African-American Studies

Draft Version
This is a DRAFT catalog for review and advising purposes. Items in this catalog draft are subject to change until the catalog for 2024-2025 academic year will be officially published on August 19th, 2024. The statements set forth in this catalog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as the basis of a contract between a student and this institution. Should changes in a program of study become necessary, those changes will be applied liberally by the institution while the catalog is in draft mode.

The African American Studies program at Bradley University engages students in the interdisciplinary study of African-American cultures and the transnational history of the black experience. This minor emphasizes African-American political, social, cultural, literary, and intellectual expression and the variety and scope of African American Studies as a discipline. The minor offers two possible tracks to completion, one accentuating community engagement and the other stressing research and writing.

Minor in African-American Studies (15 Credit Hours)

Course requirements:

• 3 hours of introductory course work (AAS 200: Introduction to African American Studies)
• 9 hours of electives drawn from the list below (minimum of 3 hours at the 300 level or above)
• Completion of one of two 3 hour capstone experiences:
  • Research and writing track: complete AAS 400: Directed Research in African American Studies under the supervision of program faculty
  • Community Engagement track: complete an approved internship, service-learning project, or other approved program of community engagement administered under the course title AAS 401 (or another approved community engagement course pending approval of the AAS committee). Capstone projects for the community engagement track must be approved in advanced by the AAS committee and will culminate in a presentation to the committee and/or other appropriate audience.

Elective Courses:

AAS 100: Introductory Topics in African American Studies
ENG 129: Introduction to African-American Literature
HIS 201: Violence, Crime, and Punishment
MUS 202: History of Jazz
HIS 209: History of Africa
ETE 280: Exploring Diversity
AAS 300: Advanced Topics in African American Studies
SOC 312: Social Inequality/Sociological Perspectives on Race, Class, and Gender
SOC 313: Race, Ethnicity, and Power
HIS 316: African-American History Since 1877
HIS 317: American Masculinities
ENG 329: Studies in African-American Literature
COM 386: Media, Race, and Gender

A 2.5 grade point average in African American Studies courses is required for satisfactory completion of the minor.