African and African American Studies
African and African American Studies
https://caaas.rice.edu/
Jeffrey B. Fleisher
Director, Center for African and African American Studies
jfleisher@rice.edu
The critical scholarly inquiry, mentored research, outward-facing programming, communication skills, global perspective, and commitment to justice long associated with African and African American Studies both draws on and enriches (often through deeply engaged criticism) the best of the liberal arts tradition. The African and African American Studies minor is an interdisciplinary course of study drawing on disciplines from the Humanities and Social Sciences.
The minor allows students to focus on issues of concern in this area of study across the university, including (but not limited to) histories of race and slavery, studies of African and African American culture, religion, philosophy, and race and racialization. Race as a general social-cultural category informs and influences the dynamics of our social world. From national politics and foreign policy, to economic developments, to community sustainability and environmental issues, to cultural clashes and claims and more, race and its implications are evident. As a result, formal attention to studying race and racialization holds great value regardless of one's chosen profession. That is to say, understanding the history and various dynamics of race/racialization as well as how it operates in the present enhances a Rice education, and helps to prepare students for life across a broad range of fields and forms of employment.
Director
Jeffrey B. Fleisher
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Daniel Domingues Da Silva
Director of Graduate Studies
Jeffrey B. Fleisher
Professors
Elias K. Bongmba
Jenifer L. Bratter
Tony N. Brown
Jacqueline Couti
Jeffrey B. Fleisher
W. Caleb McDaniel
Anthony B. Pinn
James Sidbury
Fay Yarbrough
Associate Professors
Alexander X. Byrd
Daniel Domingues Da Silva
Amy E. Dunham
Mary Prendergast
Nicole Waligora-Davis
Kerry Ward
Assistant Professors
Lydia Beaudrot
Margarita Castromán
Amarilys Estrella
Gökçe Günel
Danielle D. King
Victoria Massie
Nana Osei-Opare
Linsey Sainte-Claire
Bryan Washington
Olivia Young
Lecturers
Chase LeSane-Brown
Molly Morgan
For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule
African and African American Studies (AAAS)
AAAS 200 - KNOWING BLACKNESS: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Short Title: INTRO TO AAAS
Department: African & African Amer Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: An exploration of the origins and development of African Studies and African American Studies. Through a focus on the articulation and resolution of field-changing debates, the course introduces students to methodologies and practices that have led to and that continue to lead to knowing Africa and African-descendent people with earnest regard for the complexity and subtlety that the subjects require.
AAAS 300 - CONTEMPORARY BLACK FICTION
Short Title: WRITING BLACK LIVES
Department: African & African Amer Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level
Description: In this course, students will be reading, reflecting, and dissecting short stories, novels, television scripts, and other works of fiction crafted by artists across the Black diaspora. Students will thoroughly discuss process and intent, with an extensive focus on craft.
Course URL: humanities.rice.edu/center-for-african-and-african-american-studies
AAAS 510 - INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Short Title: INTRO TO DIASPORIC STUDIES
Department: African & African Amer Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Course Level: Graduate
Description: This is the core course for the Certificate in African and African American Studies. It will provide an introduction to cross- and multi-disciplinary approaches to the histories, cultures and experiences of African and African Diasporic people, while also introducing students to the work of Rice faculty working in the field.
AAAS 600 - AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES COLLOQUIUM
Short Title: AF & AFAM STUDIES COLLOQUIUM
Department: African & African Amer Studies
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 0
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Course Level: Graduate
Description: Through readings and discussions the colloquium highlights key issues related to African and African American studies for graduate students preparing to conduct research in the field. Repeatable for Credit.
Description and Code Legend
Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference:
Course Catalog/Schedule
- Course offerings/subject codes: Courses from various subjects may apply towards this program
Department (or Program) Description and Code
- African and African American Studies: AAAS
Undergraduate Minor Description and Code
- Minor in African and African American Studies: AAAS
Graduate Certificate Description and Code
-
Certificate in African and African American Studies: AAS
CIP Code and Description1
-
AAAS Minor: CIP Code/Title: 05.0101 - African Studies
-
AAS Certificate: CIP Code/Title: 05.0101 - African Studies
1 | Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020 Codes and Descriptions from the National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/ |