Courses - Fall 2026
AAAS
African American and Africana Studies
Open Seats as of
04/05/2026 at 10:30 PM
AAAS100
Introduction to African American and Africana Studies
Credit only granted for: AASP100 or AAAS100.
Formerly: AASP100.
Significant aspects of the history of African Americans with particular emphasis on the evolution and development of black communities from slavery to the present. Interdisciplinary introduction to social, political, legal and economic roots of contemporary problems faced by blacks in the United States with applications to the lives of other racial and ethnic minorities in the Americas and in other societies.
AAAS101
Public Policy and the Black Community
Credit only granted for: AASP101 or AAAS101.
Formerly: AASP101.
The impact of public policies on the Black community and the role of the policy process in affecting the social, economic and political well-being of minorities. Particular attention given to the post-1960 to present era.
AAAS187
The New Jim Crow: African-Americans, Mass Incarceration and the Prison Industrial Complex
Recommended: AASP100.
Credit only granted for: AASP187 or AAAS187.
Formerly: AASP187.
Students will examine the birth of the racial caste system following the abolition of slavery, the parallels between the racial hierarchy of the Jim Crow system and contemporary mass incarceration, and the rise of the prison industrial complex as a multi-billon business which thrives on the oppression of low-income populations and poor communities of color.
AAAS200
African Civilization
Credit only granted for: AASP200 or AAAS200.
Formerly: AASP200.
A survey of African civilizations from 4500 B.C. to present. Analysis of traditional social systems. Discussion of the impact of European colonization on these civilizations. Analysis of the influence of traditional African social systems on modern African institutions as well as discussion of contemporary processes of Africanization.
AAAS202
Credit only granted for: AASP202 or AAAS202.
Formerly: AASP202.
The course examines important aspects of African American life and thought which are reflected in African American literature, drama, music and art. Beginning with the cultural heritage of slavery, the course surveys the changing modes of Black creative expression from the 19th-century to the present.
AAAS210
Intro to Research Design and Analysis in African American and Africana Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: AASP210 or AAAS210.
Formerly: AASP210.
Introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research methods used in social science with a focus on Black populations and African American Studies Research. Uses practical exercises, such as class surveys and mock focus groups, to examine fundamental concepts of the research process from conceptualization of research questions to interpretation of data and research articles. The course is designed for undergraduate students with little or no background knowledge in social science research methods.
AAAS211
Get Out: The Sunken Place of Race Relations in the Post-Racial Era
Credit only granted for: AASP211 or AAAS211.
Formerly: AASP211.
Prevailing thought suggests that we live in an era that is post-racial, particularly after the election of Barack Obama. Media often serves to drive our assessment of where our nation stands on issues like race, gender and sexuality. This course uses the film Get Out to delve into the production, evolution and significance of race in present day America. The course will engage multiple forms of media to investigate life in "Post-Racial" America, including but not limited to the role of stereotypes, interracial relationships, police-community relations, etc.
AAAS230
Social (In)Justice and African-American Health and Well-Being
Credit only granted for: AASP230 or AAAS230.
Formerly: AASP230.
African Americans suffer worse outcomes than non-Hispanic whites on nearly every health measure and outcomes that link to overall well-being like depressive symptoms or homicides. Health disparities are experienced by other underrepresented minority groups, but because of the unique historic and current experiences of African Americans, the determinants and solutions to African American health disparities are unique. The premise of this course is that African American health disparities are due to social injustices perpetuated on the institutional level that have permeated the lived experiences of African Americans leading to racial disparities in health and well-being. As such, the solutions on the both policy, and community, level must have a social justice approach.
AAAS234
Cross-listed with: ENGL234.
Credit only granted for: ENGL234, AAAS234 or AASP298L.
An exploration of the stories black authors tell about themselves, their communities, and the nation as informed by time and place, gender, sexuality, and class. African American perspective themes such as art, childhood, sexuality, marriage, alienation and mortality, as well as representations of slavery, Reconstruction, racial violence and the Nadir, legalized racism and segregation, black patriotism and black ex-patriots, the optimism of integration, and the prospects of a post-racial America.
AAAS254
African-American History to 1865
Cross-listed with: HIST254.
Credit only granted for: HIST254, AAAS254 or AASP298C.
Survey of the principal developments in the history and culture of the peoples of African descent in colonial North America and the United States to 1865. Examines the African past, the Atlantic slave trade, variation in slavery, the growth of free black communities, the transformations of families and cultural forms, and patterns of resistance.
AAAS263
Introduction to Black Women's Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: WGSS263.
Credit only granted for: WMST263, AASP298I, WGSS263, AAAS263 or AASP263.
Formerly: WMST263.
Interdisciplinary exploration of Black women, culture and society in the United States. Drawn primarily from the social sciences and history with complementary material from literature and the arts.
AAAS271
Monsters and Racism: Black Horror and Speculative Fiction
Cross-listed with: WGSS271, ENGL289J.
Credit only granted for: AAAS271, ENGL289J, HONR299Y, HNUH238W, WGSS271 or WGSS298W.
Formerly: HNUH238W.
The previous decade has been considered a renaissance for Black Horror. From Get Out to Lovecraft Country, the genre has enjoyed unprecedented mainstream media buzz and accolades. This course looks at contemporary Black horror and speculative fiction as cultural texts which put into question our notions of human(e) and inhuman(e) through critiques of white supremacy and accompanying oppressions. Students will learn a host of critical skills through close reading and analysis of literature and film by Black creators such as Jordan Peele, Misha Green, Toni Morrison, Jewelle Gomez, and Octavia Butler. With the ability to interpret cultural texts using literary criticism, film analysis, history, cultural studies, ethnic studies, feminist theory, and the social sciences, students will connect these texts to continuing historical and contemporary issues of racial and cultural oppression such as medical discrimination, policing and criminalization, misogynoir, and racialized capitalism.
AAAS301
Applied Policy Analysis and the Black Community
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: AAAS101.
Recommended: Completion of one semester of statistics is recommended.
Credit only granted for: AASP301 or AAAS301.
Formerly: AASP301.
Development and application of the tools needed for examining the effectiveness of alternative policy options confronting minority communities. Review policy research methods used in forming and evaluating policies. Examination of the policy process.
AAAS310
African Slave Trade
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: AAAS202 or AAAS100; or permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit only granted for: AASP310 or AAAS310.
Formerly: AASP310.
The relationship of the slave trade of Africans to the development of British capitalism and its industrial revolution; and to the economic and social development of the Americas.
AAAS320
Poverty and African American Children
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: SOCY320.
Credit only granted for: AASP320, AAAS320, AASP298P or SOCY320.
Formerly: AASP298P.
The United States has high levels of child poverty compared to other industrialized nations. Poverty rates are particularly high among African American children. This course focuses on how poverty and race intersect to influence the development of children and youth. Specific topics that we will consider include definitions of poverty, theories about the causes of poverty, racial disparities in child poverty, family functioning in the context of poverty, neighborhood influences, risk and protective processes, and social policies and programs designed to mitigate the impact of poverty.
AAAS325
Black Leadership and Social Organizations
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
An examination of Black social organizations as sites of leadership development, community formation, and social uplift in the United States. Students will explore the historical emergence, cultural significance, and contemporary roles of Black Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLOs) and other civic and fraternal institutions established within racially segregated contexts. The course situates these organizations within the broader context of American race relations, the history of higher education, and traditions of collective self-help and community empowerment. Students will reflect on how social organizations shape identity, networks, civic participation, and leadership pathways.
AAAS361
Caribbean Women
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: WGSS360.
Credit only granted for: WGSS360, WMST360, AAAS361 or AASP361.
Formerly: WMST360.
An interdisciplinary analysis of the lives and experiences of women across the Caribbean region, through an examination of their roles in individual, national, social and cultural formations. Special emphasis on contemporary women's issues and organizations.
Cross-listed with AAAS361. Credit only granted for AAAS361 or WGSS360.
The Caribbean is a place we believe we understand, but its complexity can slip past us. Caribbean Women offers a chance to explore the region through the perspectives, experiences, and histories of Caribbean women.The course is interdisciplinary, meaning we will examine questionsfrom the viewpoints of literature, politics, history, legislative activism, foodways, and music, among others. It places special emphasis on contemporary women's issues and organizations.
The Caribbean is a place we believe we understand, but its complexity can slip past us. Caribbean Women offers a chance to explore the region through the perspectives, experiences, and histories of Caribbean women.The course is interdisciplinary, meaning we will examine questionsfrom the viewpoints of literature, politics, history, legislative activism, foodways, and music, among others. It places special emphasis on contemporary women's issues and organizations.
AAAS386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department; and junior standing or higher.
Credit only granted for: AASP386 or AAAS386.
Formerly: AASP386.
Updating course code to align with department name change
AAAS397
Senior Thesis
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit only granted for: AASP397 or AAAS397.
Formerly: AASP397.
Directed research in African American Studies resulting in the completion and defense of a senior thesis.
AAAS398B
Selected Topics in the African Diaspora; Black Immigrants: Challenges and Impacts
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
How does immigration affect Black communities in the United States? How are foreign Blacks affected by living in the United States? Students will learn about: US history of immigration policy; pull and push factors driving Black migration; comparisons in socioeconomic outcomes between foreign and native Blacks; and differences between 1st and 2nd generation Black immigrants.
AAAS398W
Selected Topics in the African Diaspora; Menace 2 Society: Structural Racism in Nihilistic Urban and Brown Films
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: AMST328V and USLT398B. Credit only granted for: AAAS398W, AMST328V, or USLT398B.
AAAS399
Research in African-American and Africana Studies
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
AAAS400
Directed Readings in African American and Africana Studies
Prerequisite: AAAS202 or AAAS100.
Credit only granted for: AASP400 or AAAS400.
Formerly: AASP400.
The readings will be directed by the faculty of African American Studies. Topics to be covered will be chosen to meet the needs and interests of individual students.
AAAS415
"Through The Wire": The Politics and Policies of a Chocolate City
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Recommended: AAAS101 or AAAS100.
Credit only granted for: AAAS415 or GVPT368W.
We will use the HBO television series, The Wire, as a thread to integrate topics that form the basis of a thorough understanding of urban politics. Each week will have a different thematic focus - i.e., community development, inequality, crime, incarceration, policing, labor, education, and racial relations - and will couple scholarly work with in-class discussions to examine the social and political dynamics that emerge in the series. All of the assignments work together to expose students to social science, how social science is conducted, and how political science can help us better understand the world around us.
AAAS499N
Advanced Topics in Public Policy and the Black Community; Media Coverage of Diversity
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with JOUR453. Credit only granted for JOUR453 or AAAS499N.
Analysis of media coverage of issues relating to diversity in the United States, with special attention to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation and religious affiliation.
Analysis of media coverage of issues relating to diversity in the United States, with special attention to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation and religious affiliation.
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University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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