African American Studies

Program Description

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree in African American Studies examines, from numerous disciplinary perspectives, questions of race, culture, and modern struggles for equality centering on the experiences of people of African descent in Black Atlantic societies including the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Africa, including the global impact of those experiences. Students in the program explore the historical, cultural, political, economic, and social development of Black Atlantic societies.

To qualify for the Associate in Arts Degree, students must satisfactorily complete the major requirements specified below and the local AA/AS general education requirements. The completion time for this degree program is generally 4 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and the number of units completed per semester.

This AA degree program requires:

1. Completion of at least 60 degree-applicable semester units including the following:
   1. A minimum of 18 semester units from the program (major) requirements
   2. A minimum of 21 units of local AA/AS General Education requirements
   3. A minimum of 12 of the 60 units must be completed at Merritt College
   4. Courses taken outside the Peralta Community College District will be reviewed and evaluated to determine if they are degree-applicable
   5. If the General Education and the major units do not total 60, complete degree-applicable elective course(s) to reach the required 60 units
2. A minimum grade of “C” (or “P”) for each course in the major
3. A minimum grade of “C” (or “P”) for General Education Area 1A: English Composition and Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning
4. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 in General Education coursework and in all coursework for the degree

As this degree alone may not be complete preparation for transfer, students wishing to transfer to a 4-year institution should meet with a counselor to develop a plan that addresses all transfer requirements.

Career Opportunities

Equal to any liberal arts degree with transfer emphasis

Learning Outcome(s)

1. Critical Thinking (Prepare) Students will be able to examine research, ideologies, issues and text from an African Centered point of view that illuminates the uniqueness of the Black experience in a wholistic and contextualized manner.
2. Organizing Ideologies and Tactics (Apply and Engage) Students will be able to compare, contrast and evaluate different philosophies and means for addressing issues of concern in the African world community. Students will engage in organizations and methods that empower African people.
3. Global Pan-African Perspective (Speak, Engage) Students will recognize and apply their identity and activism from a unified understanding of the race, culture and heritage of African people.
4. Cultural Pride and Racial Identity (Define and Maintain) Students will exhibit a positive self and collective awareness in their race and heritage.
5. African Centered Perspective in All Areas of Life and Work (Observe and Respond) Students will develop a perspective and behavior that incorporates African Centered thought into all areas of life; including family, work, community commitment and social justice activities.
6. College Level Performance in Writing and Reading (Prepare) Students will be able to read and write with intellectual integrity; accessing, critically evaluating and synthesizing information from scholarly resources and expressing them in written form.
7. Applying Knowledge to Advanced Study (Prepare) Students will be prepared to successfully complete academic work at the institution they transfer to.
8. Community Involvement and Activism (Contribute) Students will understand the role they must play in combating oppression in the African world community. They will have an enhanced self-awareness about the power of collective action and the role of the individual in collective justice.