College of Letters & Science
Afro-American Studies
Requirements for the Major
Honors in the Major
Distinction in the Major
Thesis of Distinction
Courses
4141 Helen C. White Hall, 600 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706; 608-263-1642; polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/aas/
Professors Adell, Drewal, Plummer, High W. Tesfagiorgis, Thornton, Werner; Associate Professor Greene; Assistant Professors Clark-Pujara, Curtis, Spencer
Chair: Professor Plummer, bplummer@wisc.edu
Undergraduate advisor in the major: Professor Christina Greene, 4119 Helen C. White Hall, 608-262-4085, cgreene2@wisc.edu
Faculty diversity liaison: Craig Werner, cwerner@wisc.edu
Requirements for the Major
The major in Afro-American studies requires a minimum of 30 credits. Students are required to select one area of concentration. Students concentrating in Areas 1 or 3 are required to select one area of emphasis within the concentration.
AREA 1: AFRO-AMERICAN CULTURE
Emphasis A: Literature
Emphasis B: The Arts
AREA 2: AFRO-AMERICAN HISTORY
AREA 3: AFRO-AMERICAN SOCIETY
Emphasis A: Black Women's Studies
Emphasis B: Intergroup Relations
Majors specialize in one area but must take at least one course from each area. A maximum of 40 credits will be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Special Topics courses may be repeated as topics vary. At least 15 credits in upper-level courses numbered 300 or above must be taken in residence at UW-Madison.
Majors should consult with the undergraduate advisor to select those introductory courses that best complement the overall program of study.
AREA 1 (CULTURE) REQUIRED COURSES
Emphasis A (Literature)
All Area 1 majors selecting Emphasis A are required to take:
(1) two courses from: 155, 222, 227, 265;
(2) one course from: 156, 225, 241, 242, 367;
(3) three courses from: 403, 525, 602, 603, 605, 662, 672, 675, 677.
Emphasis B (The Arts)
All Area 1 majors selecting Emphasis B are required to take:
(1) two courses from: 156, 225, 241, 242, 367;
(2) one course from: 155, 222, 227, 265;
(3) three courses from: 303, 316 366, 403, 509, 540, 602, 603 669, 674, 675, 676, 679.
Additional credits may be taken from any of the three areas of concentration.
AREA 2 (HISTORY) REQUIRED COURSES
All Area 2 majors are required to take:
(1) one course from: 231, 272 297, 347;
(2) two courses from: 233, 302, 303, 324, 326, 330, 467, 628;
(3) three courses from: 624, 631, 632, 635, 636, 671.
Additional credits may be taken from any of the three areas of concentration.
AREA 3 (SOCIETY) REQUIRED COURSES
Emphasis A (Black Women's Studies)
All Area 3 majors selecting Emphasis A are required to take:
(1) 221;
(2) two courses from: 222, 302, 323, 324, 326, 367;
(3) three courses from: 366, 423, 424, 540, 624, 625,677, 679.
Emphasis B (Intergroup Relations)
All Area 3 majors selecting Emphasis B are required to take:
(1) 151;
(2) two courses from: 323, 442, 443;
(3) three courses from: 260, 423, 519, 521, 673.
Additional credits may be taken from any of the three areas of concentration.
Majors in any of the three areas of concentration may choose additional electives from the following: 199, 681, 682, 691, 692, 699. The area of application depends upon the field of the instructor and the topic of the course. A maximum of 9 credits in 199 or 699 courses is permitted.
All students must fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major completed in residence. Afro-American studies courses numbered 300-699 count toward this requirement.
Honors in the Major
To earn a B.A. or B.S. with Honors in the Major in Afro-American Studies, majors must complete a minimum of 30 credits in the department. At least 15 Afro-American studies credits must be taken at the 500 or 600 level. These are to include completion of the 681-682 Senior Honors Thesis sequence. Honors majors must take at least one course (at any level) from each of the three areas of concentration and at least one course with a cross-cultural or comparative focus (courses 241, 260, 262, 277, 297, 320, 330, 347, 413, 443, or 505). In addition, a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in all Afro-American studies courses must be attained. Student must also maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in all courses taken at UW-Madison. Students seeking to pursue Honors in the Major must receive permission from the undergraduate advisor before entering the program.
Students should be aware that Honors in the Major is a new program and is still under development and should not assume that the requirements specified in this catalog are complete or fully described. Students should check with the department honors advisor at least once a year to make sure that requirements have not been modified, as well as to seek guidance about planning the best possible Honors in the Major curriculum that reflects their special interests.
Distinction in the Major
Afro-American studies majors not in the honors program may receive the "Distinction in the Major" notation on the transcript by earning a 3.75 grade point average in department courses and successfully completing the 691-692 Senior Thesis project.
Thesis of Distinction
The award Thesis of Distinction is granted for an exceptionally good or original thesis, without consideration of the student's record in other work. A committee of at least two faculty members will evaluate the thesis and recommend to the dean the granting of this award where it seems appropriate.