Curriculum In January 1997, new requirements for a major in Afro-American and African Studies [AAS] became effective. Declared majors were not affected by these changes, however, new majors will be required to abide by the new requirements. Also, effective fall 1997, the AAS program will implement a Distinguished Majors Program. Current third-year AAS majors with a GPA of at least 3.4 are eligible (a full description of the program is included in this directory). The Afro-American and African Studies (AAS) Program The Carter G. Woodson Institute administers the undergraduate program in Afro-American and African Studies (AAS) at the University of Virginia. In addition to AAS-designated courses, the AAS curriculum includes related courses offered by more than a dozen departments and programs--Anthropology; Art History, English Language and Literature; Environmental Sciences; French Language and Literature; Government and Foreign Affairs; History; Music; Psychology; Religious Studies; Sociology; Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese; Linguistics (Swahili); and University Seminars. Students who major in AAS get a broad-based understanding of research in a variety of academic disciplines, with a particular focus on African and African American topics. Many AAS majors are double-majors, which provides them with a strong disciplinary focus and a broader understanding of area studies as well. Recent graduates of the AAS program have followed a variety of career paths. Some have enrolled in professional schools, where they are pursuing advanced degrees in law, medicine, or business; others have gone on to graduate school, where they are working toward M.A.s and Ph.D.s in a variety of academic disciplines. Some have joined international volunteer organizations, such as the Peace Corps; others are working with Teach for America, a two-year program that sends participants to under-funded school systems in urban and rural America. In short, the AAS program provides students with a liberal-arts education that will serve them well in whatever career they may choose to pursue. AAS Major Requirements The Afro-American and African Studies interdisciplinary major comprises 9 courses (29 credit hours) taken with a program approved by any member of the AAS Steering Committee, who will act as the student's advisor. These courses may include courses taken before declaration of the major. In order to declare a major, a student must have taken AAS 101 and 102 and earned a grade of C or better in each course. Students must have an average 2.0 in the major for it to be considered complete. The major requires a distribution of courses in the following areas and levels, which must be selected from the AAS Course Offering Directory.
Please note: While a single course may fulfill more than one requirement, students should remember that they must take a total of seven courses in addition to AAS 101 and 102 for a total of 29 credit hours. Each semester, the Afro-American and African Studies program publishes a list of courses that satisfy the above requirements. Students should speak with an advisor if they have any questions about how to distribute the Major courses. Students frequently find that Afro-American and African Studies works well as a double-major with another discipline in the humanities and social sciences. Up to 11 credits in another departmental major may count toward an AAS major, IF the courses are among those listed in the AAS Course Offering Directory. Up to 6 transfer credits from relevant study abroad programs may be counted toward the major, with the advance written permission of the AAS Undergraduate Studies Director. Up to 3 credits of an appropriate language course may be counted toward the major. Exceptions to any of these requirements will be made only upon written petition to the AAS Undergraduate Studies Director. No petitions will be accepted after the completion of a student's seventh semester. Declaring a Major Students considering a major or minor in Afro-American and African Studies may consult any member of the Steering Committee. The procedure for declaring a major in Afro-American and African Studies are:
AAS Minor Requirements A Minor in Afro-American and African Studies comprises the following: In order to declare a minor, a student must have taken AAS 101 and 102 and earned a grade of C or better in each course.
Declaring a Minor
Independent Study Independent Study in AAS 401 allows students to work on an individual research project. Students wishing to pursue this option should pick up an information sheet at the Woodson Institute which explains the procedure and requirements. Students must propose a topic to an appropriate faculty member, submit a written proposal for his/her approval, prepare an extensive annotated bibliography on relevant readings comparable to the reading list of a regular upper-level course, and complete a research paper of at least 20 pages. Distinguished Majors Program in Afro-American and African Studies Third-year students with superior academic performance are encouraged to apply for the AAS Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) in which they conduct research and write a thesis demonstrating originality and independent study of high quality. Participants are eligible for graduation with distinction. The requirements for admission to the DMP are:
Once the advisor has been secured, the student should seek two additional faculty members who agree to read the thesis. The student registers for three credits of AAS 451 (Directed Research) in the first semester of the fourth year. In this course, the student conducts research for, and writes the first draft of, his or her thesis. In the second semester, the student registers for AAS 452 (Thesis) and revises the draft based on the committee's recommendations, producing a finished thesis of about 8,000 words or 40 pages, which must be approved by the committee and deposited at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. The thesis committee will make a recommendation to the AAS Steering Committee for final approval of the thesis. Any student seeking help in setting up this program should see his or her major advisor. FACULTY ADVISORS
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