Minor in African Studies
The Minor in African Studies focuses on the history, culture, politics, and economics of the peoples who populate the continent of Africa. As an interdisciplinary field of study, the minor will provide students with an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that have, and continue, to shape political, economic, and social development in Africa.
The minor enables students to gain expertise in a region that is becoming increasingly more prominent in world politics and economics. The program acknowledges rising student interest in Africa and the diaspora and aims to prepare students for employment in fields such as foreign policy and international development.
Overview of Program Requirements | 15-18 credits
The minor program consists of 15 required credits and 3 optional credits for students who choose to advance their studies by taking an optional capstone course. The sequence of the minor is as follows:
*AASP200: African Civilization
- Choose 2 courses from each of the following concentrations
- History, Culture, and Language - 6 credits
- Politics, Society, and Development - 6 credits
- Of the 12 credits, 9 credits must be upper-level (300/400) courses
- A list of approved Concentration Courses will be made available from the program advisor during the early registration period
- See sample approved courses further below; see testudo.umd.edu for course availability by term/semester
- Students may advance their studies by choosing one additional course:
- AASP400: Directed Readings in African American Studies
- AASP401: Research Directions in African-American Studies
- AASP468Y/AASP468Z - South Africa Study Abroad - 6 credits
Sample Concentration Courses for Minor in African Studies
History, Culture, and Language Concentration |
Politics, Society, and Development Concentration |
AASP310: African Slave Trade |
AASP398D: Issues in African Development |
AASP398G: Gender, Labor, and Racial Identity in Diasporic Communities |
AASP499C: Race and Reproduction |
AASP398Z: African Contributions |
AREC365: World Hunger, Population, and Food Supplies |
CMLT235 Black Diaspora Literature and Culture |
ECON315: Economic Development of Underdeveloped Areas |
HIST254: African-American History to 1865 |
GEOG130: Developing Countrie |
*Course fulfills GenEd requirement, see testudo.umd.edu for details
Schedule a virtual “general advising” appointment here