Department website: http://www.neiu.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/departments/african-and-african-american-studies
The African and African American Studies Minor (AFAM) is the study, research, interpretation and dissemination of knowledge about the African/African Diaspora worlds that are found primarily in Africa, the United States, the Caribbean and South America but also among peoples of Asia and Europe. Interdisciplinary in both conception and practice, the AFAM program provides a challenging curriculum designed to critically examine the structure, organization, contributions, and perspectives of Africa and its peoples throughout the Diaspora. A major paradigm that informs the program’s curriculum is an African-Centered framework that proceeds from a position internal to the cultures of African peoples. This approach is used concurrently with an awareness of and openness to the variation and richness of the total human experience. Additionally, selected teaching and course materials are designed to provide students with a concise understanding of the specific history, heritage and culture of African Americans. With a strong commitment to teaching excellence, the primary goals of the African and African American Studies program are to:
- provide students with a comprehensive quality multicultural education and,
- provide students the opportunity for a creative intellectual experience based upon the critical and systematic study of the life, thought and practice of African peoples in their current and historical development.
The AFAM minor is currently housed in the Sociology Department.
Note: Sociology majors and minors may use as electives any of the courses offered through the African and African American Studies Program.
University Core Curriculum Requirements
| General Education Distribution Area | Cr. Hrs. |
|---|---|
| Fine Arts (FA)* 2 courses, from at least two of the following areas of study: Art, CMT (Mass Media or Theatre), Music (includes Dance). | 6 |
| Humanities (HU)* 3 courses, from at least two of the following areas of study: CMT (Communication), English, Linguistics. Philosophy, Women's and Gender Studies, World Languages and Cultures, (Note: No more than two foreign language courses may be used to fulfill this requirement.) | 9 |
| Behavioral/Social Sciences (SB)* 3 courses, from at least two of the following areas of study: African & African American Studies, Anthropology, Computer Science, Economics, Geography & Environmental Studies, History, Justice Studies, Latino & Latin American Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work | 9 |
| Natural Sciences (NS and NSL)** 3 courses, from at least two of the following areas of study; one course must have a laboratory component (NSL): Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physics (Note: If an FYE ANTH that counts as Natural Science is taken, only one Biology course may be used for Natural Science). | 9 |
| Engaged Learning Experiences | |
| Students must complete, at Northeastern, three courses designated as Engaged Learning Experiences courses. One of the Engaged Learning Experiences courses must be at the 300-level, and one Engaged Learning Experiences course must be designated as "Boundary Crossing". | |
| Discipline Specific (ELE-DS) These courses have pre-requisites that are specific courses within a program of study. Discipline Specific courses give students a deeper understanding of how knowledge is created and applied in their field. | |
| Boundary Crossing (ELE-X) These are courses that cross disciplinary boundaries and/or cross boundaries through engagements outside the classroom or University allowing students to see how knowledge gained in one field might inform other fields or other aspects of society. | |
| Math/Quantitative Reasoning (MA) 1 Math course, that has intermediate Algebra as prerequisite OR is a course listed on the General Education Distributive Learning List of Approved Courses. Any 3 hour college level math course, beyond Intermediate Algebra, meets this requirement. |
- *
Majors in Fine Arts, Humanities or Social/Behavioral Sciences, may waive up to 6 credit hours of General Education requirements in the corresponding distribution area.
- **
Majors in Natural Sciences may waive up to 9 credit hours of General Education requirements in the Natural Sciences distribution area.
Students should also be aware of all other university requirements to obtain a degree - NEIU requirements
Minor in African and african american studies:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| AFAM-200 | Introduction To African And African American Studies | 3 |
| AFAM-301 | Foundations Of African Civilizations | 3 |
| AFAM-302 | Foundations Of Africans In The Diaspora | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Electives must be chosen from the selected interdisciplinary list of courses shown below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTIVES | ||
| African and African American Studies | ||
| AFAM-109 | First Year Experience: Exploring Africa In Chicago | 3 |
| AFAM-224 | Contemporary African Culture | 3 |
| AFAM-303 | Global Collaborations-Ghana | 4 |
| AFAM-319 | Prehistory of Africa | 3 |
| AFAM-320 | Religion And Healing In Africa and the African Diaspora | 3 |
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH/AFAM-224 | Contemporary African Culture | 3 |
| ANTH-225 | Peoples Of Mexico/Central America/Caribbean | 3 |
| ANTH/AFAM-319 | Prehistory Of Africa | 3 |
| ANTH-320 | Religion In Africa | 3 |
| ANTH-365 | Anthropology Of Islam | 3 |
| Communication, Media & Theatre | ||
| CMTT-335 | American Theatre And Society | 3 |
| English | ||
| ENGL-365 | Caribbean Literature | 3 |
| ENGL-381 | African-American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL-383 | Postcolonial African Literature | 3 |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | ||
| GES-302C | Regional Geography: Africa (Geography and Environmental Studies) | 3 |
| History | ||
| HIST-111E | World History: Africa | 3 |
| HIST-329A | African American History To 1865 | 3 |
| HIST-329B | African American History And Race Relations Since 1865 | 3 |
| HIST-370 | Precolonial Sub-Saharan Africa | 3 |
| HIST-371 | Nineteenth And Twentieth Century Africa | 3 |
| HIST-372 | History Of Southern Africa, 1800-Present | 3 |
| HIST-373 | Women & Gender In African History (History) | 3 |
| Inner City Studies | ||
| ICSE-301 | Racism In Theory And Fact | 3 |
| ICSE-304 | Communication In The Inner City | 3 |
| Justice Studies | ||
| JUST-202 | Writing Intensive Program:Justice And Inequality | 3 |
| JUST-314 | Police In The Minority Community | 3 |
| JUST-331 | Law And Racism In America | 3 |
| Music | ||
| MUS-342 | World Music | 2 |
| Philosophy | ||
| PHIL-364 | Critical Race Theory | 3 |
| Political Science | ||
| PSCI-330 | African American Politics and Social Change | 3 |
| PSCI-360 | Politics Of Sub-Saharan Africa | 3 |
| PSCI-397 | African Political Thought | 3 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSYC-314 | Psychology Of The African American Family | 3 |
| Social Work | ||
| SWK-202 | Community Analysis | 3 |
| SWK-203 | Analysis Of Cross Culture Interaction | 3 |
| SWK-250 | Issues In Social Service Delivery | 3 |
| SWK-314 | Social Work Advocacy | 3 |
| Sociology | ||
| SOC-309 | Sociology Of Racism | 3 |
| SOC-316 | Race And Ethnic Relations | 3 |
| SOC-344 | African American Women:Feminism, Race, And Resistance | 3 |
| SOC-349 | Black Social Movements | 3 |
In order to ensure that minors obtain a wide range of knowledge and analytical ability, students are required to take elective courses in, at minimum, two different disciplines. Students must consult with a program adviser to plan a sequence of study through elective courses.