Black/Africana Studies (A.A.)
Department website: https://www.cerritos.edu/black-africana-studies/default.htm
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS
The Black/Africana Studies degree program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to critically study the lived experience, life history, and culture of Black people through an Afrocentric lens. Undergirded by the three basic areas of focus of the discipline of Africana Studies – cultural grounding, academic excellence, and social responsibility – this program comprises courses that meet the general education requirements for an associate of arts degree.
The goals and objectives of this program are to prepare students for transfer to a 4-year institution and a career in the human and social sciences, e.g., education, government and politics, management and industry, communication media, visual/performing arts, non-profit/advocacy, and entrepreneurial studies. Consistent with the institution’s mission of providing all students with access to quality education, this program will also prepare students for work with underrepresented populations and to make important contributions to the multicultural, global society and world in which we live.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the major requirements for this degree, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history, culture, and lived experience of people of African descent both in the United States and the world
- Demonstrate an understanding of the historical evolution of the discipline and its three areas of focus – which are cultural grounding, academic excellence, and social responsibility
- Critically analyze the major subject areas and significant historical periods that comprise the discipline of Africana Studies
- Demonstrate a general understanding of the fundamental theories, concepts, and methodologies in the discipline of Africana Studies
- Identify prominent theorists and scholars within the broad field of Africana Studies and their contributions to it
Program Requirements
| Code Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core (6 units) | ||
| AFRS 100 | Introduction to Black/Africana Studies | 3.0 |
| AFRS 101 | Theories and Methods in Black/Africana Studies | 3.0 |
| LIST A: Select four or more courses from the following areas (at least two courses from Area 1 must be taken) | ||
| AREA 1: A minimum of 6 Units | 6.0 | |
| The History of the Black World I: From Ancient Africa to 1888 | ||
| The History of the Black World II: From 1888 to the Present | ||
| AREA 2: A Minimum of 3 Units | 3.0 | |
| Africana Political Thought (3) | ||
| African Gender Systems (3) | ||
| African Spirituality (3) | ||
| AREA 3: Elective Courses (3 Units) | 3.0 | |
| Any course from AREA 2 not previously taken | ||
| Africana Womanism and Black Feminism: A Comparative Analysis (3) | ||
| Black Politics: Social and Racial Justice Movements (3) | ||
| The Rhetoric of Black Resistance (3) | ||
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies (3) | ||
| Hip-Hop as Cultural Expression (3) | ||
| African Civilizations I: Ancient to 1000 CE (3) | ||
| African Civilizations II: 1000 CE to 1900 CE (3) | ||
| Black Biracial and Multiracial Identities and Cultures (3) | ||
| African American Ebonics (3) | ||
| Black Characters in Japanese Anime and Manga (3) | ||
| Total Units | 18 | |
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Complete a minimum of 60 units to include (1) the above major requirements, (2) the General Education requirements, and (3) electives as needed.