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Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies

Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies and English

Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements AAADENGBA

The Interdepartmental Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies and English enables students to study historical, cultural, and social connections among Africans, African Americans, and other New World Black communities. In pursuing this major, students study poetry, fiction, and prose—theory, philosophy, and political writings—while exploring the shifting significance of race.

Requirements

The major requires at least 40 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. African American and African Diaspora Studies Courses.
    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. Electives. Three (3) courses:
      • AAAD-A 249 African American Autobiography
      • AAAD-A 283 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945
      • AAAD-A 384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present
      • AAAD-A 479 Contemporary Black Poetry
      • AAAD-A 480 The Black Novel
      • AAAD-A 493 Senior Seminar in African American and African Diaspora Studies
    5. 300–499 Level AAAD Courses. 12 credit hours:
      • AAAD-A 355 African American History I
      • AAAD-A 356 African American History II
      • AAAD-A 379 Early Black American Writing
      • AAAD-A 380 Contemporary Black American Writing
      • AAAD-A 384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present
      • AAAD-A 479 Contemporary Black Poetry
      • AAAD-A 480 The Black Novel
      • AAAD-A 493 Senior Seminar in African American and African Diaspora Studies
  2. English Courses.
    1. Introductory Course. One (1) course:
      • ENG-L 260 Introduction to Advanced Study of Literature
    2. Introductory Genre Course. One (1) course:
      • ENG-L 203 Introduction to Drama (must be approved for CASE Intensive Writing)
      • ENG-L 204 Introduction to Fiction (must be approved for CASE Intensive Writing)
      • ENG-L 205 Introduction to Poetry (must be approved for CASE Intensive Writing)
      • ENG-L 206 Introduction to Prose (Excluding Fiction) (must be approved for CASE Intensive Writing)
    3. Literary History Courses. Three (3) courses:
      • ENG-L 310
      • ENG-L 312 Literary History 2: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
      • ENG-L 316
    4. Critical Practices. One (1) course:
      • ENG-L 371 Critical Practices
  3. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. 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.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. 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.
    5. College Breadth. At least 38 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.