The Center for African and African American Studies is Rice’s primary location for curriculum and research related to Africa and to people of African descent in the Americas and beyond. The center is a clearinghouse for critical conversation, instruction, cutting-edge research and community outreach in an interdisciplinary fashion.

A collaboration between the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences, the center produces synergies and harnesses collaborative engagement across the university. The center provides a unique hub for work on such crucial topics as: critical approaches to race and racism, the nature of diasporic histories and identities, and the complexity of Africa’s past, present and future, to name a few.

African and African American Studies Minor

The African and African American studies minor provides students with resources and opportunity to think about key issues and themes within this field of study that enrich their overall education. It also provides key competencies that will enhance students’ subsequent professional and community life. Upon completion of the minor, students will be able to:

  • Understand and appreciate the complexity of African and African American history and culture;
  • Compare and contrast the experiences of African peoples in different regions of the continent;
  • Understand the role of Africa and African peoples in the diaspora in global histories and networks;
  • Understand and employ key concepts and frameworks utilized in African and African American studies.

Requirements:

  • Students must take at least six courses (18 credit hours);
  • Students must take the interdisciplinary core course;
  • At least three courses must be at the 300 level or higher;
  • Students must take at least two List A courses from two different departments and two List B courses from two different departments;
  • Students must complete elective courses from at least three different subject codes, reflecting coursework taken from both the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences;
  • No more than two courses (six credit hours) can apply from transfer credits.

Learn more about the Center for African and African American Studies in the School of Humanities >