Major Requirements

To complete the major, students must take a cluster of ten courses focused on a specific area of concentration (for those who are doing an honors thesis, the two theses courses will serve as electives). Five of the ten courses must be selected from African American Studies departmental course offerings. The remaining three courses may be taken from other departments. The cluster must be pre-approved by the department's academic advisor. For more information on forming a cluster, or for a sample, please see the Completion of or enrollment in the following four courses is required in order to declare the major: AAS 4A-4B: African: History and Culture and AAS 5A-5B: Black Life and Culture. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the lower division requirements early in their academic program.
Upon declaring the major, students are required to complete the following upper division core requirements:

Upper Division Core Requirements
AAS 100: Introduction to African American Studies
AAS 101: Interdisciplinary Research Methods
AAS 116: Colonialism, Slavery, and African American Life Before 1865
AAS 117: African Americans in the Industrial Age, 1865-1970 advisor.

Upper Division Elective Requirements
(A Total of 4 or 6 (depending on status of thesis)* from Social Sciences and Humanities)

AAS 107: Race and Public Policy
AAS 109: Black and Male in the United States
AAS 111: Race, Class and Gender in the United States
AAS 112A: Political and Economic Development in Third World
AAS 112B Political and Economic Development in the Third World.
AAS 113 Race, Ideology and Economics in Africa and African America.
AAS 119 Selected Topics in the Socio-Historical Development of the Black World.
AAS 121 Black Political Life in the United States
AAS 122 African American Families in American Society
AAS 123 Social and Political Thought in the Diaspora
AAS 124 Political Philosophy of Martin L. King Jr.
AAS 126 African American Women's History.
AAS 131 Caribbean Societies and Cultures.
AAS 132 Psychology of African Americans.
AAS 135 Caribbean Cultural History.
AAS 137 Multicultural Communities.
AAS 138 Black Nationalism
AAS 139 Selected Topics of African American Social Organization and Institutions.

Humanities Courses
AAS 142A Third World Cinema.
AAS 142B The Cross-Cultural Images of American Minorities in Film.
AAS 142C Scenario and Film Criticism.
AAS 143A Performance: African American Perspective.
AAS 143B Research-to-Performance Laboratory.
AAS 143C Black Theater Workshop.
AAS 145 Gospel Chorus
AAS 150A African American Literature 1746 - 1920.
AAS 150B African American Literature 1920 to present.
AAS 151A Early African American Drama
AAS 151B Contemporary African American Drama
AAS 152 series
         152A African American Essays: The Nature and Tradition.
         152B African American Poetry: The Nature and Tradition.
         152C African American Dramatic Literature: Forms and Styles.
         152D African American Short Stories.
         152E African American Novels and Narratives
AAS 153A Images of African American Women in Literature: Slavery to the 20th Century.
AAS 153B Contemporary Images of African American Women in Literature.
AAS 154 Nègritude: French African Literature.
AAS 155 Literatures of the Caribbean.
AAS 156AC Poetry for the People.
AAS 158A The Writing and Teaching of Poetry.
AAS 159 Special Topics in African American Literature.
AAS 160 African Literatures.
AAS 161 African Theater.
AAS 163 African Literatures by Women.
AAS 164 Pidgin and Creole Languages.
AAS 190AC Advanced Seminar in African Diaspora Studies.

Senior Thesis:
The department no longer requires a senior thesis for graduation from students who are not eligible for honors. Students with a GPA in the major of 3.5 or higher and an overall UC GPA of 3.3 or higher are eligible for graduation with honors under the condition that they write an honors thesis. Two faculty advisors are required to direct the thesis and to serve as readers of the Honors Thesis. Students writing the Honors Thesis must enroll in AAS H195A and H 195B: Senior Honors Thesis, in their senior year.

Last Updated August 17, 2004

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Requirements for the African American Studies Minor

To receive a minor in African American Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, qualified undergraduates must complete the following requirements:
     1) Complete and turn in the departmental minor application (application may be obtained from 660 Barrows or through the Undergraduate Advisor in 664A Barrows).
     2) Complete and turn in Petition for Confirmation of Minor Program form (this form may be obtained either at 664A Barrows or 113 Campbell Hall, in the office of Letters and Science).
     3) Complete at least one lower division course selected from AAS 4A, 4B, 5A, or 5B AND five upper division courses in African American Studies. Students may choose from the following courses (all AAS courses):
100, 101, 107, 109, 111, 112A, 112B, 113, 119, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 131, 132, 135, 137, 138, 139, 142A. 142B, 142C, 142D, 145, 150A, 150B, 152A, 152B, 152C, 152D, 152E, 153A, 153B, 154, 155, 156AC, 158A, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 190AC
(A full description of each course may be found in the general catalog.)

Please keep in mind that there may exist newer courses that may not have been listed on this sheet, BUT may be used toward the minor.

All paperwork must be filed and turned in to the Undergraduate Advisor by the completion of your last course requirement (sixth class).

Last updated: December 29, 2004

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