May 10, 2024

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Africana Studies - Africana Art, Literature and Cultural Studies Concentration (BA)

Program Educational Goals

The Africana Art, Literature and Cultural Studies Concentration (BA)provides understanding of film, media, visual, and material culture specifically centered around African descended people.

Students who successfully complete the Africana Art, Literature and Cultural Studies Concentration (BA) program will be able to:

1. Use concepts from art, literature, and cultural studies in varying multifaceted forms, and specifically analyze artistic, literary, social, and political context in which Black culture manifests itself. Cultural aspects of study involve understanding, knowledge, and interpretation of African, African American, and African diasporic traditions, times, and places and that reflect chronological, geographical and/or thematic form.

2. Use an Africana Studies disciplinary lens to describe works of art, literary works, visual, media, and material culture and demonstrate ability to write evidencing primary, secondary, visual, textual, and material sources.

3. Employ Africana Studies foundational concepts to describe and analyze critical issues and commitment related to the Black community and regarding Black representation.

4. Employ Africana Studies research methods and tools used to conduct cultural analysis.

5. Synthesize disciplinary knowledge acquired through reading academic literature and integrate such knowledge in a multidisciplinary way that not only construes but also contributes to better understanding.

6. Demonstrate academic development that reflects presentation and delivery skills in a public setting.

7. Write about Black works of art, visual, media, and material culture clearly and with appropriate attention to such factors as description, function, analysis, and interpretation of aesthetics, iconography, and reception.

8. Demonstrate the ability to present their writing with the appropriate citations of evidence from primary, secondary, visual, textual, media, and cultural sources, and that displays adherence to Africana Studies interdisciplinary approaches.

9. Communicate their knowledge concerning Black works of arts, literary works, visual, media, and material cultural production in oral form both in an academic setting and to general audiences.

Four Year Plan

Please refer to the Four-Year Plan for departmental recommended path toward graduation.

University Requirements:

ENGL 110 - First-Year Writing (C- minimum)
First Year Seminar (FYS) (0-4 credits)
Discovery Learning Experience (DLE) (three credits)
Multicultural Requirement (three credits)
University Breadth Requirements (C- minimum):
- Creative Arts and Humanities (three credits)
- History and Cultural Change (three credits)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (three credits)
- Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology (three credits)
Capstone Experience

College Requirements:

College Breadth Requirements:

The College Breadth requirements are in addition to the University Breadth requirement. Up to three credits from each of the University Breadth Requirement categories may be used to simultaneously satisfy these College of Arts and Sciences Breadth Requirements. Minimum grade C- required for courses used to satisfy College Breadth.

GROUP A: Creative Arts and Humanities (Nine credits of courses representing at least two departments or appropriate instructional units)
GROUP B: History and Cultural Change (Nine credits of courses representing at least two departments or appropriate instructional units)
GROUP C: Social and Behavioral Sciences (Nine credits of courses representing at least two departments or appropriate instructional units)
GROUP D: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology (Ten credits of courses representing at least two departments or appropriate instructional units and including a minimum of one course with an associated laboratory)

*If the grade earned is sufficient, a course may be applied toward more than one requirement (e.g., breadth and major requirements), but the credits are counted only once toward the total credits for graduation. If all but one course in a group has been taken in one department or program, a course cross-listed with that program will not satisfy the distribution requirement.

Foreign Language:

Completion of the intermediate-level course (107 or 202) in an ancient or modern language with minimum grades of D-.
- The number of credits (0-12) needed and initial placement will depend on the number of years of high school study of foreign language.
  - Students with four or more years of high school work in a single foreign language, or who have gained proficiency in a foreign language by other means, may attempt to fulfill the requirement in that language by taking an exemption examination through the Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department.

Mathematics:

The math requirement must be completed by the time a student has earned 60 credits. Students who transfer into the College of Arts and Sciences with 45 credits or more must complete this requirement within two semesters.

Complete one of the following four options (minimum grade D-):

Option One:

MATH 113 - Contemporary Mathematics Credit(s): 3 (designed for students who do not intend to continue to the study of mathematics)

Option Two:

One of the following:

MATH 114 - College Mathematics and Statistics Credit(s): 3 (designed for students who do not intend to continue the study of mathematics)
MATH 115 - Pre-Calculus Credit(s): 3 (designed for students who intend to continue the study of mathematics)
MATH 117 - Pre-Calculus for Scientists and Engineers Credit(s): 4 (designed to prepare students for MATH 241 )

Option Three:

Successful completion of any 200-level or higher mathematics course except: MATH 201 , MATH 202 , MATH 205 , MATH 251 , MATH 252 , MATH 253 , and MATH 266 .

Option Four:

Successful performance on a proficiency test in mathematics administered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences (0 credits awarded).

Second Writing Requirement:

A Second Writing Requirement approved by the College of Arts and Sciences. This course must be taken after completion of 60 credit hours, completed with a minimum grade of C-, and the section enrolled must be designated as satisfying the requirement in the academic term completed.

Major Requirements:

Minimum grade of C- required for courses counted towards the major and concentration. A required AFRA course cannot satisfy both a major core requirement and a concentration elective.

AFRA 110 - Introduction to African American Studies Credit(s): 3
HIST 134 - History of Africa Credit(s): 3
AFRA 205 - Contemporary African American Issues Credit(s): 3
or
AFRA 206 - Survey of African American Culture Credit(s): 3
AFRA 304 - African American History to the Civil War Credit(s): 3
or
AFRA 306 - African America History Since the Civil War Credit(s): 3
AFRA 391 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to African American Studies Credit(s): 1-4
AFRA 490 - Senior Colloquium Credit(s): 3

Concentration Requirements:

Four of the following:

AFRA 206 - Survey of African American Culture Credit(s): 3
AFRA 220 - The Civil Rights Movement Credit(s): 3-4
AFRA 221 - Race and Sports in American Society Credit(s): 3
AFRA 250 - Afro Future Females Credit(s): 3
AFRA 293 - Special Topics in Africana Studies Credit(s): 3
AFRA 295 - Black Women and Christianity Credit(s): 3
AFRA 304 - African American History to the Civil War Credit(s): 3
AFRA 305 - Black Media Cultures Credit(s): 3
AFRA 306 - African America History Since the Civil War Credit(s): 3
AFRA 308 - African American History in Delaware Credit(s): 3
AFRA 315 - Issues in Black Photography Credit(s): 3
AFRA 318 - Feminism(s) and Fashion in the African Diaspora Credit(s): 3
AFRA 325 - Contemporary Black Art Credit(s): 3
AFRA 329 - Black Women’s History to 1865 Credit(s): 3
AFRA 330 - Rhetoric of Black America Credit(s): 3
AFRA 363 - History of African Americans in the American West Credit(s): 3
AFRA 364 - The African Diaspora in Indian Country Credit(s): 3
AFRA 370 - Black Art and Activism in the Digital Age Credit(s): 3
AFRA 371 - African American Music: History and Culture, 1800-1995 Credit(s): 3
AFRA 372 - Philosophy of Hip Hop Credit(s): 3
AFRA 373 - Sociology of Gangster Rap Music and Culture Credit(s): 3
AFRA 381 - Understanding Black Men in the Streets and in Prison Credit(s): 3
AFRA 398 - African American Religious History Credit(s): 3 (open to juniors and seniors only)
AFRA 434 - Interventions in Black Gender History Credit(s): 3
AFRA 440 - Themes in African American Studies Credit(s): 3-9
AFRA 442 - The Black Portrait Credit(s): 3
AFRA 445 - Black Bodies on Display: Race in Museums Credit(s): 3
AFRA 446 - On the Run: Slavery and Fugitivity in Delaware Credit(s): 3
AFRA 447 - Curating Hidden Collections & the Black Archive Credit(s): 3
AFRA 650 - Black Community Studies
ANTH 326 - The African Diaspora and the World Credit(s): 3
ANTH 333 - Peoples of Africa Credit(s): 3
ANTH 375 - Peoples and Cultures of Modern Latin America Credit(s): 3
ART 324 - The Art of Social Change Credit(s): 3
ARTH 203 - Art of the Black and African Diaspora Credit(s): 3
ARTH 204 - Architecture and Power in Africa Credit(s): 3
ARTH 206 - Introduction to Art and Architecture in Africa Credit(s): 3
ENGL 344 - African American Literature I Credit(s): 3
ENGL 345 - African American Literature II Credit(s): 3
ENGL 347 - Studies in American Literature Credit(s): 3
ENGL 382 - Studies in Multicultural Literature in English Credit(s): 3 (upon approval)
HIST 331 - History of Caribbean I Credit(s): 3
HIST 332 - History of Caribbean II Credit(s): 3
HIST 334 - Black Women’s History Since 1865 Credit(s): 3
HIST 335 - American Slavery Credit(s): 3
HIST 392 - Brazil in the Modern World Credit(s): 3
HIST 395 - Pan Africanism Credit(s): 3
KAAP 484 - Women in Sports Credit(s): 3
MUSC 207 - History of Jazz Credit(s): 3
PHIL 307 - Black Thought and Philosophy Credit(s): 3
POSC 309 - Political Culture By Country Credit(s): 3
POSC 355 - Policy, Politics and Urban America Credit(s): 3
POSC 433 - African Politics Credit(s): 3
THEA 340 - African American Theater Credit(s): 3

Electives:

After required courses are completed, sufficient elective credits must be taken to meet the minimum credit requirement for the degree.