African American Studies, B.A.

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Students must promptly and regularly confer with the department advisor regarding course selection and availability.

The total number of units required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies is 120 units, of which 45 units are required for the major. Consult with an advisor for the specific number of units required in all areas of the degree including General Education and free electives.

Requirements for the Major (45 units)

The major in Pan-African Studies consists of 45 units (15 classes). PAS required courses include 12 units (4 classes) at the lower division and 12 units (4 classes) at the upper division; there are options within the upper division requirement. Outside of the required core courses, completion of the major requires an additional 21 elective units (7 classes), a minimum of 4 of which must be at the upper division. Up to two courses may come from outside of the Pan-African Studies Department. Up to 4 courses (12 units) are approved for double-counting for General Education requirements (GE), with up to 3 courses in Lower Division major courses and 1 course in Upper Division major courses. Double majors may double count additional units in line with University policy. Students should work closely with department advisor on the selection of appropriate electives in other fields.

Required Core Courses (30 units)

Lower Division (12 units)

LAS 1020 - The African Diaspora in the Americas (3) also listed as
PAS 1020 - The African Diaspora in the Americas (3)
PAS 1510 - African American History (3)
PAS 1800 - Critical Race Theory (3)
PAS 2500 - African History (3)

Upper Division (12 units)

Theory Course (3 Units):

PAS 4030 - The Black Intellectual Tradition (3)

Area Distribution Requirement (9 units):

Select three units each (one course) from groups A, B and C for a total of 9 units.

Group A - Gender and Sexuality:
PAS 3050 - Black Feminism and Womanism (3) also listed as
WGSS 3050 - Black Feminism and Womanism (3)
PAS 3070 - Black Manhood and Masculinity (3)
PAS 3715 - Rethinking the ‘Welfare Queen:’ Race, Gender, and Poverty in the US (3) also listed as
WGSS 3715 - Rethinking the ‘Welfare Queen:’ Race, Gender, and Poverty in the US (3)
PAS 4060 - Black Women Leaders in Thought and Politics (3)
PAS 4080 - Black Sexuality (3)
PAS 4120 - Third World Women and Development (3)
Group B - Activism and Organizing:
PAS 3690 - Race, Activism, and Emotions (3)
PAS 4400 - Power and the African American Community I (3)
Group C - Capstone:
PAS 4410 - Power and African American Communities II: Field Research (3)
PAS 4950 - Senior Thesis (3)

Elective Courses (21 units)

Electives may be drawn from all Pan-African Studies courses not selected for the required core requirements. Up to nine (9) units of lower division courses (numbers between 1000-2999) may be counted toward the completion of the required 21 units, with a minimum of 12 units at the upper division (course numbers between 3000 and 4999). The following courses may be used to fulfill elective credit:

PAS 1100 - Racial Equality, Government and the Constitution (3)
PAS 1200 - Elementary African Language and Culture (3)
PAS 1400 - Introduction to Globalization, Race, and Place (3) also listed as
AAAS 1400 - Introduction to Globalization, Race, and Place (3) also listed as
LAS 1400 - Introduction to Globalization, Race, and Place (3)
PAS 1500 - Black Oral Traditions and Communication (3)
PAS 2010 - Third World Literature (3)
PAS 2020 - African American Religion as Civic Culture (3)
PAS 2210 - African American Music as History and Criticism, African American Music (3)
PAS 2600 - Third World Images in Film (3)
PAS 3020 - Black and Latino and Latin American Relations (3) also listed as
LAS 3020 - Black and Latino and Latin American Relations (3)
PAS 3050 - Black Feminism and Womanism (3) also listed as
WGSS 3050 - Black Feminism and Womanism (3)
PAS 3070 - Black Manhood and Masculinity (3)
PAS 3350 - Race and Culture in the Americas, Race Culture Americas (3) also listed as
LAS 3350 - Race and Culture in the Americas, Race Culture Americas (3)
PAS 3420 - Cultural Impact of Development (3) also listed as
LAS 3420 - Cultural Impact of Development (3)
PAS 3480 - Race, Class, and Gender (3) also listed as
AAAS 3480 - Race, Class, and Gender (3)
PAS 3600 - Dynamics of Change in the Developing World (3) also listed as
LAS 3600 - Dynamics of Change in the Developing World (3)
PAS 3690 - Race, Activism, and Emotions (3)
PAS 3715 - Rethinking the ‘Welfare Queen:’ Race, Gender, and Poverty in the US (3) also listed as
WGSS 3715 - Rethinking the ‘Welfare Queen:’ Race, Gender, and Poverty in the US (3)
PAS 3800 - Education and Development in Africa (3)
PAS 3810 - Literary Explorations of Racism and Justice (3) also listed as
ENGL 3810 - Literary Explorations of Racism and Justice (3)
PAS 3822 - Ethnicity and Emotions in U.S. Film (3) also listed as
ENGL 3822 - Ethnicity and Emotions in U.S. Film (3)
PAS 4000 - Psychology and African Americans (3)
PAS 4010 - Topics on Education and African American Advancement (3)
PAS 4020 - Black Political Economy (3)
PAS 4040 - The Black Family (3)
PAS 4060 - Black Women Leaders in Thought and Politics (3)
PAS 4080 - Black Sexuality (3)
PAS 4090 - Black Labor (3)
PAS 4100 - Black People and Islam (3)
PAS 4110 - African Spirituality in Theory and Practice (3)
PAS 4120 - Third World Women and Development (3)
PAS 4160 - Pan Africanism and World Politics (3)
PAS 4170 - Hip-Hop as Political Expression (3)
PAS 4200 - African Foundations of African American Culture (3)
PAS 4220 - Themes in Black Literature (3)
PAS 4270 - Black Film (3)
PAS 4400 - Power and the African American Community I (3)
PAS 4410 - Power and African American Communities II: Field Research (3)
PAS 4560 - Politics of the Caribbean and Central America (3) also listed as
PAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America; Afro-Latin America (3) also listed as
LAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America (3)
PAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3) also listed as
LAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3)
PAS 4900 - Special Topics (3)
PAS 4950 - Senior Thesis (3)
PAS 4990 - Directed Study (3)
Up to 6 units of course work (2 classes) may be taken from courses that have a Pan-African Studies focus in departments outside of PAS with advisor approval.

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