Black Studies

Program Details | Black Studies BA/BS/Minor/Certificate

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Black Studies Major

In addition to meeting the general University degree requirements, students majoring in Black Studies must complete three areas in the program for a total of 60 credits:

  • Required Courses (12 credits)
  • One Black Studies Course at the 400 level (4 credits)
  • Lower Division Black Studies Electives (8 credits)
  • Upper Division Electives in Black Studies (24 credits)
  • Elective Credits (12 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

  • BST 202: Introduction to Black Studies (4)
  • BST 396: Research Methodologies in Black Studies (4)—Prerequisite: BST 202, BST 203, BST 204 or BST 206
  • BST 407: Seminar (4)

One Black Studies Course at the 400 level (4 credits)

Choose one class from BST 411-499 (excludes BST 401-410)

Lower Division Black Studies Electives (8 credits)

Choose two classes

  • BST 203 African American History I – Slavery to the Harlem Renaissance
  • BST 204 African American History II – From the Depression Era to Civil Rights—Prerequisite: BST 203
  • BST 206 Caribbean Studies  
  • BST 207 Race, Class, and Gender 
  • BST 211 African Studies (Crosslisted with UNST 233L (Global Perspectives) and INTL 211A)
  • BST 214 Contemporary Race and Ethnic Relations 
  • BST 221 Introduction to African American Literature 
  • BST 261 The African American Economic Experience

Upper Division Electives in Black Studies (24 credits)

  • ARH 399-The Black Arts Movement
  • BST 301U or HST 301U or WS 335U Women in African History
  • BST 302U The Contemporary African American Experience  
  • BST 304U WIC: The Civil Rights Movement—Prerequisite:  BST 202 or BST 203
  • BST 305U or HST 312U African History, Before 1800—Prerequisite:  BST 202 or BST 211
  • BST 306U or HST 313U African History, 1800-Present—Prerequisite:  BST 211
  • BST 316 Issues in African American Education 
  • BST 318U Black Families in the U.S. 
  • BST 319U or ANTH 319U Traditional Cultures of Africa—Expected preparation: BST 211
  • BST 325U Race and Ethnicity in Latin America 
  • BST 326U Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico 
  • BST 333U Protests & People Power in Contemporary Africa
  • BST 335U The Multi-Racial Experience
  • BST 339U Afro-Futurisms/Black Science Fiction  
  • BST 342U Black Feminism/Womanism 
  • BST 345U Black Popular Music: Contextualizing the Black Experience
  • BST 351U or ENG 351U African American Literature 
  • BST 352U or ENG 352U African American Literature—Prerequisite:  BST 221
  • BST 353U African Women in Film 
  • BST 356U Cuban Film: Politics and Culture
  • BST 357U Caribbean Spirituality & Resistance 
  • BST 359:  African Diaspora in Europe
  • BST 362U or ANTH 362U African Prehistory—Prerequisite:  BST 211 and ANTH 102

 

  • BST 363U African Cinema & Culture
  • BST 368U Gender & Sexualities in Africa
  • BST 372U or INTL 372U Postcolonial African Studies 
  • BST 377U Vodoun, Rasta and Islam in the African Diaspora
  • BST 378 Philosophy of Race  
  • BST 384U African Immigrant Communities in Oregon—Expected preparation: BST 202, BST 211, or any lower division BST course  
  • BST 412U Oregon African American History—Prerequisites: BST 202 or BST 204
  • BST 413 Slavery—Prerequisites: BST 202, BST 203, BST 206 and BST 214
  • BST 414 Racism 
  • BST 415 Race, Punishment and Justice 
  • BST 419U African American Women in America—Prerequisite: Either BST 202, BST 203, or BST 207 
  • BST 420U Caribbean Literature—Prerequisite: One previous African American literature course and 12 additional literature credits  
  • BST 421 African American Writers—Prerequisite: BST 221
  • BST 422U or ENG 422 African Fiction
  • BST 425 Black Cinema: The 1970s 
  • BST 426U Contemporary African American Cinema 
  • BST 430 Black Political Thought 
  • BST 440U Caribbean Studies—Prerequisite: BST 211 or BST 206  
  • BST 466 History of the Black Panther Party
  • BST 467U African Development Issues—Prerequisite: BST 211  
  • BST 484U African American Community Development—Prerequisites: BST 202 or BST 204
  • BST 489 Afro Latin@ Narratives  

Elective Credits (12 credits)

Choose any combination of classes from the Upper Division Electives in Black Studies above or the following courses:

  • ARH 399-The Black Arts Movement
  • FR 435 Francophone Literature of the 20th Century–Expected preparation: at least 8 credits from Fr 341, Fr 342, or Fr 343.
  • GEOG 363U Geography of sub-Saharan Africa
  • MUS 374U World Music: Africa and the Middle East
  • SOC 337U Prejudice, Privilege, and Power
  • WS 330U Women of Color in the United States

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Black Studies Minor

A minor in Black Studies consists of 28 credits. Students will be required to take:

  • Lower Division Black Studies Courses (8 credits)
  • Upper Division Courses (12 credits)
  • Related Courses within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (8 credits)

Lower Division Black Studies Courses (8 credits)

Choose two classes

  • BST 202: Introduction to Black Studies
  • BST 203 African American History I – Slavery to the Harlem Renaissance
  • BST 204 African American History II – From the Depression Era to Civil Rights—Prerequisite: BST 203
  • BST 206 Caribbean Studies  
  • BST 207 Race, Class, and Gender 
  • BST 211 African Studies–Crosslisted with UNST 233L (Global Perspectives) and INTL 211A

Upper-Division Courses (12 credits)

Choose three classes

  • ARH 399-The Black Arts Movement
  • BST 302U The Contemporary African American Experience  
  • BST 304U WIC: The Civil Rights Movement—Prerequisite:  BST 202 or BST 203
  • BST 305U or HST 312U African History, Before 1800—Prerequisite:  BST 202 or BST 211
  • BST 306U or HST 313U African History, 1800-Present—Prerequisite:  BST 211
  • BST 316 Issues in African American Education 
  • BST 318U Black Families in the U.S. 
  • BST 319U or ANTH 319U Traditional Cultures of Africa—Expected preparation: BST 211
  • BST 325U Race and Ethnicity in Latin America 
  • BST 326U Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico 
  • BST 335U The Multi-Racial Experience 
  • BST 342U Black Feminism/Womanism 
  • BST 345U Black Popular Music: Contextualizing the Black Experience
  • BST 351U or ENG 351U African American Literature
  • BST 352U or ENG 352U African American Literature—Prerequisite:  BST 221
  • BST 353U African Women in Film 
  • BST 356U Cuban Film: Politics and Culture 
  • BST 357U Caribbean Spirituality & Resistance 
  • BST 359:  African Diaspora in Europe

 

  • BST 362U or ANTH 362U African Prehistory—Prerequisite: BST 211 and ANTH 102
  • BST 363U African Cinema & Culture 
  • BST 372U Postcolonial African Studies–Crosslisted with INTL 372U
  • BST 377U Vodoun, Rasta and Islam in the African Diaspora 
  • BST 384U African Immigrant Communities in Oregon—Expected preparation: BST 202, BST 211, or any lower division BST course
  • BST 412U Oregon African American History—Prerequisites: BST 202 or BST 204
  • BST 413 Slavery—Prerequisites: BST 202, BST 203, BST 206 and BST 214
  • BST 414 Racism 
  • BST 419U African American Women in America—Prerequisite: Either BST 202, BST 203, or BST 207 
  • BST 420U Caribbean Literature—Prerequisites: One previous African American literature course and 12 additional literature credits  
  • BST 421 African American Writers—Prerequisite: BST 221
  • BST 422U or ENG 422 African Fiction
  • BST 425 Black Cinema: The 1970s 
  • BST 426U Contemporary African American Cinema 
  • BST 430 Black Political Thought 
  • BST 440U Caribbean Studies—Prerequisite: BST 211 or BST 206  
  • BST 467U African Development Issues—Prerequisite: BST 211  
  • BST 484U African American Community Development—Prerequisites: BST 202 or BST 204

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Black Studies Certificate

A certificate in Black Studies consists of 16 credits (4 courses). All certificate courses must be taken at PSU. This certificate can be earned on its own, separate from completion of a bachelor’s degree.

Students will be required to take 4 course with a BST prefix:

  • Any two Black Studies Courses (8 credits), see list of BST courses in the Black Studies major above.
  • Two Black Studies Courses from the diaspora (8 credits), list below.

Diaspora List (8 credits)

Choose two classes:

  • BSt 202 Introduction to Black Studies
  • BSt 203 African American History I - Slavery to the Harlem Renaissance
  • BSt 204 African American History II - From the Depression Era to Civil Rights
  • BSt 206 Caribbean Studies
  • BSt 207 Race, Class, & Gender
  • BSt 214 Contemporary Race and Ethnic Relations
  • BSt 221 Introduction to African American Literature
  • BSt 261 The African American Economic Experience
  • BSt 302U The Contemporary African American Experience
  • BSt 304 The Civil Rights Movement
  • BSt 316 Issues in African American Education
  • BSt 318U Black Families in the U.S.
  • BSt 325U Race & Ethnicity in Latin America
  • BSt 326U Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
  • BSt 335U The Multi-Racial Experience
  • BSt 339U Afro-Futurisms/Black Science Fiction
  • BSt 342U Black Feminism/Womanism
  • BSt 345U Black Popular Music: Contextualizing the Black Experience
  • BSt 351U African American Literature I
  • BSt 352U African American Literature II
  • BSt 356U Cuban Film: Politics and Culture

 

  • BSt 357U Caribbean Spirituality and Resistance
  • BSt 359U The African Diaspora in Europe
  • BSt 377U Vodoun, Rasta and Islam in the African Diaspora
  • BSt 378 Philosophy of Race
  • BSt 396 Research Methodologies in Black Studies
  • BSt 411 African American History Seminar
  • BSt 412 Oregon African American History
  • BSt 413 Slavery
  • BSt 414 Racism
  • BSt 415 Race, Justice, & Punishment
  • BSt 419 African American Women in America
  • BSt 420 Caribbean Literature
  • BSt 421 African American Writers
  • BSt 425 Black Cinema: The 1970s
  • BSt 426 Contemporary African American Cinema
  • BSt 430 Black Political Thought
  • BSt 440 Caribbean Studies
  • BSt 444 Food Justice
  • BSt 450 Topics in African/Caribbean History & Culture
  • BSt 466 History of the Black Panther Party
  • BSt 484 African American Community Development
  • BSt 489 Afro-Latin@ Narratives

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