Course Information
Below are the approved courses offered by Africana Studies at USD. Not all courses offered below will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Non-Africana Studies Course Options
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our course requirements, applicable courses for the minor from other departments are not listed below.
For a full list of course requirements (and potential courses), review our curriculum page or visit the course catalog.
Course Descriptions
AFST 100
Fundamentals of Africana Studies I
Units: 3
This course focuses on the interconnections of people that have originated on the continent we know as Africa, and their journeys into the wider world. It is a story of triumph, of disaster, of hope and heartbreak and isolation. It is the story of violence and artistic brilliance, of success and destruction. It is the story of Africa, the diaspora, and the wider world. After taking this class, students should have a working knowledge of many of the major events of African history as well as developed necessary critical thinking and close reading skills. The writing component of the course will further teach students to synthesize their ideas into clear and well-supported arguments. A student leaving this course will be a better writer, a stronger arguer, and capable of making long-range connections between the peoples of Africa who have impacted our wider world. Cross-listed with HIST 172.
AFST 101
Fundamentals of Africana Studies II
Units: 3
This course studies the history and development of religion and theology during and after the transatlantic slave trade. We will look at the development of Catholicism in its relation to African Traditional Religions and evaluate how they influenced and altered Black religious beliefs in the modern world. Cross-listed with THRS 125.
AFST 294
Special Topics in Africana Studies
Units: 0.5 TO 4
Topics of special interest and/or unique opportunity within the field of Africana Studies.
AFST 494
Special Topics in Africana Studies
Units: 0.5 TO 4
Topics of special interest and/or unique opportunity within the field of Africana Studies.