanities and social science degree — but with a knowledge of self and a commitment to community empowerment: scientists, business owners, nurses, medical professionals, corporate employees, artists, lawyers, politicians, community activists, psychologists, inventors, teachers, writers, and many other fields.