The aim of the Department of African & Black Diaspora Studies is to provide DePaul students with a systematic, interdisciplinary, and integrated course of study of Africa & the Black Diaspora, including Black America, the Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin America.
African & Black Diaspora Studies (ABD) will also train students in comparative analysis (of regions, histories, peoples, religions, philosophies, etc.) through intersectional analysis of history, power, identity, gender, and race. The Department’s offerings provide students with opportunities to learn about and develop expertise in the cultures, histories, and societies of people of African descent.
African and Black Diaspora Studies prepares students to pursue professions and careers in a variety of areas. ABD students have gone on to careers in fields such as law/legal studies, counseling, social work, academia, teaching, community work/advocacy, publishing, communication and media, marketing, public policy, and more.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 84 |
| Major Requirements | 48 |
| Open Electives | 60 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Explain the concept of diaspora as a global unifying concept by integrating attention to the diversity of groups that make up the Black Diaspora.
- Detect and differentiate the interactions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.
- Identify and analyze multiple theories of Blackness: as a source of cultural identity, aesthetics, and/or as a basis of political, social, or national movements.
- Analyze and evaluate the ideological frameworks through which Black people have been defined and have defined themselves.
- Produce oral or written work based on primary and secondary sources that evaluate the contributions of African and Black people in the modern world.
College Core Requirements
Study in the Major Field
The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics.
The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline.
Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.
Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.
Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
- placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
- completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
- completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
- completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
- completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
- completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).
The Modern Language Option (MLO)
The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level.
Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses.
The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains.
Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.
Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.
External Credit and Residency
A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| ABD 391 | CAPSTONE (See Note Below) 1 | 4 |
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Depending on a student's program of study, they may need to take MAT 120 QUANTITATIVE REASONING. Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam, or by credit earned for advanced math coursework at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152, MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162, MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or any transfer, CLEP, IB, or AP Calculus credit. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfil any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 3 Courses Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 CR Course, and 1 SR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 Lab Course, and 1 SWK Course]
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 1 Course Required
Notes
A student majoring in African and Black Diaspora Studies (ABD) is required to complete the Capstone offered by the ABD Department. This is the case even if a student is double majoring (or pursuing a dual degree) and the secondary major (or degree) requires its own Capstone. An ABD major in the University Honors Program shall take the University Honors Capstone and the ABD Capstone.
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ABD 100 | INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND BLACK DIASPORA STUDIES | 4 |
| ABD 200 | AFRICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | 4 |
| ABD 206 | AFRO-CARIBBEAN AND AFRO-LATIN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | 4 |
| ABD 208 | AFRICAN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | 4 |
| 4 300-level ABD Courses | 16 | |
| 4 Major-Field ABD Electives at 200-level or 300-level | 16 | |
| ABD 391 | CAPSTONE | 4 |
Core Courses
Students are required to complete four core courses (16-quarter credit hours) in African and Black Diaspora Studies (ABD). The core courses are designed to accomplish these goals:
- to introduce students to the learning goals and outcomes of the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies;
- to introduce students to the main debates, concerns, and ideas in the distinct areas within African and Black Diaspora Studies;
- to emphasize the Vincentian tenet that questions of human value are central to scholarly inquiry; and
- to strengthen an understanding of the interrelationships and dynamics between Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, the United States, and other spaces of the African Diaspora.
300-Level Courses
For this requirement, students must take four ABD courses (16-quarter credit hours) at the 300 level.
Any ABD 300-level course may apply toward the completion of the major's 300-Level requirement. All other 300-level courses must be approved by the African and Black Diaspora Studies department chair for application toward the 300-Level requirement.
These courses build upon the general foundation of knowledge provided by the core courses. They serve to reinforce and extend student knowledge about a particular area of study relating to Africa and/or the Black Diaspora as well as the Department's core sites of inquiry (culture, gender, history, power, and race).
To ensure that students are exposed to a variety of methodological approaches, students will endeavor to take courses in the social and behavioral sciences (i.e. Anthropology, Geography, History, International Studies, Psychology, Political Science, and Sociology), humanities (i.e. Art and Architectural History, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theatre), and interdisciplinary studies (i.e. American studies, Critical Ethnic Studies, Latin American & Latino studies, Women's and Gender studies, LGBT studies, etc.).
Students who wish to take a 200-level course in partial fulfillment of this requirement must petition the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies chair for approval (this is not common, and only allowed in exceptional circumstances).
Major Field Electives
Majors in the Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies will take four ABD courses as major field electives (16-quarter credit hours). These courses can be at the 200-level or 300-level. The Department urges students to consider courses at the 300-level to fulfill this requirement.
Such courses are designed to provide students with an opportunity to take courses related to their interests in African and Black Diaspora Studies and at the same time extend their academic preparation through coursework in allied fields. The selection of electives should be done in consultation with the student’s ABD academic advisor.
Capstone
This senior seminar (four quarter hours) engages students in a synthesis of what they have learned through coursework. The capstone course will involve reading, writing, discussion, as well as the preparation of a substantive piece of work (e.g., a senior thesis, a research paper, etc.).
Open Electives
Open elective credits are also required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 quarter-credit hours.