鶹AV

African Studies

African Studies

Established in 1969, the African Studies Program at 鶹AV was the first of its kind in Canada. The Program offers courses across the disciplines leading to a Minor and Major Concentration and a Joint Honors Program, allowing students many exciting opportunities to explore a wide range of political, historical, social, economic, and environmental issues pertaining to Africa. The underlying conception of the African Studies Program emanates from the basic premise that African Studies is a foundational field of study and a global intellectual enterprise, rather than one constrained by territorial boundaries.

For students pursuing a Major or Minor concentration in African Studies, the plan of study begins with an introductory course that explores African issues from an interdisciplinary and global perspective and ends with an advanced research seminar. In addition to facilitating opportunities for students to travel and study in Africa, the Program also offers a course in Swahili, which greatly enhances knowledge of African culture and society and can, along with other courses offered, pave the path towards exciting future career and travel opportunities in Africa. The African Studies Program also sponsors a variety of other types of scholarly and cultural activities throughout the academic year related to Africa and the African diaspora, many of which are initiated by its undergraduate student organization, the African Studies Students Association (ASSA), as well as the 鶹AV African Students Society (MASS).

Please visit for more information.

To register for an African Studies program, you must have been offered admission into the Bachelor of Arts program at 鶹AV. Please refer to this link for further information: /undergraduate-admissions/

Major Concentration African Studies (36 Credits)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Major Concentration African Studies (36 Credits)

Program Requirement

The Major Concentration African Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the African continent.

Students wishing to major in African Studies should consult the Program Advisor at the beginning of their first academic year. In the African Studies Major concentration, students will be encouraged to identify an area within a discipline of the Faculty, taking as many relevant courses as possible in that field.

Required Courses (6 Credits)

AFRI 200 Intro to African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 598 Res Sem in African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Group A (9 credits from)

ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 352 Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Group B (21 credits from)

21 credits from the Group B course lists below drawn from at least 3 disciplines with no more than 9 credits from any one discipline

African Studies

AFRI 401 Swahili Language and Culture 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 480 Honours Thesis 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 481 Special Topics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 499 Arts Internship: African Stud 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 579D1 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 579D2 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Anthropology

ANTH 212 Anthropology of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 411 Primate Studies & Conservation 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 416 Environment/Dev: Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Architecture

ARCH 355 Architectural History 4 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Biology

BIOL 428 Biological Diversity in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOL 429 East African Ecology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOL 451 Res in Ecol&Develop in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Canadian Studies

CANS 415 Black Canada 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Economics

ECON 208 Microeconomic Analysis&Applic 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 313 Economic Development 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 416 Topics in Econ Development 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

English

* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.

* ENGL 320 - Postcolonial Literature
* ENGL 352 - Theories of Difference

ENGL 421 African Literature 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

French

FREN 380 Littératures francophones 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Geography

GEOG 216 Geography of the World Economy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 403 Global Health & Envir. Change 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 404 Environmental Management 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 408 Geography of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 410 Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 416 Africa South of the Sahara 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

GEOG 423 Dilemmas of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

GEOG 451 Res in Society & Dev in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

History

HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 206 Indian Ocean World History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 210 Intro to Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 381 Colonial Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 382 History of South Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 389 Topics: African Country Survey 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 411 Topics in African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 528 Indian Ocean World Slave Trade 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D1 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D2 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

2024-2025 only:

HIST 298 Topics in History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D1 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D2 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Islamic Studies

ISLA 360 Islam and Politics in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 410 History:Middle-East 1798-1918 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D1 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D2 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Natural Resources Sciences

WILD 375 Issues:Environmental Sciences 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Philosophy

PHIL 327 Philosophy of Race 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Political Science

POLI 227 Intro to Compar Pol-Global S. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 522 Seminar:ComparativePolitics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Sociology

SOCI 254 Development&Underdevelopment 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

SOCI 365 Health and Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 370 Sociology: Gender&Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 446 Colonialism and Society 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 484 Emerging Democratic States 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 513 Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 550 Developing Societies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.

Minor Concentration African Studies (18 Credits)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Minor Concentration African Studies (18 Credits)

Program Requirement

The Minor Concentration African Studies is available for those students majoring in a discipline of the Faculty of Arts who wish to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge of Africa.

This program may be expanded to the Major Concentration African Studies.

Required Courses (6 Credits)

AFRI 200 Intro to African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 598 Res Sem in African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Group A (3 credits from)

ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 352 Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Group B (9 credits from)

9 credits from the Group B course lists below drawn from at least 2 disciplines with no more than 6 credits from any one discipline.

African Studies

AFRI 401 Swahili Language and Culture 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 480 Honours Thesis 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 481 Special Topics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 499 Arts Internship: African Stud 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 579D1 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 579D2 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Anthropology

ANTH 212 Anthropology of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 411 Primate Studies & Conservation 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 416 Environment/Dev: Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Architecture

ARCH 355 Architectural History 4 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Biology

BIOL 428 Biological Diversity in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

BIOL 429 East African Ecology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

BIOL 451 Res in Ecol&Develop in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Canadian Studies

CANS 415 Black Canada 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Economics

ECON 208 Microeconomic Analysis&Applic 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 313 Economic Development 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 416 Topics in Econ Development 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

English

* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.

* ENGL 320 - Postcolonial Literature
* ENGL 352 - Theories of Difference

ENGL 421 African Literature 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

French

FREN 380 Littératures francophones 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Geography

GEOG 216 Geography of the World Economy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 403 Global Health & Envir. Change 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 404 Environmental Management 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 408 Geography of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 410 Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 416 Africa South of the Sahara 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

GEOG 423 Dilemmas of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

GEOG 451 Res in Society & Dev in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

History

HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 206 Indian Ocean World History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 210 Intro to Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 381 Colonial Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 382 History of South Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 389 Topics: African Country Survey 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 411 Topics in African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 498 Independent Research 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 528 Indian Ocean World Slave Trade 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D1 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D2 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

2024-2025 only:

HIST 298 Topics in History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D1 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D2 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Islamic Studies

ISLA 360 Islam and Politics in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 410 History:Middle-East 1798-1918 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D1 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D2 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Natural Resources and Sciences

WILD 375 Issues:Environmental Sciences 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Philosophy

PHIL 327 Philosophy of Race 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Political Science

POLI 227 Intro to Compar Pol-Global S. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 522 Seminar:ComparativePolitics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Sociology

SOCI 254 Development&Underdevelopment 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

SOCI 365 Health and Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 370 Sociology: Gender&Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 446 Colonialism and Society 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 484 Emerging Democratic States 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 513 Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 550 Developing Societies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.

Joint Honours Component World Islamic & Middle East Studies (36 Credits)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Joint Honours Component African Studies (36 Credits)

Program Requirement

The Joint Honours program in African Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the African continent.

Students wishing to study at the Honours level in two disciplines can combine Joint Honours program components in any two Arts disciplines. For a list of available Joint Honours programs, see "Overview of Programs Offered" and "Joint Honours Programs". Joint Honours students should consult an adviser in each department to discuss their course selection and their interdisciplinary Honours thesis (if applicable). Joint Honours students are expected to maintain a program GPA of 3.30 and, according to Faculty regulations a minimum CGPA of 3.00 in general.

At least 9 of the 36 credits must be at the 400 level or above.

Required Courses (9 Credits)

AFRI 200 Intro to African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


* AFRI 480 - Honours Thesis
AFRI 598 Res Sem in African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

* Honours Thesis course must be taken for the AFRI Joint Honours component. Students must meet the specific requirements regarding Thesis credits of their second program in addition to the AFRI 480 Honours Thesis.

Group A (9 credits from)

ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 352 Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Group B (18 credits from)

18 credits from the Group B course lists below drawn from at least 3 disciplines with no more than 9 credits from any one discipline.

African Studies

AFRI 401 Swahili Language and Culture 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 481 Special Topics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


AFRI 499 Arts Internship: African Stud 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Anthropology

ANTH 212 Anthropology of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 222 Legal Anthropology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 322 Social Change in Modern Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 355 Theories of Culture & Society 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 411 Primate Studies & Conservation 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 416 Environment/Dev: Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ANTH 451 Res in Society & Dev in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Architecture

ARCH 355 Architectural History 4 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Biology

BIOL 428 Biological Diversity in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

BIOL 429 East African Ecology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

BIOL 451 Res in Ecol&Develop in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Canadian Studies

CANS 415 Black Canada 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Economics

ECON 208 Microeconomic Analysis&Applic 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 313 Economic Development 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ECON 314 Economic Development 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

English

* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.

* ENGL 320 - Postcolonial Literature
* ENGL 352 - Theories of Difference

ENGL 421 African Literature 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

French

FREN 380 Littératures francophones 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Geography

* Note: Normally offered as field courses (in African Studies Field Semester)

GEOG 216 Geography of the World Economy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 302 Environmental Management 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 403 Global Health & Envir. Change 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


* GEOG 404 - Environmental Management 2
GEOG 408 Geography of Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


GEOG 410 Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


* GEOG 416 - Africa South of the Sahara
* GEOG 423 - Dilemmas of Development
* GEOG 451 - Res in Society & Dev in Africa
* GEOG 493 - Health & Environment in Africa

* Note: Normally offered as field courses (in African Studies Field Semester)

History

HIST 200 Intro to African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 201 Modern African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 210 Intro to Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 206 Indian Ocean World History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 381 Colonial Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 382 History of South Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 389 Topics: African Country Survey 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 411 Topics in African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 498 Independent Research 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HIST 528 Indian Ocean World Slave Trade 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D1 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 579D2 Seminar: African History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

2024-2025 only:

HIST 298 Topics in History 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D1 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

HIST 564D2 Seminar: Latin American Hist 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Islamic Studies

ISLA 360 Islam and Politics in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 410 History:Middle-East 1798-1918 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D1 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ISLA 221D2 Introductory Arabic 4.5 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Natural Resource Sciences

WILD 375 Issues:Environmental Sciences 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Philosophy

PHIL 327 Philosophy of Race 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Political Science

POLI 227 Intro to Compar Pol-Global S. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 324 Comparative Politics of Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


POLI 522 Seminar:ComparativePolitics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

*

* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught. Admission to this course will be subject to the Political Science departmental requirements and approval of the Departmental Honours Adviser. Priority will be given to Political Science students.

Sociology

SOCI 254 Development&Underdevelopment 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

SOCI 365 Health and Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 370 Sociology: Gender&Development 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 446 Colonialism and Society 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 484 Emerging Democratic States 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 513 Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


SOCI 550 Developing Societies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.

Courses

AFRI 200

Introduction to African Studies

AFRI 200 is a required course for the AFRI Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 200 Intro to African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PDF icon AFRI 200 Syllabus Fall 2012

AFRI 401

Swahili Language and Culture

AFRI 401 is an optional Complimentary course for the AFRI Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 401 Swahili Language and Culture 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Note: Priority to students in the African Studies program and/or participants of the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program and to students with a demonstrable need related to internship or research. Approval by African Studies Program Advisor required.

AFRI 401

AFRI 480

Honours Thesis

AFRI 480 is an optional Complimentary course for the AFRI Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 480 Honours Thesis 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Microsoft Office document icon AFRI 480/481 Approval Form

Grades

Grades are due one week after end of classes and will be submitted on Minerva by the thesis supervisor. If there are any issues with submitting the grade please contact the Islamic Studies Student Affairs office at info.islamics [at] mcgill.ca.

AFRI 481

Special Topics 1

AFRI 481 is an optional Complimentary course for the AFRI Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 481 Special Topics 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Microsoft Office document icon AFRI 480/481 Approval Form

Grades

Grades are due one week after end of classes and will be submitted on Minerva by the thesis supervisor. If there are any issues with submitting the grade please contact the Islamic Studies Student Affairs office at info.islamics [at] mcgill.ca.

AFRI 499
Arts Internship: African Studies

The AFRI 499 African Studies Intership is an optional complimentary course within the African Studies Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 499 Arts Internship: African Stud 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Students who have attained an Internship through the Internships Office are eligible to take the AFRI 499 Internship course.

The following form must be submitted to the Islamic Studies office for approval:

PDF icon AFRI 499 Application Form

Eligibility Requirements

The Arts Internship is only open to U2 and U3 students in good standing, normally after completing 30 credits of a 90 credit program or 45 credits of a 96 to 120 credit program. A minimum CGPA of 2.7 and permission from the departmental Internship Adviser are required. This course will normally not fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses.

Purpose

The Arts Internship course will provide a vehicle for allowing students who pursue approved internships to gain up to 3 credits towards their degrees. With a university grant, the Faculty of Arts has helped develop departmental data bases listing internship opportunities to be made available on departmental websites, has encouraged the forging of specific internship agreements, and is pursuing fund raising to help finance student internships. Students from each department will be directed to approved internships or will bring other internship opportunities to departmental advisers for approval.

Arts Internships allow students in the Faculty of Arts to gain experience in areas relevant to their fields of study. Arts internships involve a minimum of 150 hours of work in a host institution approved by the student's home department or program.

Work to be Completed

Students must submit the following documentation:

1. Summary of internship activities with a description of the host institution (maximum 5 pages).

2. A letter from the supervisor at the institution attesting to successful completion of the student's tenure.

3. A major topical paper that discusses an aspect of the internship from an academic perspective (maximum 20 pages).

Approval Procedure

The Arts Internship requires approval by the AFRI Program Director. The completed Internship Form must be submitted before the beginning of the internship to the ISID office. The ISID Office will keep a record of approved projects but will leave the responsibility for follow-up and completion with the student and the supervisor. Any changes to topic and/or supervisor must be communicated to a AFRI Program Adviser. Please note that students usually register for AFRI 499, , the term following completion of the internship.

Human Subject Research

Course-based research projects that require students to conduct human subject research must receive ethics review and approval. These projects differ from research in that the intent is for the student to become more knowledgeable about the research process, rather than to contribute to generalizable knowledge. The results of the data are not intended for publication or presentation outside the classroom. The review of these applications may be delegated to the Research Ethics Board (REB) departmental representative and do not normally have to go to the regular REB. This review may not be used for projects carried out as part of a faculty member’s own research. Course projects that involve more than minimal risk, or involve minors or other vulnerable populations, must be reviewed by the REB.

To view the "Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Human Subjects" and to complete the necessary paperwork please visit the Research Ethics Board Website.

Please note, no research project, including student research may begin before approval has been obtained from the REB. No research project will be granted retroactive approval.

Approval Procedure

The deadline for submission of term work (i.e., the final paper is submitted to your supervisor for evaluation) is the last day of classes of the term in which you are registered for the course. This is a Faculty of Arts regulation.

Grades are due one week after end of classes and will be submitted by the project supervisor on Minerva. If there are any problems regarding the grade submission, please contact the Islamic Studies office at info.islamics [at] mcgill.ca.

AFRI 598

Research Seminar in African Studies

AFRI 598 is a required course for the AFRI Major Concentration and Minor Concentration programs.

AFRI 598 Res Sem in African Studies 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

An interdisciplinary research seminar on topics of common interest to staff and students of the African Studies Program. As part of their contribution, students will prepare a research paper under the supervision of one or more members of staff.

Course outlines:

PDF icon AFRI 598 Winter 2024

PDF icon AFRI 598 Winter 2022

PDF icon AFRI 598 Research Seminar in African Studies Winter 2021

PDF icon AFRI 598 Africa and its Diaspora Winter 2020

PDF icon AFRI 598 Winter 2019

PDF icon AFRI 598 Contested Conceptions and Realities of Africa's Past, Present and Future Winter 2018

PDF icon AFRI 598 Winter 2015

PDF icon AFRI 598 Politics and Power Winter 2013

PDF icon AFRI 598 Images of Africa Winter 2012

People

Program Committee

Program Chair


Associate Professor (Department of Political Science and Institute of Islamic Studies)
PhD (University of California, Berkeley)

Program Committee

Sara Abdel-Latif
Assistant Professor (Institute of Islamic Studies)
PhD (Toronto)

Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey
Assistant Professor (Department of History and Classical Studies)
PhD (Yale)

Gwyn Campbell
Professor (Department of History and Classical Studies)
PhD (Wales)

Mbaye Diouf
Assistant Professor (Département des littératures de langue française, de traduction et de création)
PhD (Laval)

Professor Elizabeth Elbourne
Associate Professor (History and Classical Studies)
PhD (Oxford)


Assistant Professor (Department of History and Classical Studies)
PhD (University of Michigan)

R. Nanre Nafziger
Assistant Professor (Faculty of Education)
PhD (Pennsylvania State University)


Associate Professor (Department of Geography)
PhD (University of Arizona)

Affiliated Faculty

Michelle Hartman
Professor (Institute of Islamic Studies)

Student Affairs Coordinator

Adina Sigartau
Morrice Hall 323
(514) 398 4400 ext. 09665
info.islamics [at] mcgill.ca

Liaison Librarian

Anaïs Salamon

Liaison Librarian for African Studies
Head, Islamic Studies Library
Morrice Hall, #109
+1-514-398-4688 / +1-514-449-1952
Email: anais.salamon [at] mcgill.ca

Student Associations

The African Studies Student's Association (ASSA) of 鶹AV represents the students of the African Studies Program. ASSA has three primary goals:

  1. To support and represent the students to the African Studies Program by voicing concerns with the program and posing suggestions for improvement.
  2. To provide social networking on campus for African Studies students and any others interested in African affairs.
  3. To engage the campus in insightful and interactive discussions on African affairs by organizing events in the form of: panel discussions, conferences, movie screenings and more!

Please assa.mcgill [at] gmail.com (email us) and visit our for more information.

鶹AV African Students Society (MASS)

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