The African-American Studies major offers a streamlined opportunity to study the origins, experiences, and conditions of people of African descent. Majors will take core courses in African-American Studies that address the challenges African-Americans face in the U.S. and worldwide. To graduate with a demonstrable skill set, majors also take six courses in their area of disciplinary concentration (such as English, History, Political Science, etc.).

1.) POWER AND IDEOLOGY
The analysis and contestation of power is foundational to Black Studies. Just as important is the interrogation of ideational and affective phenomena—logics, ideologies, imaginaries, and epistemologies. This concentration examines the ways that Black people worldwide have experienced, resisted, and reconceptualized dominant constellations of power and ideology, all while crafting alternative visions of justice and autonomy. Courses in this concentration focus on slavery and colonialism; imperialism and international relations; governance and political theory; law, public policy, and social movements; and theories of race, gender, and sexuality.

2.) CULTURAL PRODUCTION
African diasporic cultural production has fundamentally shaped the modern world. These diasporic cultures have also been a major source of Black resistance to oppression. In this concentration, students will take classes with a focus on Black cultural studies, expressive and visual cultures, sound, music and literature, digital and new media arts, as well as science and technology, as they intersect with issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, and power.

3.) POLITICAL ECONOMY
This concentration focuses on the dynamic interaction between politics and the economy – both within a society and within broader international relations. Methodologically, political economy analyzes the distribution of power and wealth, the forms of inequality that emerge from this distribution, and the processes that create and sustain these relationships over time. For Black Studies, a focus on political economy means the assessment of the interrelated historical processes of enslavement, capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism, and their impact on the material conditions of Black peoples worldwide. Black radical scholars have been at the forefront of the study of the material conditions of Black people and, in particular, in establishing the role of race and gender in the history of capitalism as an analytic of political economy. The concentration includes classes in policy, finance and the economy, capitalism, imperialism, colonialism, social organizations, prisons and profit, globalization, labor and social movements, law and human/civil rights – all with a focus on Black communities.

Admissions to the Major

To be admitted to the major, students must have completed AfAmer 1, be in good standing, and formally register with the department. Students are encouraged to declare their major as early as possible and discuss their proposed course plan with the department’s undergraduate advisor.

***Students must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in African American Studies courses to receive credit for completing the program.***

African American Studies Major Requirements (Fall 2024)

The B.A. brochure for the 2024-25 academic year can be found here.

African American Studies Majors (For students that enrolled in the major before Fall 2022)

The B.A. brochure can be found here.

*Special Note (C191 Courses)*

1. You must contact the faculty member who you wish to serve as your mentor prior to completing the contract. Make sure you select a faculty member who aligns with the research you wish to conduct. In most cases students select a faculty member who they are familiar with.
2. Once you have successfully found a faculty mentor, please go Contract Courses on My.UCLA to complete the contract.
3. You will then need to obtain the faculty mentor’s signature and submit to Eboni via the Message Center for approval and to register in the course.
4. Please note lecturers and faculty outside of African American Studies cannot serve as your mentor.  If you are unsure or have difficulties contacting a potential faculty mentor, please let Eboni know by sending a message to the Message Center.

Extra options for African-American course credit:

For Af-Amer electives, Af Am majors and minors can receive course credit from the following choices. Prior permission is needed for these contract courses from the African-American office.

1. Independent Studies course with an individual professor (Af-Amer 199).
2. Internship with an individual professor (Af-Amer 195). (Corporation, non-profit, or educational institution).
3. Study Abroad (Check with Education Abroad Office re courses offered for UCLA credit).
4. CAAP quarter in Washington D.C. (Political Science, Public Policy, Humanities, or Social Science internships and/or research).
5. Honors courses or Honors thesis. Qualified students may apply to the African-American Studies and Honors offices.
6. Financial Aid: At least one quarter before, see Financial Aid Office to enquire if you qualify for financial aid in these areas.

How to Register for Courses?

1. Register for courses online via MyUCLA (www.my.ucla.edu)
2. Courses that don’t begin with the title “AF-AMER” may have enrollment restrictions.
3. Contact the African-American Studies office for assistance in reaching the individual professor teaching the course in order to enroll in the course.  Professor may have to issue a Permission to Enroll (PTE) number that you will use along with the course ID number.
4. Enrollment in courses that require special permission will need a Permission To Enroll (PTE number) in order to be included in a class may require that you wait until the first day of class before the professor gives you the PTE number.
5. We recommend that you enroll in three (3) courses per quarter to ensure that you receive at least a 3.0 (“B”) grade minimum in each class.