BA with a Major in Black Studies
Degree Requirements
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Black Studies degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Major Requirements | 33-36 | |
| General Education and Electives to reach minimum Total Hours | 84-87 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| BLST 100 | Introduction to Black Studies a,b | 3 |
| BLST 101 | Introduction to Black Diaspora Studies c,d | 3 |
| BLST 206 | Black Studies and the Production of Knowledge e | 3 |
| BLST 246 | Black Lives in Historical Context b,d | 3 |
| BLST 401 | Senior Seminar in Black Studies | 3 |
| Select one of the following history courses: f | 3 | |
| Precolonial Africa in World History c,d | ||
| History of Modern Africa c,d | ||
| African American History to 1877 b,d | ||
| African American History since 1877 b,d | ||
| Select one course from each of the following four categories: g | 9-12 | |
| Black Queer and Feminist Studies h | ||
| Black Freedom Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Race, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Black Studies i | ||
| Cultural Production and Analysis h | ||
| Black Politics and Culture in the United States | ||
| Race, Place, and Schooling: Black Americans and Education | ||
| Black Film, 1900 - Present: Images, Individuals and Ideas on Screen | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| African American History to 1877 | ||
| African American History since 1877 | ||
| Black Freedom Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| African American Art | ||
| Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Topics in African Literature | ||
| Topics in Black Studies i | ||
| Diasporic and Transnational Studies h | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Black Religious Traditions | ||
| African and Caribbean Francophone Literature in Translation | ||
| Racism: Global Perspectives | ||
| Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology | ||
| Black Diaspora Studies | ||
| Topics in African Literature | ||
| Topics in Black Studies i | ||
| Race, Politics, and Institutions h | ||
| Black Politics and Culture in the United States | ||
| Race, Place, and Schooling: Black Americans and Education | ||
| Black Film, 1900 - Present: Images, Individuals and Ideas on Screen | ||
| Racism: Global Perspectives | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Groups | ||
| Black Diaspora Studies | ||
| African American History to 1877 | ||
| African American History since 1877 | ||
| Black Freedom Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Race and Urban Life | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| Race and the Politics of Incarceration | ||
| Race, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Black Studies i | ||
| Select 6 additional hours of Black Studies courses in consultation with a departmental advisor (distributed in the following way): | 6 | |
300-level: at least 3 hours j | ||
400-level: at least 3 hours | ||
| Total Hours | 33-36 | |
- a
This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
- b
This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.
- c
This course is approved for the Exploring World Cultures General Education category.
- d
This course is approved for the Understanding the Past General Education category.
- e
BLST 206 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
- f
Course may also be used to satisfy one of the four thematic categories.
- g
Students may not apply course credits to satisfy the requirement of more than one thematic area. BLST 247 and BLST 248 may also be used to satisfy history requirement.
- h
Students should consult General Education section of the catalog to determine which of the following courses are approved General Education courses.
- i
BLST 294 may be used to satisfy this category only if topic is consistent with thematic area. Course cannot be used to satisfy the requirement of more than one thematic area.
- j
Students wishing to substitute 400-level courses for those at the 300 level may do so with the permission of the department.
Recommended Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning course | 5 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| BLST 100 | Introduction to Black Studies a,d | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| BLST 101 | Introduction to Black Diaspora Studies | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BLST 1XX or BLST 2XX (Designated Cultural Production and Analysis course) a | 3 | |
| BLST 246 | Black Lives in Historical Context | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BLST 1XX or BLST 2XX (Designated Diasporic and Transitional Studies course) b | 3 | |
| BLST 206 | Black Studies and the Production of Knowledge | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 13-15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BLST 1XX or BLST 2XX (Designated Black Queer and Feminist Studies course) c | 3 | |
| BLST 1XX or BLST 2XX (Designated Race, Politics, and Institutions course) d | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BLST 3XX or BLST 4XX e | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BLST 3XX or BLST 4XX c | 3 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BLST 401 | Senior Seminar in Black Studies | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- a
Cultural Production and Analysis courses include: BLST 103, BLST 104, BLST 105, BLST 110, BLST 111, BLST 247, BLST 248, BLST 249, BLST 250, BLST 261, BLST 262, BLST 264, BLST 265, BLST 266, BLST 294.
- b
Diasporic and Transnational Studies courses include: BLST 110, BLST 125, BLST 191, BLST 207, BLST 210, BLST 229, BLST 266, BLST 294.
- c
Black Queer and Feminist Studies courses include: BLST 249,BLST 261, BLST 272, BLST 294.
- d
Race, Politics, and Institutions courses include: BLST 103, BLST 104, BLST 105, BLST 207, BLST 225, BLST 229, BLST 247, BLST 248, BLST 249, BLST 250, BLST 258, BLST 262, BLST 271, BLST 272, BLST 294.
- e
Students are required to take an additional 6 hours in BLST courses selected in consultation with a departmental advisor, and distributed as follows: at least 3 hours at the 300 level and at least 3 hours at the 400 level.
- f
BLST 206 satisfies the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.