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Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies

Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements AAADBA
The Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAAD) examines the experiences of people of African descent in the United States and throughout the world. As a humanistic discipline in the democratic tradition, African American and African Diaspora Studies dispels myths and exposes those attitudes that perpetuate racism in American life. Students in AAAD study art, literature, film, folklore, music, dance, history, institutions, communities, culture, stratification, movements, or identities.

Graduates from AAAD successfully pursue careers in academics, theatre and drama, music composition, information technology, law, engineering, education, journalism, criminal justice, creative writing, fundraising, politics, social work, business, community organizing, non-profits, health care, the legal profession, banking and technology industries.

Requirements

The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introductory course. One (1) course:
    • AAAD-A 150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans
  2. African American History. One (1) course:
    • AAAD-A 355 African American History I
    • AAAD-A 356 African American History II
  3. African American Literature. One (1) course:
    • AAAD-A 379 Early Black American Writing
    • AAAD-A 380 Contemporary Black American Writing
  4. Senior Seminar. One (1) course:
    • AAAD-A 493 Senior Seminar in African American and African Diaspora Studies
  5. Focal Area. 18 credit hours, at least 9 of which must be at the 300–499 level, to include the following:
    1. Primary Area. Nine (9) credit hours from one of the following Focal Areas:
      • Arts
        • AAAD-A 100 African American Dance Company: Foundations and Practices
        • AAAD-A 104 Groups Theatre Workshop
        • AAAD-A 110 African American Choral Ensemble: Foundations and Practices
        • AAAD-A 112 Black Music of Two Worlds
        • AAAD-A 120 Soul Revue: Foundations and Practices
        • AAAD-A 221 Dance in the African Diaspora
        • AAAD-A 222 Black Women Artists
        • AAAD-A 243 Race and Representation in American Art
        • AAAD-A 251 Photography of and by the African Diaspora
        • AAAD-A 277 Images of Blacks in Films: 1903-1950s
        • AAAD-A 278 Contemporary Black Film
        • AAAD-A 283 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945
        • AAAD-A 290 Sociocultural Perspective of African American Music
        • AAAD-A 295 Survey of Hip Hop
        • AAAD-A 297 Popular Music of Black America
        • AAAD-A 320 Black Dance History
        • AAAD-A 330 African American Cinematic Experience
        • AAAD-A 331 Visual Arts of the Harlem Renaissance
        • AAAD-A 332 Art of the Civil Rights Movement
        • AAAD-A 337 Soul Revue: Advanced Studies and Practices
        • AAAD-A 338 African American Dance Company: Advanced Studies and Practices
        • AAAD-A 339 African American Choral Ensemble: Advanced Studies and Practices
        • AAAD-A 345 Hip Hop Music and Culture
        • AAAD-A 352 African American Art II: African American Artists
        • AAAD-A 359 Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes in American Film
        • AAAD-A 384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present
        • AAAD-A 385 Seminar in Black Theatre
        • AAAD-A 388 Motown
        • AAAD-A 393 History of Jazz
        • AAAD-A 394 Survey of African American Music
        • AAAD-A 395 Contemporary Jazz and Soul Music
        • AAAD-A 396 Art Music of Black Composers
        • AAAD-A 430 The Cinema of Africana Women
        • AAAD-A 496 Black Religious Music
      • Literature
        • AAAD-A 131 Early African American and African Diaspora Literature
        • AAAD-A 132 Recent African American and African Diaspora Literature
        • AAAD-A 169 Introduction to African American Literature
        • AAAD-A 249 African American Autobiography
        • AAAD-A 479 Contemporary Black Poetry
        • AAAD-A 480 The Black Novel
      • History, Culture, and Social Issues
        • AAAD-A 113 Atkins Living-Learning Center Foundational Course
        • AAAD-A 154 History of Race in the Americas
        • AAAD-A 156 Black Liberation Struggles against Jim Crow and Apartheid
        • AAAD-A 203 Studying Blacks of the New World: African Americans and Africans in the African Diaspora
        • AAAD-A 205 Black Electoral Politics
        • AAAD-A 210 Black Women in the Diaspora
        • AAAD-A 238 Communication in Black America
        • AAAD-A 250 U.S. Contemporary Minorities
        • AAAD-A 255 The Black Church in America
        • AAAD-A 263 Contemporary Social Issues in the African American Community
        • AAAD-A 264 History of Sports and the African American Experience
        • AAAD-A 265 Modern Sports and the African American Experience
        • AAAD-A 292 African American Folklore
        • AAAD-A 304 Black Paris
        • AAAD-A 350 Black Atlantic
        • AAAD-A 354 Transnational Americas
        • AAAD-A 360 Slavery: Worldwide Perspective
        • AAAD-A 363 Research on Contemporary African American Problems I
        • AAAD-A 382 Black Community, Law, and Social Change
        • AAAD-A 386 Black Feminist Perspectives
        • AAAD-A 387 Black Migration
        • AAAD-A 391 Black Nationalism
        • AAAD-A 398 Advanced Topics in Social and Historical Studies for African American and African Diaspora Studies
        • AAAD-A 399 Advanced Topics in Arts and Humanities for African American and African Diaspora Studies
        • AAAD-A 405 Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, 1954-1974
        • AAAD-A 407 African American and African Protest Strategies
        • AAAD-A 408 Race, Gender, and Class in Cross-Cultural Perspective
        • AAAD-A 420 Transforming Divided Communities and Societies
        • AAAD-A 425 The Black Family in Twentieth-Century Rural America, 1900-1970
        • AAAD-A 427 Cross-Cultural Communication
        • AAAD-A 447 Race, Crime, and Media
        • AAAD-A 452 Historical Issues in Black Education
        • AAAD-A 481 Racism and the Law
    2. Other Areas. 3 credit hours from each of the other two focal areas above (6 credit hours total).
    3. Elective. Three (3) additional credit hours of AAAD coursework from any focal area.
  6. Additional requirements.
    • No more than six (6) credit hours at the 100–199 level.
    • No more than six (6) credit hours at the 200–299 level
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.