Is the Minor for You?
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The Department of African and African American Studies offers a minor in African and African American Studies for undergraduates enrolled in any of the eighteen colleges of the university.  Students who minor in African and African American Studies complete 30 credit hours, which are selected from courses offered by the Department of African and African American Studies and from approved courses offered by other academic units throughout the university.  At least 90 credit hours of courses, in this minor, must be in the area of African Studies.  The minor is designed for students who want to develop a specialty in African and African American Studies that will complement their existing area of study.  Just as each student is different, each minor is different.  We encourage students to develop an individualized plan of study that works for them.

Is the minor for you?

Students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) who seek intensive study in African world history, culture and social organization typically major in African and African American Studies. In contrast, the minor is designed not only for A&S students, but also for students from other colleges of the university. Within A&S, students majoring in all recognized majors can also minor in African and African American Studies. Students from the colleges of education, design, the conservatory of music, engineering, business, engineering technology and nursing can minor in African and African American Studies as well.

The focus of the minor is unique and differs from that of our existing major. As is the case for any liberal arts area, the major in African and African American Studies prepares students for graduate and professional school as well as for employment in the private and public sector. To this end, the curriculum is organized around specific core courses on the 200 and 300 levels that introduce students to the field as well as upper level courses on the 400 and 500 level that allow for specialization.

In contrast, the minor is designed to supplement students’ existing courses of study in other majors and/or fields of study. For example, students in other A&S majors, such as history, literature, and sociology, might choose African and African American Studies courses that complement a more traditional major.

Students who are enrolled in pre-professional programs in other colleges of the university can also plan useful minors in African and African American Studies. For example, education students can choose a minor concentrating on child development, psychology and family structure and dynamics of people of African descent. Students in pre-business interested in African affairs might emphasize courses in political and economic analysis as well as the several courses that examine African history and politics. Since African and African American Studies is an interdisciplinary academic unit, it can accommodate a wide range of interests.

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Career Opportunities

Not only can the minor in African and African American Studies benefit students preparing for graduate programs in liberal arts disciplines, the minor can be used in conjunction with a traditional major to prepare for many professions. With the growing emphasis on multi-cultural education in the United States, a minor in African and African American Studies is an added advantage to students interested in teaching careers. Students preparing for careers in business might apply the minor to marketing careers where skills of working with diverse populations are in increasing demand. Students entering social service positions where knowledge of African American clientele is a must might find the minor useful in supplementing their pre-professional or technical training. African and African American Studies courses take a global perspective. All students might benefit from a minor that stresses global issues.

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