# 2026-2027 Course Catalog

**Source**: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/las/minors/african-american-studies/
**Parent**: https://catalog.illinois.edu/degree-programs/undergraduate_index/

*for the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor in African American Studies*

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The Department of African American Studies offers a campus-wide interdisciplinary minor in African American Studies. The minor is premised on the following principles: Interdisciplinarity, the centrality of Black women and gender, the use of the Global Africa/African Diaspora as a contextualizing framework and an emphasis on black agency or self-determining activity of African peoples. A minimum grade point average of 2.33 is required for completion of courses taken in the program. The Department of African American Studies must approve a student's minor course plan.

*for the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor in African American Studies*

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Course List

     | Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I. Core course requirements | |  |
| [AFRO 100](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=AFRO%20100 "AFRO 100") | Intro to African American St | 3 |
| [AFRO 490](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=AFRO%20490 "AFRO 490") | Theory in African American St | 3 |
| or [AFRO 220](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=AFRO%20220 "AFRO 220") | Intro to Research Methods AfAm | |
| [AFRO 495](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=AFRO%20495 "AFRO 495") | Senior Thesis Seminar | 3 |
| II. Areas of Concentration | |  |
| A. Comparitive Race, Racialized Communities & Identities. Students must take at least one course in this area. Students may choose courses from a list in the Department office. | | 3-4 |
| B. Cultural Production & Cultural Movements. Students must take at least one course in this area. Students may choose courses from a list in the Department office. | | 3-4 |
| C. Political Economy, Public Policy & Contemporary Issues. Students must take at least one course in this area. Students may choose courses from a list in the Department office. | | 3-4 |
| Elective in any of the above areas | | 3 |
| Students must take at least one course focusing on Black Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies chosen from a list in the Department office. Students may count this course toward any of the required areas above. | |  |
| Total Hours | | 21 |

Students must not take more than 6 hours of 100-level courses. A minimum of 6 hours of 300- and 400-level courses is required.

*for the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor in African American Studies*

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Students completing the minor will be able to:

1. **Demonstrate foundational knowledge** of key themes, histories, and intellectual traditions in African American Studies that support clear and effective oral and written communication.
2. **Apply introductory analytical tools**—including qualitative, quantitative, or digital methods—to examine issues affecting African American communities and broader U.S. social contexts.
3. **Identify the roles of African American Studies in public engagement and social justice**, recognizing how scholarship can inform leadership, civic participation, and policy discussions in a diverse democratic society.

*for the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor in African American Studies*

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#### **department website:** <https://afro.illinois.edu/>

#### **department faculty:** [African American Studies Faculty](https://afro.illinois.edu/directory/faculty)

#### **overview of college admissions & requirements:** [Liberal Arts & Sciences](https://catalog.illinois.edu/schools/las/academic-units/)

#### **college website:** <https://las.illinois.edu/>

#### **email:** [cmjenki@illinois.edu](mailto:cmjenki@illinois.edu) or [afro-advising@illinois.edu](mailto:afro-advising@illinois.edu)