Academic Programs Catalog

The Bachelor of Arts degree in African American and African Studies offers students the opportunity to engage and explore the lives, worlds, and cultural practices of Black peoples. Students are encouraged to study and appreciate the complexity of Black communities as well as the particularities of Blackness as it is lived, imagined, and created. Students are also directed to the promise and possibilities of collaborative, interdisciplinary work and research.

Multiple elements define the course of study for the major, including interconnected, required courses exploring Black Feminisms, Genders, and Sexualities Studies, as well as encouragement of diverse understandings and approaches to knowledge production with and about Black peoples. The degree program offers three concentrations: Communities in Action, Creative Expression, Culture and Performance, and Black Institutions, Sustainability, and Statecraft.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in African American and African Studies

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in African American and African Studies.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the African American and African Studies major is met by completing African American and African Studies 495.  That course is referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Arts and Letters for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	All of the following courses (12 credits):
   	AAAS	100	Pathways in AAAS						3
   	AAAS	200	Black Feminisms: Past, Present and Futures						3
   	AAAS	201	Black Sexualities Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
   	AAAS	202	Black Genders Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
   b.	Complete 3 courses from one of the following concentrations (9 credits):
   	Communities in Action
   	AAAS	300	Communities in Action						3
   	AAAS	303	Black Girlhood Studies						3
   	AAAS	306	Black Language and Literacy						3
   	AAAS	401	Social Media and New Journalism						3
   	AAAS	404	Black Ecologies and Environmental Justice						3
   	Creative Expression, Culture, and Performance
   	AAAS	301	Creative Expression, Culture, and Performance						3
   	AAAS	304	Afrofuturism						3
   	AAAS	307	Creative Expression as Craft						3
   	AAAS	402	Producing Culture						3
   	AAAS	405	Black Entrepreneurship and Hustle						3
   	Black Institutions, Sustainability, and Statecraft
   	AAAS	302	Black Institutions, Sustainability, and Statecraft						3
   	AAAS	305	Black People and Land						3
   	AAAS	308	Black Spirituality and Religion						3
   	AAAS	403	Institutions and Oppression						3
   	AAAS	406	Pedagogies of Protests						3
   c.	Complete 4 elective courses in 300-400 level AAAS courses as approved by the undergraduate advisor (12 credits).
   d.	The following course (3 credits):
   	AAAS	495	Writing for Our Lives (W)						3

 

The Minor in African American and African Studies, administered by the Department of African American and African Studies offers students the opportunity to engage in an introductory exploration and critical examination of the lives, worlds, and cultural practices of Black peoples. Students are encouraged to explore the complexity of Black communities as well as the particularities of Blackness as it is lived, imagined and created. Students also gain an appreciation of the promise and possibilities of collaborative, interdisciplinary engagement.

The minor is available to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University other than the Bachelor of Arts degree in African American and African Studies. The minor is divided into two tracks – the Social Science Track and the Humanities Track. The program includes interconnected, required courses exploring Black Feminisms, Genders, and Sexualities Studies; encouragement of diverse understandings and approaches to knowledge production with and about Black peoples.

Requirements for the Minor in African American and African Studies

Students must complete 15 to 18 credits from one of the following tracks:
Social Science Track
1.	The following course (3 credits):
	AAAS	100	Pathways into AAAS						3
2.	Two of the following courses (6 credits):
	AAAS	200	Black Feminisms: Past, Present and Futures						3
	AAAS	201	Black Sexualities Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
	AAAS	202	Black Genders Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
3.	Two of the following courses with at least 3 credits at the 300-400 level (6 credits):
	ANP	330	Race, Ethnicity, and Nation: Anthropological Approaches to Collective Identity						3
	HDFS	442	Ethnic Families in America						3
	HST	208	Introduction to African History, Culture and Society						4
	HST	310	African American History to 1876						3
	HST	311	African American History since 1876						3
	HST	312	African American Women						3
	HST	364	South Africa: From Shaka Zulu to Mandela						3
	HST	383	The Caribbean						3
	PLS	304	Minority Politics						3
	PLS	351	African Politics						3
	SOC	214	Social Inequality						3
	SOC	375	Urban Sociology						3
Humanities Track
1.	The following course (3 credits):
	AAAS	100	Pathways into AAAS						3
2.	Two of the following courses (6 credits):
	AAAS	200	Black Feminisms: Past, Present and Futures						3
	AAAS	201	Black Sexualities Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
	AAAS	202	Black Genders Studies: Past, Present and Futures						3
3.	Complete a minimum of 6 credits of 300-400 level courses in AAAS.

 

The Masters of Arts degree in African American and African Studies (AAAS) is an interdisciplinary degree program of study devoted to advanced exploration and analysis of Black Worlds. In AAAS, we aim to prepare students to make a transformative impact with communities and organizations dedicated to advancing life-affirming conditions for all Black peoples. The professional master's degree program prepares students for positions and leadership in community work, culture, media, education, entrepreneurship, and institution-building.

Students in the master's program concentrate in one of three fields of study: Black Cultures and Institutions, Black Girlhood Studies, or Black Speculative Ecologies. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field are welcomed to join AAAS as a master's student. Additionally, we encourage students to pursue a dual-degree master's. AAAS is an inherently interdisciplinary department and Black Studies is a versatile discipline that spans numerous investigative approaches and topic areas.

Admission

To be considered for admission, an applicant must:

1. Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
2. Submit a personal statement and an academic purpose stating personal and professional goals, disciplinary interests in AAAS, and desired concentration of study.
3. Submit two copies of official transcripts demonstrating an earned Bachelor’s degree in an area of study appropriate for advanced work in AAAS.
4. Submit three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with your course work, professional experience, and community works using the University’s Letter of Recommendation Form for Admission.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in African American and African Studies

The program is available under Plan A (with thesis) and Plan B (without thesis). A total of 33 credits is required. With the approval of the student’s advisor, the student must choose an area of concentration. The student must:

1.	Complete both of the following courses (6 credits):
	AAAS	833	Black Worlds: Historical and Contemporary Issues						3
	AAAS	834	Black Worlds: Theories and Methodologies						3
2.	Complete 9 credits in the tutorial suite courses. Students must take 4 credits in one tutorial course. The maximum amount of credits allowed in any one tutorial course is 6 credits.
	AAAS	840	Black Girlhood Studies						1 to 3
	AAAS	850	Black Cultures and Institutions						1 to 3
	AAAS	860	Black Speculative Ecologies						1 to 3
3.	Complete 9 elective credits from the following. At least 3 credits must be at the 800-level.
	AAAS	821	Collaboration, Research and Methodologies						3
	AAAS	841	Seminar in Black Feminist Studies						3
	AAAS	861	Seminar in Black Sexualities Studies						3
	AAAS	871	Seminar in Black Genders Studies						3
	AAAS	891	Special Topics in African American and African Studies						3
	AAAS	893A	Pedagogical Project						3
	AAAS	893C	Community Engagement Project						3
	Other AAAS 400 level or higher courses relevant to AAAS as approved by an academic advisor.
4.	Complete the following Professional Development requirements (3 credits):
	AAAS	895	Professional Development						2
	AAAS	897	Colloquium						1
Additional Requirements for Plan A
1.	Both of the following courses (6 credits):
	AAAS	892	Master’s Thesis Planning						2
	AAAS	899	Master’s Thesis Research						4
Additional Requirements for Plan B
1.	Both of the following courses (6 credits):
	AAAS	894	Master's Project Planning						2
	AAAS	898	Master's Capstone Project						4

 

The doctoral program in African American and African Studies (AAAS) at MSU offers exclusive advanced study in black studies with vanguard scholars who work to forward the power and scope of black lives, worlds, and world building. This boutique doctoral experience emphasizes intensive instruction and copiously supportive dissertation project supervision. Our work is informed by an expectation that the work of black studies is significant and meaningful to each student. This program is best suited for students with a strong sense of direction for postgraduate study. Cohorts are small and every graduate program of study is tailored to the individual student. We believe there are definite markers for success for each Ph.D. student and we help guide their efforts towards fulfilling those goals. The doctoral program in AAAS offers exclusive advanced study in black feminisms, genders, and sexualities studies with concentrations in Black Cultures and Institutions, Black Girlhood Studies, or Black Speculative Ecologies.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in African American and African Studies, an applicant must:

1. Submit a personal statement, written or audio.
2. Submit a written statement of academic purpose stating professional goals and disciplinary interests in AAAS.
3. Submit a writing sample, usually a recent research paper, or sample of creative work, to the Department of African American and African Studies in the College of Arts and Letters.

To be admitted, the applicant must have a master’s degree in an appropriate field or have completed at least 30 credits of approved course work beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Guidance Committee

Upon admission, you are assigned an interim advisor and faculty member to serve on your Guidance Committee. During the first year of study, you prepare a guidance committee approved course of study document that stipulates course work, scholarly development, and dissertation/final project. The document should include the student's learning goals as well as their professional and academic background towards a rationale for their declared concentration area.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in African American and African Studies

In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and the College of Arts and Letters, students must complete 24 credits of AAAS 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research and the approved course of study as approved by the student’s guidance committee. Students will submit a dissertation proposal to the guidance committee and pass an oral examination in defense of the proposal. Students must successfully defend the doctoral dissertation.