AAS 100 Introduction to African American Studies (4 hours)
This course will examine the African American experience chronologically from its historical roots to its modern day realities. Some of the topics covered include slavery, the Black Reconstruction Era, Civil Rights, Hip Hop, black political and social thought, the Black church, # movements, and intersectionality.

AAS 200 Independent Study in African American Studies (1-4 hours)
This course provides the opportunity for an intense study of diverse topics under the direct supervision of the instructor. The student and instructor will collaborate to develop the content of the course, which must be approved as outlined by the Independent Study Policy. (Sec. 6.15.)

AAS 235 Black Intellectual Thought (4 hours)
This course traces black races’ intellectual production through thinkers who demand/ed recalibration and reconfiguration of deeply embedded assumptions and practices. In this way we come to understand the politics of difference. The terms Black and black races cover not only thinkers here in the U.S., but key Black thought around the world, and therefore reveal differences between and among groups of Black people. The various forms of human affirmation are connected through major historical and thematic links such as Black feminisms, the modern world and the Black condition, Black intellectual labor in the U.S. university, critiquing ‘progress’ narratives and more. We will look at U.S. cultural and intellectual history in comparative context alongside the histories of other nation-states founded by European colonists. When we validate Black thought, we counter the so-called norms that have been structurally ingrained in society and in university curricula and we also strengthen the whole fabric of intellectual thought by its contribution. Cross-listed as HIS 235 and WGS 235.

AAS 290 Special Topics in African American Studies (1-4 hours)
Courses of selected topics will be offered periodically as determined by the needs of the curriculum. Prerequisites can vary based on the topic selected. See individual course listings for each semester for the specific topic and any prerequisites.

AAS 306 Race & Ethnicity in the United States (4 hours)
This course examines sociological theory on race and racism. It explores the social construction of race and ethnicity, explanations for racial and ethnic stratification, and the role that race plays within U.S. social institutions. It also addresses the social histories of several racial and ethnic groups in the U.S, addressing the experiences of immigrants, indigenous racial/ethnic groups, and those who were forcibly brought to the United States. While a comparative approach may be taken, the chief concern is with the United States. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years. Prerequisite: SOC 101 or AAS 100. Cross-listed as SOC 306.

AAS 307 Elites and Inequality (4 hours)
This course examines the social stratification of privileges and deprivations in contemporary societies, focusing on the distribution of wealth, status and power. The course explores the American upper, middle and lower classes; institutionalized power elites; race and gender stratification; status systems and economic inequality. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Cross-listed as SOC 307.

AAS 340 African American Discourses and Criticism (4 hours)
Students will explore various African American discourses and how Black communities have used symbols rhetorically to construct and reconstruct images of themselves, advance social justice platforms for all, and as a means of survival. African American rhetoric is a unique discursive style birthed out of Western language and Black experience. Prerequisites: COM 105 or AAS 100. Offered alternate fall semesters. Cross-listed as COM 340.

AAS 400 Advanced Independent Study in African American Studies (1-4 hours)
This course provides the opportunity for an advanced, intense study of diverse topics under the direct supervision of the instructor. These offerings are generally suited for junior or senior students. The student and instructor will collaborate to develop the content of the course, which must be approved as outlined by the Independent Study Policy. (Sec. 6.15.)

AAS 406 French & Spanish Crossroads in the Caribbean and Africa (4 hours)
This course uses Spanish- and French-speaking countries in proximity to each other in the Caribbean or Africa as a point of departure for literary, cultural, social and service-learning exploration. Offerings may focus upon Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Martinique and Cuba, Equatorial Guinea in relation to Senegal or other appropriate pairings. The course is taught in English and students without advanced skills in French or Spanish may register. Prerequisites: SPN/FRE 301 or AAS 100. Cross-listed as SPN 406 and FRE 406.

AAS 490 Advanced Special Topics in African American Studies (1-4 hours)
Advanced courses of selected topics will be offered periodically as determined by the needs of the curriculum. These offerings are generally suited for junior or senior students. Prerequisites can vary based on the topic selected. See individual course listings for each semester for the specific topic and any prerequisites.

AAS 495 Internship in African American Studies (1-12 hours)
An internship designed to provide a formalized experiential learning opportunity to qualified students. The internship generally requires the student to have an application (which satisfies all internship requirements developed by the academic program that oversees the internship) and to obtain a faculty supervisor in the relevant field of study. All internships are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites are determined by the academic program overseeing the internship course.