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The CAAS Undergraduate Curriculum

The CAAS curriculum is centered on the idea of the African Diaspora so that students can explore the contrasting cultures of African-descended people around the globe. In addition, students will specialize in one geographic area of the Diaspora. Three areas have been defined:
African Studies, Afroamerican Studies and Caribbean Studies. By the end of your sophomore year, you should choose your geographic area of focus. We invite you to visit our Student Advising Center to learn more about the concentration and the minor. Also see check list for majors and check list for minors. 

The CAAS Concentration
The Prerequisite (4 credits)

AAS 111: Intro to Africa and Its Diaspora: HU; R&E; 4 credits; team-taught by two CAAS faculty members; lecture format with GSI-led discussion sections; 100-150 students; must be taken by sophomore year. Taught fall term only.

The 200-Level Requirements (6 credits)

  1. One Area Course (3 credits): a course focused on one of the geographic areas (African Studies, Black U.S. Studies, or Afro-Caribbean Studies). Ideally, you would take the course that is in your geographic area of focus.

    Courses strongly recommended to fulfill this requirement:
    AAS 200: Intro to African Studies: 3 credits; SS; R&E.
    AAS 201: Intro to African American Studies: SS; R&E.
    AAS 202: Intro to Afro-Caribbean Studies: 3 credits; R&E.

  2. One Cross-Area Course (3 credits): a course focused on Diasporic connections across at least two geographic areas (Africa and the U. S., Africa and the Afro-Caribbean, or the Afro-Caribbean and the U.S.).
The Upper-Level Requirements (27 credits)  
  1. Geographic focus requirements (18 credits): 6 courses at the 300 and 400 level focused in one geographic area; may include some cross-area courses, as long as the focus area plays a central role in the course.
  2. The Upper-Level Cross-Area Requirements (6 credits):
    1. One course (3 credits) focusing on a geographic area outside the focus area. (Students who focus on Africa must complete an upper-level course solely in Afroamerican or Caribbean Studies; students who focus on Afroamerican or Caribbean Studies must complete one course devoted solely to Africa).
    2. One cross-area course (3 credits) focusing on Africa and the Diaspora, not including any courses counted for the geographic focus requirement.

  3. AAS 495: The Senior Seminar (3 credits): ULWR; seminar format; 25-page research paper; stresses interdisciplinary and/or cross-area subjects; taught in fall term.
  The CAAS Minor
  1. AAS 111 (4 credits), by the sophomore year.

  2. The 200-Level Requirement (3 credits): at least one 200-level course (3 credits) in one of the three areas (African, African American, or Caribbean), or they can select a cross-area course to fulfill this requirement. AAS 200, 201, and 202 are strongly recommended.

  3. Upper-Level Area Requirements (6 credits): at least 2 courses at the 300 and 400 level, excluding AAS 495. One of these courses must be in African Studies and the other must be in either African American or Afro-Caribbean Studies.

  4. AAS 495: Senior Seminar (3 credits): 12-page research paper.

The CAAS Honors Concentration

In addition to requirements set for the concentration, students seeking honors also fulfill the following:

  1. Students wishing to pursue CAAS Honors must have a 3.2 overall gpa and a 3.5 gpa in CAAS courses.

  2. They should contact the CAAS Honors Coordinator to apply by the first term of their junior year.

  3. Students may choose to take an Honors discussion section of AAS 111, if offered.

  4. By the beginning of the senior year and after consulting the CAAS Honors Coordinator, students should choose two honors thesis advisors from the CAAS faculty, one of whom to serve as director.

  5. Honors students should take AAS 495, "Senior Seminar," in the fall term of their senior year. The student's work in the Senior Seminar will focus on drafting a portion (25 pages) of the honors thesis.

  6. The honors thesis must be expanded, redrafted, and completed in the winter term of the senior year in consultation with the honors thesis advisors, resulting in a finished honors thesis of 50 to 75 pages.

  7. Students must take AAS 410, "Supervised Reading and Research," in the Winter term of their senior year in conjunction with the completion of the honors thesis.

  8. Seniors achieving honors are invited along with their guests and advisors to an honors dinner, at which the students present brief summaries of their theses.

Kevin Gaines, Director
University of Michigan Center for Afroamerican and African Studies
505 S. State St.| 4700 Haven | Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1045 | (734) 764-5513 | Fax (734)763-0543

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