Electives
Each quarter African Studies approves courses taught throughout the University as electives that will count towards the major and minor requirements.
See below for the list of approved classes for the current academic year.
- African Studies Approved Electives, 2016-2021 (last updated 3/4/2021)
This is a list of approved electives from the past several academic years that you can filter by department, course number, or quarter offered. - African Studies Approved Electives by Academic Year, 2016-2021 (last updated 3/4/2021)
This is a list of approved electives going back to 2016; the tabs at the bottom will allow you to view our approved courses by each academic year.
For a course to count towards the African Studies Adjunct Major, Minor, or Graduate Certificate, 50% of the student’s grade must be based on work (papers, projects, etc.) with African content. The Program of African Studies may require you to submit this work. Students pursuing a major are required to meet annually with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to create course schedules and monitor progress. Check CAESAR for availability and room information.
Elective Courses
Note that courses are subject to change.
The list for the next upcoming quarter will be updated during the week of pre-registration.
Spring 2021 Electives
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| AFST | 483-0-20, 35697 | African Studies Seminar | Salem Denna |
| AMER ST | 310-0-22, 39155 | Studies in American Culture: US Media Representations of the Middle East. | Yalzadeh |
| ARABIC | 111-3-21, 36622 | Arabic I | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 111-3-22, 39203 | Arabic I | Antabli |
| ARABIC | 121-3-20, 36623 | Arabic II | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 121-3-21, 36624 | Arabic II | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 211-3-20, 36625 | Arabic III | Khan |
| ARABIC | 216-0-1, 40108 | Language and Culture | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 316-3-1, 39206 | Reading Modern Arabic Prose: Cairo and its Seven Layers of Civilization | Antabli |
| ART HIST | 395-0-3, 39871 | Museums: COSI Undergrad Seminar: Blackness & Abstraction | Love |
| FRENCH | 493-0-20, 36832 | Topics in Literary Theory: Postcolonial/Decolonial Thought in the Francophone World | Garraway |
| GNDR ST | 341-0-23, 39647 | Transnational Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality: Transnational Feminist Performance | Ross |
| HISTORY | 212-1-20, 40053 | Introduction to African-American History: Key concepts from 1700-1861 | Bryant |
| HISTORY | 250-1-20, 39903 | Global History I | Stanley |
| HISTORY | 357-0-20, 36104 | East Africa | Schoenbrun |
| HISTORY | 465-0-20, 39917 | Sources in African History: History Without Documents | Schoenbrun |
| INTL ST | 390-0-22, 39702 | Refugee Crises & Human Rights (also LEGAL ST 380, POLI SCI 380) | Ruffer |
| JOUR | 372-0-20, 39016 | International Journalism: South Africa | Foster |
| LEGAL AT | 380-0-20, 39926 | Refugee Crises & Human Rights (also INTL_ST 390-0-22, POLI SCI 380) | Ruffer |
| POLI SCI | 250-0-20, 39356 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | Peyton Jr. |
| POLI SCI | 359-0-20, 36761 | Politics of Africa | Salem Denna |
| POLI SCI | 380-0-20, 39391 | Refugee Crises & Human Rights (also LEGAL ST 380, INTL_ST 390-0-22) | Ruffer |
| SWAHILI | 111-3-20, 35689 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 111-3-21, 35690 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 121-3-20, 35691 | Swahili II | Mwangi |
Winter 2021 Electives
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| AF AM ST | 211-0-20, 29081 | Literatures of the Black World | Spigner,Nicole Adeyinka |
| AF AM ST | 327-0-20, 29076 | Politics-Black Popular Culture: Contemporary Black Popular Music | Weheliye,Alexander G |
| ANTHRO | 215-0-01, 26548 | Study of Culture through Lang. | Arispe-Bazan,Diego |
| ARABIC | 111-2-20, 27210 | Arabic I | Khan,Fatima Zehra |
| ARABIC | 111-2-21, 27211 | Arabic I | Raddawi,Rana |
| ARABIC | 111-2-22, 27212 | Arabic I | Antabli,Fadia M |
| ARABIC | 121-2-20, 27213 | Arabic II | Raddawi,Rana |
| ARABIC | 121-2-21, 27214 | Arabic II | Mikhaeel,Ragy H Ibrahim |
| ARABIC | 211-2-20, 27215 | Arabic III | Khan,Fatima Zehra |
| ARABIC | 245-0-1, 29085 | Current Events in the Middle E | Mikhaeel,Ragy H Ibrahim |
| ARABIC | 311-2-1, 27219 | Arabic IV | Antabli,Fadia M |
| ECON | 327-0-20, 25763 | Economic Development in Africa | Udry,Christopher R |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-20, 26327 | International Public Health | Locke,Peter Andrew |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-21, 26328 | International Public Health | Reyes,Beatriz Oralia |
| GBL HLTH | 322-0-1, 26338 | Social Determinants of Health | Locke,Peter Andrew |
| HISTORY | 103-6-22, 28111 | First-Year Seminar: Beyond Slavery and Colonialism in African History | Schoenbrun,David Lee |
| HISTORY | 255-1-20, 26433 | Background to African Civilization and Culture: Origins to 17th C. | Schoenbrun,David Lee |
| POLI SCI | 250-0-21, 28733 | Intro to Comparative Politics | Khoury,Rana Barbara |
| POLI SCI | 351-0-20, 28751 | Politics of the Middle East | Pearlman,Wendy R |
| POLI SCI | 351-0-21, 28752 | Politics of the Middle East | Pearlman,Wendy R |
| SWAHILI | 111-2-20, 26533 | Swahili I | Mwangi,Peter |
| SWAHILI | 111-2-21, 26534 | Swahili I | Mwangi,Peter |
| SWAHILI | 121-2-20, 26535 | Swahili II | Mwangi,Peter |
Fall 2020 Electives
**To look up class meeting days and times please go to CAESAR**
Back to top.
Note that courses are subject to change.
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| ANTHRO | 214-0-1, 16349 | Archaeology: Unearthing History | Rosenzweig |
| ANTHRO | 320-0-20, 18873 | Peoples of Africa | Bledsoe |
| ANTHRO | 390-0-22, 18095 | Contraceptive Technologies | Bledsoe |
| ARABIC | 111-1-20, 16978 | Arabic I | Khan |
| ARABIC | 111-1-21, 16979 | Arabic I | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 111-1-22, 16980 | Arabic I | Antabli |
| ARABIC | 121-1-20, 16981 | Arabic II | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 121-1-22, 17881 | Arabic II | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 125-0-1, 20212 | Media Arabic | Khan |
| ARABIC | 211-1-20, 16983 | Arabic III | Khan |
| ARABIC | 311-1-20, 16987 | Arabic IV | Antabli |
| ARABIC | 316-2-20, 20269 | Reading Classical Arabic Texts | Mikhaeel |
| ART HIST | 319-0-1, 18110 | Monsters, Art, and Civilization (also HUM 370-4-22, 18307) | Gunter |
| ART HIST | 390-0-3, 18114 | An Art of Describing Blackness: Early Modern Visual Culture of Race | Swan |
| COMP LIT | 487-0-20, 18612 | Print Culture: Authors, Abdelkebir Khatibi (also COMP LIT 487-0-22 20603, FRENCH 401-0-20, 18680, FRENCH 401-0-21, 20522) | Qader |
| COMP LIT | 487-0-22, 20603 | Print Culture: Authors, Abdelkebir Khatibi (also COMP LIT 487-0-20, 18612, FRENCH 401-0-20, 18680, FRENCH 401-0-21, 20522) | Qader |
| ECON | 326-0-20, 18248 | The Economics of Developing Countries | Jayachandran |
| FRENCH | 365-0-20, 18684 | The Maghreb & the Middle East: Authority & Narration in 1001 & Beyond (also FRENCH 365-0-21, 20518) | Qader |
| FRENCH | 365-0-21, 20518 | The Maghreb & the Middle East: Authority & Narration in 1001 & Beyond (also FRENCH 365-0-20, 18684) | Qader |
| FRENCH | 401-0-20, 18680 | Print Culture: Authors, Abdelkebir Khatibi (also COMP LIT 487-0-20, 18612, COMP LIT 487-0-22 20603, FRENCH 401-0-21, 20522) | Qader |
| FRENCH | 401-0-21, 20522 | Print Culture: Authors, Abdelkebir Khatibi (also COMP LIT 487-0-20, 18612, COMP LIT 487-0-22 20603, FRENCH 401-0-20, 18680) | Qader |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-20, 16424 | Introduction to International Public Health | Sullivan |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-21, 16429 | Introduction to International Public Health (also PUB HLTH 390-0-20, 15597) | Leonard |
| GBL HLTH | 309-0-1, 18383 | Biomedicine and World History | Tilley |
| GBL HLTH | 309-0-1, 18383 | Biomedicine and World History (also HISTORY 379-0-20, 18382) | Tilley |
| GBL HLTH | 321-0-1, 18689 | War and Public Health | Locke |
| GBL HLTH | 322-0-1, 16423 | Social Determinants of Health | Locke |
| HISTORY | 101-6-22, 16105 | Repairing Historical Injustices | Ionescu |
| HISTORY | 210-1-20, 18359 | History of the United States, Precolonial to the Civil War | Fitz |
| HISTORY | 300-0-22, 16145 | Comparative Genocide | Ionescu |
| HISTORY | 356-2-20, 18366 | 20th Century South Africa: Racial Capitalism, Apartheid, and Resistance | Glassman |
| HISTORY | 379-0-20, 18382 | Biomedicine and World History (also GBL HLTH 309-0-1, 18383) | Tilley |
| HISTORY | 393-0-24, 16152 | Migrations in the Mediterranean (also HUM 370-4-23, 20739) | Stokes |
| HISTORY | 405-0-22, 16129 | Comparative Race | Glassman |
| HISTORY | 405-0-26, 16131 | History of the Modern Global City | Carroll |
| HUM | 370-4-22, 18307 | Monsters, Art, and Civilization (also ART HIST 319-0-1, 18110) | Gunter |
| HUM | 370-4-23, 20739 | Migrations in the Mediterranean (also HISTORY 393-0-24, 16152) | Stokes |
| LEGAL ST | 356-0-20, 18906 | Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (also AFST 390-0-20, POLI SCI 356) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| MENA | 411-0-20, 18712 | Field Formations and Key Concepts | Winegar |
| POLI SCI | 352-0-20, 17247 | Global Development | Mahoney |
| POLI SCI | 356-0-20, 19191 | Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (also AFST 390-0-20, LEGAL ST 356) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| POLI SCI | 368-0-20, 19539 | Political Economy of Development (also POLI SCI 368-0-21, 20715) | Hurst |
| POLI SCI | 368-0-21, 20715 | Political Economy of Development (also POLI SCI 368-0-20, 19539) | Hurst |
| POLI SCI | 376-0-20, 18766 | Civil Wars | Spruyt |
| POLI SCI | 490-0-20, 16740 | Politics of Violence (also POLI SCI 490-0-25, 20722) | Reno |
| POLI SCI | 490-0-25, 20722 | Politics of Violence (also POLI SCI 490-0-20, 16740) | Reno |
| PUB HLTH | 390-0-20, 15597 | Introduction to International Public Health (also GBL HLTH 301-0-21, 16429) | Leonard |
| RELIGION | 101-6-20, 18842 | Islamophobia | Ingram |
| RELIGION | 250-0-20, 18854 | Introduction to Islam | Ingram |
| SOCIOL | 207-0-1, 18657 | Cities in Society | Pattillo |
| SWAHILI | 111-1-20, 16343 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 111-1-21, 16344 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 121-1-20, 16345 | Swahili II | Mwangi |
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Spring 2020 Electives
**To look up class meeting days and times please go to CAESAR**
Note that courses are subject to change.
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| AF AM ST | 245-0-20 (34161) | The Black Diaspora and Transnationality: "Britan and Germany" | Weheliye |
| AF AM ST | 480-0-22 (37944) | Queer/African/Bodies (also AF AM ST 490-0-22) | Akinbola |
| AF AM ST | 490-0-22 (33081) | Queer/African/Bodies (also AF AM ST 480-0-22) | Akinbola |
| AFST | 390-0-20 (31353) | Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (sec. 20, also ANTHRO 390-0-28, ANTHRO 490-0-25, GBL_HLTH 390-0-22) | Young |
| AFST | 390-0-21 (31354) | Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (sec. 21, also LEGAL ST 356, POLI SCI 356 | Benarieh Ruffer |
| AFST | 390-0-22 (31355) | Contemporary African Worlds (also ANTHRO 255-0-20) | Benton |
| AFST | 483-0-20 (31358) | African Studies Seminar (AfriSem) | Salem |
| ANTHRO | 101-6-21 (34758) | Modern Plagues | Benton |
| ANTHRO | 255-0 20 (34838) | Contemporary African Worlds (also AFST 390-0-22) | Benton |
| ANTHRO | 330-0-20 (37909) | Peoples of the World: Anthro & Islam | Launay |
| ANTHRO | 390-0-22 (34774) | Protest & Popular Culture in the Middle East (also MENA 301-2-20) | Winegar |
| ANTHRO | 390-0-24 (34776) | Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (also AFST 390-0-20, ANTHRO 490-0-22, GBL HLTH 390-0-22) | Young |
| ANTHRO | 490-0-22 (34806) | Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (also AFST 390-0-20, ANTHRO 390-0-24, GBL HLTH 390-0-22) | Young |
| ARABIC | 111-3-20 (33910) | Arabic I | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 111-3-21 (33911) | Arabic I | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 114-0-20 (33919) | Conversation and Culture in the Arab World: Levantine Arabic | Antabli |
| ARABIC | 121-3-20 (33912 | Arabic II | Raddawi |
| ARABIC | 121-3-21 (33913) | Arabic II | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 125-0-1 (33927) | Media Arabic | Khan |
| ARABIC | 211-3-20 (33914) | Arabic III | Khan |
| ARABIC | 311-3-1 (33918) | Arabic IV | Antabli |
| BMD ENG | 380-0-01 (35836) | Medical Devices, Disease & Global Health | Glucksberg |
| COMP LIT | 301-0-20 (33646) | Studies in World Literature: Indian Ocean Cultures (also ENGLISH 365-0-20) | Mwangi |
| ENGLISH | 365-0-20 (36735) | Studies in Postcolonial Literature: Indian Ocean Cultures (also COMP LIT 301-0-20) | Mwangi |
| ENGLISH | 465-0-20 (36745) | Studies in Colonial & Postcolonial Lit: Forms and Ecology | Mwangi |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-21 (31670) | Introduction to International Public Health | Rodriguez |
| GBL HLTH | 390-0-22 (31678) | Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (AFST 390-0-20, ANTHRO 390-0-24, ANTHRO 490-0-22) | Young |
| HISTORY | 103-6-22 (32252) | Africa, Beyond Slavery and Colonialism | Schoenbrun |
| HISTORY | 357-0-20 (32281) | East Africa | Schoenbrun |
| LEGAL ST | 356-0-20 (31374) | Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (also AFST 390-0-21, POLI SCI 356) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| LEGAL ST | 376-0-21 (31594) | Islamic Law (also MENA 301-3-20, RELIGION 351-0-20) | Ingram |
| MENA | 301-2-20 (37430) | Popular Culture and Protest in the Middle East (also ANTHRO 390-0-22) | Winegar |
| MENA | 301-3-20 (33922) | Islamic Law (also LEGAL ST 376-0-21, RELIGION 351-0-20) | Ingram |
| MENA | 390-3-22 (37756) | Politics of the Middle East (also POLI SCI 351) | Pearlman |
| PHIL | 222-0-20 (30860) | Introduction to Africana Philosophy | Paris |
| POLI SCI | 351-0-20 (34394) | Politics of the Middle East (also MENA 390-3-22) | Pearlman |
| POLI SCI | 356-0-20 (22507) | Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (also AFST 390-0-21, LEGAL ST 356) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| POLI SCI | 359-0-20 (34406) | Politics of Africa | Salem |
| POLI SCI | 376-0-20 (34635) | Civil Wars | Spruyt |
| POLI SCI | 389-0-20 (34647) | Understanding Genocide (also SOCIOL 379-0-1) | Rice |
| RELIGION | 250-0-20 (31980) | Introduction to Islam | Ingram |
| RELIGION | 351-0-20 (32043) | Islamic Law (also LEGAL ST 376-0-21, MENA 301-3-20) | Ingram |
| SOCIOL | 379-0-1 (35954) | Understanding Genocide (also POLI SCI 389) | Rice |
| SWAHILI | 111-3-20 (31350) | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 111-3-21 (31351) | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 121-3-20 (31352) | Swahili II | Mwangi |
Winter 2020 Electives
**To look up class meeting days and times please go to CAESAR**
Note that courses are subject to change.
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| ARABIC | 311-2-1, 26881 | Arabic IV | Antabli |
| COMP LIT | 301-0-21, 22476 | Arabian Nights (also ENGLISH 313-0-21, HUM 370-6-21, MENA 390-6-20) | Johnson |
| ECON | 327-0-20, 21279 | Economic Development in Africa | Udry |
| ENGLISH | 101-6-21, 24313 | Afrofuturism and Black Speculative Arts | Mann |
| ENGLISH | 313-0-21, 24362 | Arabian Nights (also COMP LIT 301-0-21, HUM 370-6-21, MENA 390-6-20) | Johnson |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-20, 22702 | Introduction to International Public Health | Locke |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-21, 22703 | Introduction to International Public Health | Reyes |
| GBL HLTH | 322-0-1, 22713 | The Social Determinants of Health | Locke |
| HISTORY | 255-1-20, 23009 | Background to African Civilization and Culture: Origins to 17th C. | Schoenbrun |
| HISTORY | 300-0-32, 23431 | History of the Caribbean, 1492-1865 | Burns |
| HISTORY | 356-1-20, 23034 | History of South Africa, Early Times to 1879 | Glassman |
| HISTORY | 392-0-20, 23046 | Origins of Zionism | Petrovsky-Shtern |
| HISTORY | 392-0-22, 23047 | Political Islam, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad | Rekhess |
| HISTORY | 392-0-24, 23048 | Revolutionary Egypt: Nasser & Sadat (also HISTORY 395-0-24, MENA 301-2-20) | Petry |
| HISTORY | 393-0-24, 23446 | Shari’a in Global History | Marsh |
| HISTORY | 395-0-22, 23050 | Political Islam, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad (also HISTORY 392-0-22) | Rekhess |
| HISTORY | 395-0-24, 23051 | Revolutionary Egypt: Nasser & Sadat (also HISTORY 392-0-24, MENA 301-2-20) | Petry |
| HUM | 370-6-21, 24468 | Arabian Nights (also COMP LIT 301-0-21, ENGLISH 313-0-21, MENA 390-6-20) | Johnson |
| JOUR | 372-0-20, 26699 | International Journalism: South Africa | Foster |
| MENA | 301-2-20, 26884 | Revolutionary Egypt: Nasser & Sadat (also HISTORY 392-0-24, HISTORY 395-0-24) | Petry |
| MENA | 390-6-20, 26886 | Arabian Nights (also COMP LIT 301-0-21, ENGLISH 313-0-21, HUM 370-6-21) | Johnson |
| POLI SCI | 250-0-20, 26558 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | Mazur |
| SWAHILI | 111-2-20, 23531 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 111-2-21, 23532 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 121-2-20, 23533 | Swahili II | Mwangi |
Fall 2019 Electives
**To look up class meeting days and times please go to CAESAR**
Note that courses are subject to change.
| Dept | Course Number | Course Title | Instructor |
| ANTHRO | 214-0-1, 11799 | Archaeology: Unearthing History | Johnson |
| ANTHRO | 390-0-23, 11815 | Methods in Anthropology/Global Health (also GBL HLTH 390-0-20) | Young |
| ARABIC | 111-1-20, 13101 | Arabic I | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 111-1-21, 13102 | Arabic I | Mikhaeel |
| ARABIC | 111-1-22, 13103 | Arabic I | TBA |
| ARABIC | 121-1-20, 13104 | Arabic II | Khan |
| ARABIC | 121-1-21, 13105 | Arabic II | TBA |
| ARABIC | 221-1-20, 13107 | Arabic III | Antabli |
| ARABIC | 311-0-20, 13112 | Arabic IV | Khan |
| ARABIC | 316-3-20, 17373 | Reading Modern Arabic Prose | Antabli |
| ART HIST | 222-0-1, 12065 | Art History & the African Diaspora 1 | Thompson |
| ART HIST | 460-0-2, 12045 | Appropriation ('North' and 'South') | Copeland |
| COMP LIT | 301-0-20, 13666 | Postcolonial Noir (also ENGLISH 313-0-20, HUM 370-6-20) | Johnson |
| ENGLISH | 313-0-20, 10429 | Postcolonial Noir (also COMP LIT 301-0-20, HUM 370-6-20) | Johnson |
| GBL HLTH | 301-0-20, 12011 | Introduction to International Public Health | Sullivan |
| GBL HLTH | 322-0-20, 12010 | The Social Determinants of Health | Locke |
| GBL HLTH | 390-0-20, 12004 | Methods in Anthropology/Global Health (also ANTHRO 390-0-23) | Young |
| HISTORY | 250-1-20, 10837 | Global History: Early Modern to Modern Transition | Stanley |
| HISTORY | 405-0-28, 10809 | Comparative Race | Glassman |
| HUM | 370-6-20, 13717 | Postcolonial Noir (also ENGLISH 313-0-20, COMP LIT 301-0-20) | Johnson |
| INTL ST | 390-0-22, 17330 | Refugee Crises & Human Rights (also POLI_SCI 380-0-20) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| POLI SCI | 380-0-20, 12492 | Refugee Crises & Human Rights (also INTL ST 390-0-22) | Benarieh Ruffer |
| SWAHILI | 111-1-20, 11792 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 111-1-20, 11793 | Swahili I | Mwangi |
| SWAHILI | 121-1-20, 11794 | Swahili II | Mwangi |