Major in African and African Diaspora Studies

African and African Diaspora Studies and First Year Courses

Africology Majors

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.