The interdisciplinary minor in African studies offers students the opportunity to pursue a multi¬disciplinary study of Africa. The minor requires a minimum of 15 hours. Candidates for the minor are required to take two core courses: either HST 105 or REL 107 as well as AFS 250. Students may select the remaining 9 hours from the list of electives as well as courses related to Africa during a Wake Forest approved study abroad course. Students who intend to minor in African Studies are encouraged to consult the coordinator of the program in their sophomore year. It is recommended that AFS 250 be taken after completing at least one other course for the minor.
Required African Studies Courses
Students must take one of the following introductory level courses:
HST 105. Africa in World History. (3h)
REL 107. Introduction to African Religions (3h)
Students must also take AFS 250. Seminar in African Studies. (3h)
It is recommended that students take AFS 250 if possible. This course is an interdisciplinary investigation of important issues related to Africa’s past and present. It provides a strong foundation for any area of African Studies.
Electives for African Studies
The program coordinator maintains a complete list of all elective courses that fulfill the minor, as additional elective courses may have been approved since publication of the academic bulletin. Students may fulfill elective requirements by completing courses related to Africa on a Wake Forest approved study abroad course; they may also seek prior approval from the program coordinator for courses which are not listed here but which have a significant African component. No more than 9 hours within a single discipline may count towards the minor. For course descriptions, see the relevant department’s listings in the academic bulletin.
AFS 220. Special Topics in African Studies. (3h)
ANT 370. Old World Prehistory. (3h)
ART 104. Topics in World Art. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
BIO 344. African Savanna Ecology and Conservation. (4h)
DCE 122. Special Topics in Dance (1.5h) (when topic is African dance)
ECN 258. Economic Growth and Development. (3h)
ENG 337. Studies in 18th-Century British Literature. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
356. Literature of the Caribbean. (3h)
358. Postcolonial and World Anglophone Literatures. (3h)
FRH 216. Studies in French and Francophone Literature and Culture. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
HST 240. African-American History. (3h)
268. African History to 1870. (3h)
269. African History since 1850. (3h)
336. Gender and Power in African History. (3h)
340. Urban Africa. (3h)
341. Africans in the Atlantic World, 1750-1815. (3h)
378. Race, Memory, and Identity. (3h)
HMN 223. African and Caribbean Literature. (3h)
MUS 209. Music of World Cultures. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
POL 242. Topics in Comparative Politics. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
252. Topics in International Politics. (3h) (when topic is appropriate)
266. Civil Wars: Causes and Consequences. (3h)
REL 336. Religious Traditions and Human Rights. (3h)
339. Religions of Africa. (3h)
345. African-American Religious Experience. (3h)
348. Race, Memory, and Identity. (3h)
393. Topics in Religions of Africa. (3h)
SPN 371. Afro-Cuban Cultural Expressions. (3h)