Year-by-year Guide

In planning a coherent program of study, a balance between obtaining a broad knowledge of African and African American Studies and exploring individualized interests (such as history, literature, sociology, and anthropology) within the interdisciplinary field is generally desirable.  Students who choose to concentrate in African and African American Studies select either the African Studies Track or the African American Studies Track.

First Year Students

The AAAS Department encourages First Year Students who are interested in the African Studies Track to take AAAS 11 and, for those interested in the African American Studies Track, to take AAAS 10 during the first year.  These courses explore some of the key texts and issues in African and African American Studies and provide students with a good introduction to areas covered in later years.  (AAAS 11 and AAAS 10 should definitely be taken by the end of the sophomore year respectively).

The Advising Programs Office sponsors concentration fairs and advising events throughout the year.  These events allow students to speak with Department faculty and upper-class concentrators in order to assist them in learning more about the concentration in African and African American Studies.

Sophomore Year

At the end of the third term, students should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) to discuss: (1) registering as a concentrator; (2) designing a Plan of Study. Students must submit a completed plan of study signed by the DUS by the first Monday in December of the fall term of their second year. Students are also asked to submit a one to two-page Concentration Focus Statement describing the main area(s) of study within the concentration that they wish to explore. Please make sure that the Graduate and Undergraduate Officer receives a copy of this statement for the concentration files. Students should contact the DUS if they have questions regarding the content of the focus statement.

Students in the African Studies Track who did not enroll in AAAS 11 during their freshmen year, and those in the African American Studies Track who did not enroll in AAAS 10 in the previous year, should plan on taking the respective required course during their sophomore year. Students should also plan to take AAAS 97 Sophomore Tutorial (offered in the spring term).

During the spring term, students should meet with the DUS if they are planning to spend their Junior Year abroad.  The DUS will be able to assist interested students in determining if courses taken abroad will substitute for those required by the concentration and still keep them on track for graduation.

Junior Year

Prior to the date that Study Cards are due, students should meet with the DUS to discuss plans for the year and get their cards signed.  By the end of the junior year, concentrators in both the African Studies Track and African American Studies Track should have completed AAAS 98/98a.  

Students in the African Studies Track should have also completed two half courses in an African language and two half courses on Africa, one in the social sciences and one in the humanities by the end of the year.  Students in the African American Track should have also completed AAAS 118, AAAS 131, and two additional literature and history courses.  The basic requirements for graduation for both Tracks also include additional elective half-courses, which should have a common focus.  These may include relevant courses from the Core Program. This is the ideal year to take the Junior Tutorial, AAAS 98a (African Studies Track) or AAAS 98 (African American Studies Track). Juniors should see the Graduate and Undergraduate Officer about obtaining and completing the AAAS 98a or AAAS 98 tutorial form, which requires the approval and signature of the DUS.  The original form will be kept in the student's concentration file and copies should be kept by the student and his/her tutorial advisor. Students often use this tutorial as a way of exploring ideas for their senior thesis. Concentrators need to have selected a topic for their senior thesis and a possible senior thesis advisor by the end of the junior year. The senior thesis advisor need not be the student's concentration advisor. During the summer between junior and senior year, many students begin preliminary, research-related work on their theses.

Senior Year

At the beginning of the fall term, the final plan of work for the thesis must be agreed upon with the Thesis Advisor. The plan must include provisions for some of the work to be submitted, at the latest, prior to the winter recess. AAAS 99 Senior Thesis Workshop is also required of all theses writers whose primary conncentration is African and African American Studies. For specific details regarding the senior thesis, please refer to the Senior Honors Thesis.

The thesis advisor is required to notify the DUS in writing by the end of the exam period that the assigned work has been received and is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If the work is judged to be unsatisfactory, the student is no longer eligible for Honors and will receive a grade for the work completed for that semester.

At the beginning of the spring term, students should conduct a final course review with the DUS to ensure that all courses taken are listed. The DUS should be notified immediately if any changes are needed or problems arise in order to assure that students meet graduation requirements.

Miscellaneous Concentration Information

Forms, Study Cards, and Review of Transcripts

During every fall and spring advising period, beginning in the sophomore year, students should review their African and African American Studies Concentration Record and grade report from the Registrar's Office with their faculty advisor. These reviews are to ensure that all required courses are slated to be or have been taken, that all of the courses taken to meet concentration requirements are listed for concentration credit, and that students are on target for graduation. In addition, students should see the Undergraduate Officer regarding filling out concentration forms, looking over and updating their African and African American Studies Concentration Record, and making an appointment to meet with their advisor. (Students should check with the FAS Registrar's Office to make sure they meet the deadlines for submitting their Study Cards and/or Add/Drop Forms).

Course Performance

Instructors will advise the DUS of any students not performing satisfactory work by mid-term of the fall or spring semesters.

Tutorial Work and Grades

At the beginning of each term, students taking tutorials should obtain the forms for AAAS 90r, 91r, 98a, 98, or 99 from the Undergraduate Officer. These forms must be completed and signed by the student, the tutorial advisor, and Head Tutor. They should then be promptly returned to the Undergraduate Officer for processing. As stated earlier, students are strongly urged to identify potential tutors the semester before they intend to take tutorials and to make arrangements with them in advance, so that students can begin the tutorials at the start of the semester.

Plan of Study Changes

Every time concentrators substitute a course in their original Plan of Study, the change must be discussed with their advisors, and the Head Tutor must be notified of the substitution in writing (with a copy submitted to the Undergraduate Coordinator.) Course changes require the consent of advisors and should ideally be discussed with advisors in the semester the courses are taken. Click here for a Course Substitution Form.

Graduating with Honors

A student who has not written a thesis but has attained a GPA of at least 3.9 in twelve concentration courses may be recommended for Honors (but not High or Highest Honors).

For students who have written a thesis, honors in the concentration depends on the thesis grade, as well as whether an acceptable grade point average in the concentration was maintained.  Furthermore, if a student is a joint concentrator, then the other department of the joint concentration field is consulted in determining the final honors designation. Because the final Latin honors designation at graduation is based on the overall academic performance of each student, the department encourages students who are honors candidates to meet with the DUS to discuss their individual status.

It is very important to understand that Latin honors—summa, magna and cum laude—are awarded by the College. The English honors designation awarded by the Department plays a role in the College's honor process but should be seen as reflecting the student's performance in the concentration alone.