Courses for a minor in African Studies

17-18 Credit Hours

 IT IS REQUIRED THAT AT LEAST 9 HOURS (MINIMUM) TO MAXIMUM 18 HOURS MUST BE TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING COURSES WHICH FOCUS SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY ON AFRICA

9 hours (minimum) to 18 hours (maximum) from: 

AFR 499 Sen Thesis (3) Can only be taken after 14/15 credit hours in African Studies have been undertaken.
ANTH 263 African Cont (3)
GEOG 352 Africa (3)
HIST 372 Modrn Africa (3)
HIST 441 Comp Slave (3)
HIST 484 Southern Afr (3)
PHIL 310 African Phil (3) 

TOTAL CREDITS        9

Elective hours (up to 9 hours only or three courses maximum) from the following Africa related course may be taken:

ANTH 211 Ethnicity (3)
ANTH 323 Rock Art (3)
ECON 279 Prob Em Nats (3)   OR     POLS 281 Prob Em Nats (3)
ENG 498 Post-Colon St (3)
FR 200-300-400 level (3-6) 
FR 400 Study Abroad (3-9) 
GEOG 150 Global Geog (3)
GEOG 470 World Pol Ge (3)
MUHIS 439 Jazz Hist 1 (2)
NREM 205 Intl Nr  Cons (3)
NREM 307 Envl Mgt Dev  (3)
NREM 357 Intl Rur Dev (0-9) 

Special courses also possible to include in the the African Studies Minor:

NREM 402 is offered for 3-6 credit hours only towards the African Studies Minor.

The following special topics courses will apply toward the African Studies minor ONLY when they focus on Africa. Students must receive the approval of the African Studies Director (Professor Stephanie Beswick, Department of History) to receive credit for each of the following topics courses:

ANTH 450 (3)
HIST 198 (3)
HIST 469 (3)
HIST 494 (3)
HONRS 189 (3)
NREM 402 (3)
POLS 405 (3)
FL 205 (3)
FR 101 (3)

Description of courses:

AFRICAN STUDIES

AFR 499 African Studies Minor Senior Thesis: (3) Represents one of the final requirements for the African Studies Minor. Entails the writing of a 20-page research paper (or the disciplinary equivalent) in the major discipline of the student on the topic of Africa with a professor of the student's choosing.

ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTH 211 Ethnicity and Race: (3) Explores the concepts of ethnicity and race and how they shape the interaction between individuals and groups in complex society. Devotes particular attention to the Western world, but also considers similar attitudes in other parts of the world. Prerequisite: ANTH 101 or permission of the department chairperson.

ANTH 263 Africa's Contributions to World Civilizations: (3) African cultural and historical roots of African Americans; origins of the human species; plant and animal domestication; metallurgy, art, and state formation. Focus on West Africa, the source of most of the African American population of the United States.

ANTH 323 Rock Art of the World: (3) Survey of prehistoric rock art of the world, including European cave paintings. Markings will be interpreted and functionally examined with regard to aesthetic, ceremonial, and informational content. Methods of recording will be stressed.

ANTH 450 Ethnographic Field School: (up to 12) An intensive immersion in the methods of field research in cultural anthropology. Emphasizes problem formulation, observation, interviewing, writing, and interpretation of field data. Field schools are intended to provide specific skills that result in an ethnographic report. Prerequisite: an introductory and upper division course in cultural anthropology; ANTH 459; or permission of the instructor.

ECONOMICS

ECON 279 Economic and Political Problems of Emerging Nations: (3) A survey of historical and contemporary problems of the less-developed nations. Conditions contributing to economic, political and social change. Problems of economic development policies and programs within the institutional structure. Internal and external pressures that influence patterns of development. Not open to students who have credit to POLS 281.

ENGLISH

ENG 498 Post Colonial Studies: (3) A study of major works from post-colonial countries and cultures, such as Nigeria, South Africa, India, and Jamaica and the literary and intellectual movements associated with them.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

FL 205 The French Speaking World: (3) Survey of political, cultural and literary history in areas colonized by France: Quebec, the Caribbean, North Africa and West Africa. Topics include geography, government, and differences in Francophone and Anglophone colonization, using socio-political and literary works.

FRENCH

FR 200-300-400 Intermediate to Advanced French: (3-6) Prerequisite: FR 101 and FR 102.

FR 400 French Study Abroad: (3-6) Study of Intermediate or advanced French language, literature and culture in a foreign country where French is the native language. May include seminars arranged during travel. A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

GEOGRAPHY

GEOG 150 Global Geography: (3) A basic survey course emphasizing geographic facts and interdependencies between the developed and developing world. Particular emphasis is given to physical and social environmental interdependencies.

GEOG 352 Geography of Africa: (3) A survey and analysis of the physical and cultural environments of Africa.

GEOG 470 World Political Geography: (3) Analysis of the contribution of physical and cultural characteristics of the nations of the world to domestic and foreign relations problems.

HISTORY

HIST 198 Studies in Non-Western Civilizations: (3) Examination of a broad range of patterns and problems found in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and Latin America, with emphasis on recent and contemporary development. Topics vary among political, economic, and social issues of major importance.

HIST 372 Africa Since 1500 [Modern Africa]: (3) Stresses the emergence of modern African civilizations from 1500 to the present, with particular emphasis on regions south of the Sahara.

HIST 441 Comparative Slavery: (3) Explores the types of bondage, unfree labor systems, and slavery and the slave trade throughout African history as well as in a number of geographical regions for comparison. Includes Africa, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Middle East. Prerequisite: HIST 150 or permission of the department chairperson.

HIST 469 World Civilizations--Field Studies: (6) Studies in world civilizations--their history, art, economic life, educational systems, geography, industry, languages, music and society--through varied travel programs. Advanced reading and a summary paper complement each year's travel program and are required. With department approval, secondary social studies, teacher-education students with a concentration in world civilization may apply 3 hours of credit to category 1, 2, or 4.

HIST 484 Southern Africa: (3) Stresses the history, emergence and nationalism of Southern Africa with a special focus on South Africa and its growing dominance over the rest of the southern African continent.

HIST 494 Selected Topics in Non-Western History: (3) Survey and investigation of a particular topic, problem, or issue in non-Western history with emphasis on topics, specialties, and materials not covered in other courses. Exact content announced before each offering. A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned. (This course allows one-time special topics offerings in Non-Western history without the necessity of course proliferation. Titles of recent offerings have included: "Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Religion and Revolution in the Non-Western World,"; "Economic History of the Non-Western World"; "Origins of Islamic States: South Asia, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa." It may also serve as the "means" for directed studies for advanced students to work on special projects under a faculty member's direction.)

HONORS

HONRS 189 Honors Symposium in Global Studies (3): Focuses on the commonalities and rich diversities in global culture, economy, history, politics and society. Taught from varied perspectives and disciplines, emphasis is on the non-Western world --Asia, Africa and Central and South America. (Non-Western global studies of Africa, Asia and the Middle East).

MUSIC HISTORY

MUHIS 439 Jazz History 1: (2) Historical examination of jazz from 1890 to 1950. Analyzes outstanding style characteristics of each period from their beginnings to the 1950s, including ragtime, the Jazz Age, the Swing Era, and the bebop and cool periods.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MGMT.

NREM 205 International Natural Resources: Development and Conservation: (3) An analysis of problems occurring as a result of development and use of natural resources worldwide. The role of resources management and conservation to enhance the carrying capacity of the earth. A case-study approach to the management of global environmental problems.

NREM 307 Environmental Management in Developing Countries: (3) Survey of challenges facing management of urban environments and the rural-urban interface in the developing nations of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Pacific Oceania. Features inter-disciplinary approach with frequent guest speakers to discuss existing and potential management, economic, technical and policy solutions in their regional, cultural and historical contexts.

NREM 357 International Rural Development: (3) Analysis of rural development in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Emphasizes the roles of population, agriculture, history, conflict, technology, international debt, multilateral organizational, and political and cultural traditions in development efforts. Interdisciplinary readings and case studies.

NREM 402 Field Study: (1-6) Off-campus field studies for students with serious interests in specific topics of study or research linked to a specific geographically defined resource base. Locales and topics vary with interest of the instructor. Group air and surface travel and basic living conditions often required. Foreign language skills sometimes helpful. Prerequisite: REM 101 or its equivalent; permission of the department chairperson. A total of 6 hours may be earned.

PHILOSOPHY

PHIL 310 African Philosophy: (3) A critical examination of leading trends in African philosophy. Ethnophilosophy, philosophic sagacity, liberation philosophy, or modern/critical philosophies are possible topics.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

POLS 281 Economic and Political Problems of Merging Nations: (3) Historical and contemporary problems of the less-developed nations. Conditions contributing to economic, political and social change. Problems of economic development policies and programs within the institutional structure. Internal and external pressures that influence patterns of development. Prerequisite recommended: POLS 280. Not open to students who have credit in ECON 279.

POLS 405 Readings and Special Study: (3) Topics are chosen and investigated in consultation with the department chairperson and a professor with special competence in the area involved (For the purposes of the African Studies Minor this readings course must be focused solely on Africa). Prerequisite: basic courses in the area selected for special study and permission of the department chairperson.