African and African Diaspora Studies and First Year Courses

To prepare for an African and African Diaspora Studies major, you must take core courses that establish a knowledge-based foundation that will help you choose between the two major options: Option A (Political Economy) or Option B (Culture and Society).
Core courses:
- Afric 215 – Introduction to Black Social and Cultural Traditions
- Afric 220 – Introduction to Statistics in African and African Diaspora Studies
- Afric 228 – Introduction to Black Political Economy
- Afric 301 – Research Methods in African and African Diaspora Studies
All majors must be accepted by the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, and their programs arranged with a departmental advisor, located in Mitchell Hall 225. Students must maintain a GPA of 2.000 or better in all African and African Diaspora Studies (Africol) courses in the major, including any transfer work. A total of 36 credits must be taken to complete the major. No more than 6 credits of 100-level courses can count towards the major.
A course level is defined normally by how much work is involved in the course and what is expected of students. Courses at the 100-level usually are introductory courses; 200-300 level courses are generally for sophomores and juniors; 400 through 600 level usually are junior and senior courses, with 700 and above being graduate-level courses.
- 100-Level Courses:
- Afric 100 – Black Reality: Survey of African-American Society, 3 credits
- Afric 101 – Composition and Writing in Africology, 3 credits
- Afric 102 – Survey of African-American Literature, 3 credits
- Afric 111 – African-American History: Pre-1865, 3 credits
- Afric 112 – African-American History: 1865-Present, 3 credits
- Afric 121 – Introduction to African-American Politics, 3 credits
- Afric 125 – Economics of the Black Community, 3 credits
- Afric 163 – African-American Concept of Self, 3 credits
- Afric 199 – Independent Study, 1-3 credits
African and African Diaspora Studies Curriculum
The curriculum for a major in African and African Diaspora Studies offers two options at UW-Milwaukee. Called Options A and B, they offer emphasis on Political Economy or on Culture and Society, respectively. Options A and B courses are listed in the UWM Undergraduate Catalog and on Degree Requirements pages on this website.
Option A: Political Economy
An additional 24 credits are required to complete the major, 15 of which must be at the 300-level or above. At least 12 of the remaining 24 credits must be completed in the Political Economy concentration. Up to 6 credits may be taken in option B, and up to 6 credits may be taken at the 100 level.
Option B: Culture and Society
An additional 24 credits are required to complete the major, 15 of which must be at the 300-level or above. At least 12 of the remaining 24 credits must be completed in the Culture and Society concentration. Up to 6 credits may be taken in option A, and up to 6 credits may be taken at the 100 level.
Also, see the Sample Four-Year Plan.
We recommend you speak with your College of Letters and Science Advisor and/or the African and African Diaspora Studies Undergraduate Advisor whenever you have concerns or questions about your education.