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**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Africana Studies B.A.

Program Overview

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Location: Candelaria 0140

Email: HSS@unco.edu

Website: www.unco.edu/hss/africana-studies

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

Graduates will have a liberal arts education and skills necessary for working in multicultural environments; qualify for graduate work in Africana Studies or Pan African Studies; and will understand the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent. As a job-related field, Africana Studies fosters the intellectual and professional expertise valuable for positions in teaching (elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels), business, criminal justice, counseling, psychology, and health-related fields. Additional applications include community resource development, urban planning, public and social policy analysis, law, social services, political leadership (local, state and federal) and international relations.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

  • AFS 395 is a variable subtitle course, which may be taken more than once, each time with materials applicable to a different program focus. Students may not repeat the same subtitle course in a program focus for credit.
  • Majors must choose at least one AFS elective at the 300-level and one AFS elective at the 400-level.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 39 required major credits.

Any additional LAC coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

AFS 100 is recommended to fulfill the History and U.S. Multicultural Studies requirements and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

AFS 201 and AFS 202 are recommended to fulfill the History requirement and the additional 3 credits in Arts & Humanities, History, or Social & Behavioral Sciences and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

AFS 205 is recommended to fulfill the Arts & Humanities requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 39 credits

Take all of the following courses:

AFS 100Introduction to Africana StudiesLAH1LAMS

3

AFS 201African American History ILAH1

3

AFS 202African American History IILAH1

3

AFS 205Survey of African American LiteratureLAA2

3

AFS 240Dynamics of Racism

3

AFS 399Community Study Project

1-4

AFS 490Seminar in Africana Studies

3

AFS 399: Must take 3 credits

Choose 1 of the following courses:

AFS 104Survey of Africa

3

HIST 110African CivilizationLAH1LAIS

3

Africana Studies Major Electives

Choose 5 of the following courses - Majors must take at least 4 AFS prefix courses. At least 1 AFS prefix course must be at the 300-level and one AFS prefix elective at the 400-level.

AFS 101Development of Black IdentityLAH1LAMS

3

AFS 102The Black Woman in America

3

AFS 303Blacks in the American West

3

AFS 310African Americans and U.S. Education

3

AFS 340The Black Family

3

AFS 360Routes of Black Music

3

or

MUS 363Routes of Black Music

3

AFS 395Aspects of the African Experience in the World

3

AFS 396African and African American World Views

3

AFS 404History of Blacks in Film

3

AFS 415Black Psychology

3

AFS 422Directed Studies

1- 4

AFS 450African American History, 1896-Present

3

AFS 456The Black Church and Religious Traditions

3

GEOG 326Emerging Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context

3

HIST 318Modern Africa

3

3. University-Wide Credits — 50 credits*

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 50 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.

Program Notes

With 50 additional credits to take for degree completion (120 credits), AFS majors are strongly encouraged to pursue a minor or an additional major.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance. 

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

AFS 100Introduction to Africana StudiesLAH1LAMS

3

AFS 201African American History ILAH1

3

AFS 205Survey of African American LiteratureLAA2

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

AFS 104Survey of Africa

3

or

HIST 110African CivilizationLAH1LAIS

3

AFS 202African American History IILAH1

3

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 2 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

AFS 240Dynamics of Racism

3

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 3 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

4

University-Wide Elective

2

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

AFS 399Community Study Project

1-4

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

AFS 399: Must take 3 credits

Year 4 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

Major Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

AFS 490Seminar in Africana Studies

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

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