College Schools, Departments & Programs

African Studies

Course Descriptions
  • AFRI-L 100 Topics in African Society and Culture (3 cr.) Study of selected topics in African studies not covered in existing regularly scheduled courses. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  • AFRI-L 102 Akan Social Life and Cultural Heritage (3 cr.) Introduction to the life, basic customs, and traditions of Akan-speaking peoples, especially the Asante of Ghana, West Africa. Examines such subjects as Akan politics, esthetics, and cultural practices. Increases understanding and appreciation of the life and heritage of the Akan as represented by the Asante people.
  • AFRI-L 202 Occultism in Africa (3 cr.) Examines occultism in Africa by identifying major forms and their power of influence within selected regions. Develops a clear intellectual understanding of occult practice in Africa and the major role it plays there.
  • AFRI-L 210 Popular Akan Oral Art Forms (3 cr.) Explores popular elements of Akan oral art and their influence on the Akan culture in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. Promotes a clear understanding of popular forms of African expressive culture and the major roles they play in the cultures that create them, using Akan as the prime example.
  • AFRI-L 231 African Civilization (3 cr.) A historical introduction to Africa. Credit given for only one of AFRI-L 231 or HIST-H 227.
  • AFRI-L 232 Contemporary Africa (3 cr.) An introduction to current social, economic, and political issues in Africa.
  • AFRI-L 250 African Expressive Routines (3 cr.) Introduction to selected oral art forms and traditions of some Sub-Saharan African societies. Emphasis is on the esthetics and communicational mores that regulate the people’s verbal behavior. Enhances understanding and appreciation of African interactional practices, especially verbal artistry and expressive culture.
  • AFRI-L 400 Topics in African Studies (3 cr.) Intensive study of selected topics in African studies. Studies in special topics not ordinarily covered by African Studies program courses. May not duplicate a regularly offered course. Topics vary. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
  • AFRI-X 390 Readings and Research in African Studies (1-3 cr.) P: Junior or senior standing and approval of instructor. Independent readings or research project in African Studies. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours in X390 and L401.
  • AFRI-X 473 Internship in African Studies (1-4 cr.) Provides students with an opportunity to receive academic credit for work/service in an organization in Africa, or in a U.S. based organization focused on Africa or working with an African constituency. Requires a research paper related to the internship. S/F grading. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours in X473 and L402
African Languages
  • AFRI-B 101 Elementary Bamana I (4 cr.) Introduction to Bamana, a Mande language of West Africa, and aspects of Bamana culture. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 101 or LING-B 101.
  • AFRI-B 102 Elementary Bamana II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-B 101 or LING-B 101, or equivalent proficiency. Introduction to Bamana, a Mande language of West Africa, and aspects of Bamana culture. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 102 or LING-B 102.
  • AFRI-B 201 Intermediate Bamana I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-B 102 or LING-B 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking and writing. Reading of elementary texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 201 or LING-B 201.
  • AFRI-B 202 Intermediate Bamana II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-B 201 or LING-B 201, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking and writing. Reading of elementary texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 202 or LING-B 202.
  • AFRI-B 301 Advanced Bamana I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-B 202 or LING-B 202, or equivalent proficiency. Examination of subtle nuances in grammatical structures. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Composition. Oriented to needs of students enrolled. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 301 or LING-B 301.
  • AFRI-B 302 Advanced Bamana II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-B 301 or LING-B 301, or equivalent proficiency. Examination of subtle nuances in grammatical structures. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Composition. Oriented to the needs of students enrolled. Credit given for only one of AFRI-B 302 or LING-B 302.
  • AFRI-K 100 Akan Language for Business and Tourist Communication (3 cr.) Large deposits of commercial oil were recently discovered in Ghana, prompting business personnel and tourists to learn the Akan language for business purposes in the sub-region. This course introduces students to the language and culture of the Akan people and helps learners engage native speakers in basic conversation. May not be used toward the CASE Foreign Language requirement.
  • AFRI-K 101 Elementary Akan I (4 cr.) Introduction to Akan, a major language of West Africa, spoken by the Akan peoples of Ghana. With approximately three million speakers, it is the major language of Ghana. Also spoken by thousands of people in the Ivory Coast. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 101 or LING-K 101.
  • AFRI-K 102 Elementary Akan II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-K 101 or LING-K 101, or equivalent proficiency. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on spoken language-oral and listening comprehension, language use in specific social settings like the market, school, hospital, doctor's office, among others. Important cultural points such as food, clothing, marriage. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 102 or LING-K 102.
  • AFRI-K 201 Intermediate Akan I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-K 102 or LING-K 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills, speaking and writing. Reading of elementary texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 201 or LING-K 201.
  • AFRI-K 202 Intermediate Akan II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-K 201 or LING-K 201, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills, speaking, writing and reading texts. Attention on oral and written composition, reading and listening comprehension, and translation. Description of cultural events through the use of videos and Internet resources. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 202 or LING-K 202.
  • AFRI-K 301 Advanced Akan I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-K 202 or LING-K 202, or equivalent proficiency. Examination of subtle nuances in grammatical structures. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 301 or LING-K 301.
  • AFRI-K 302 Advanced Akan II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-K 301 or LING-K 301, or equivalent proficiency. Study of complex grammatical structures and more complex contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions, advanced reading and listening comprehension and translation of complex texts from English to Akan. Credit given for only one of AFRI-K 302 or LING-K 302.
  • AFRI-S 101 Elementary Swahili I (4 cr.) Introduction to Swahili, a Bantu language spoken in East Africa, and to aspects of Bantu culture. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 101 or LING-S 101.
  • AFRI-S 102 Elementary Swahili II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-S 101 or LING-S 101, or equivalent proficiency. Introduction to Swahili, a Bantu language spoken in East Africa, and aspects of Bantu culture. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 102 or LING-S 102.
  • AFRI-S 201 Intermediate Swahili I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-S 102 or LING-S 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking and writing. Reading of elementary texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 201 or LING-S 201.
  • AFRI-S 202 Intermediate Swahili II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-S 201 or LING-S 201, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking and writing. Reading of elementary texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 202 or LING-S 202.
  • AFRI-S 301 Advanced Swahili I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-S 202 or LING-S 202, or equivalent proficiency. Examination of subtle nuances in grammatical structures. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Composition. Oriented to needs of students enrolled. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 301 or LING-S 301.
  • AFRI-S 302 Advanced Swahili II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-S 301 or LING-S 301, or equivalent proficiency. Examination of subtle nuances in grammatical structures. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Credit given for only one of AFRI-S 302 or LING-S 302.
  • AFRI-W 101 Elementary Wolof I (4 cr.) Introduction to Wolof language and cultures. Wolof is spoken in West Africa, especially in Senegal, Mauritania, the Gambia, and Mali. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis is on the spoken language. Exposure to cultural and social settings through the use of electronic media. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 101 or LING-X 101.
  • AFRI-W 102 Elementary Wolof II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-W 101 or LING-X 101, or equivalent proficiency. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis is on the spoken language--oral and listening comprehension, and language use in specific social settings. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 102 or LING-X 102.
  • AFRI-W 201 Intermediate Wolof I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-W 102 or LING-X 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking, writing, and reading texts. Attention to oral and written compositions, reading, listening comprehension, and translation of texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 201 or LING-X 201.
  • AFRI-W 202 Intermediate Wolof II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-W 201 or LING-X 201, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills: speaking, writing, and reading texts. Attention to oral and written compositions, reading, listening comprehension, and translation of texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 202 or LING-X 202.
  • AFRI-W 301 Advanced Wolof I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-W 202 or LING-X 202 or equivalent proficiency. Study of complex grammatical structures and complex contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions, listening comprehension, and translation of complex texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 301 or LING-X 301.
  • AFRI-W 302 Advanced Wolof II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-W 301 or LING-X 301 or equivalent proficiency. Study of complex grammatical structures and complex contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions, listening comprehension, and translation of complex texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-W 302 or LING-X 302.
  • AFRI-X 391 Individual Study of an African Language (1-4 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Individual study of an African language at the 300 level. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours in AFRI-X 391 and LING-A 300.
  • AFRI-X 491 Advanced Individual Study of an African Language (1-4 cr.) P: 300-level proficiency in the chosen language. Advanced individual study of any African language beyond the 300 level. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours in AFRI-X 491 and LING-A 400.
  • AFRI-Y 101 Elementary Yoruba I (4 cr.) Introduction to Yoruba language, a major African language spoken in Nigeria. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on spoken language, listening comprehension, language used in everyday life and in specific social settings. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 101 or LING-Y 101.
  • AFRI-Y 102 Elementary Yoruba II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Y 101 or LING-Y 101, or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of work begun on basic skills with continued emphasis on oral skills and reading comprehension. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 102 or LING-Y 102.
  • AFRI-Y 201 Intermediate Yoruba I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Y 102 or LING-Y 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on the active skills of speaking and writing. Reading and translation of elementary texts. Survey of cultural activities. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 201 or LING-Y 201.
  • AFRI-Y 202 Intermediate Yoruba II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Y 201 or LING-Y 201, or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of the study of more complex structures, with emphasis on the active skills of speaking and writing. Reading of elementary to intermediate texts. Continued survey of cultural activities. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 202 or LING-Y 202.
  • AFRI-Y 301 Advanced Yoruba I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Y 202 or LING-Y 202, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures and contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions. Listening and reading comprehension of complex texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 301 or LING-Y 301.
  • AFRI-Y 302 Advanced Yoruba II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Y 301 or LING-Y 301, or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of Y301. Study of more complex grammatical structures and contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions. Listening and reading comprehension of complex texts. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Y 302 or LING-Y 302.
  • AFRI-Z 101 Elementary Zulu I (4 cr.) Introduction to Zulu language and culture. Zulu is spoken in South Africa and the neighboring countries of Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho by about 10 million people. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary, emphasis on the spoken language and cultural awareness. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 101 or LING-Z 101.
  • AFRI-Z 102 Elementary Zulu II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Z 101 or LING-Z 101, or equivalent proficiency. Basic grammatical structures and vocabulary. Emphasis on the spoken language, oral and listening comprehension, and language use in specific social settings. Uses videos and Internet resources. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 102 or LING-Z 102.
  • AFRI-Z 201 Intermediate Zulu I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Z 102 or LING-Z 102, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills of speaking, writing and reading texts. Emphasis on oral and written compositions, reading and listening comprehension, and translation of texts. Description of cultural events through the use of videos and Internet resources. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 201 or LING-Z 201.
  • AFRI-Z 202 Intermediate Zulu II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Z 201 or LING-Z 201, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures, with emphasis on active skills of speaking, writing, and reading texts. Emphasis on oral and written compositions, reading and listening comprehension, and translation of texts. Description of cultural events through the use of videos and Internet resources. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 202 or LING-Z 202.
  • AFRI-Z 301 Advanced Zulu I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Z 202 or LING-Z 202, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures and more complex contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions, advanced listening comprehension and translation of complex texts. Uses videos and Internet resources Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 301 or LING-Z 301.
  • AFRI-Z 302 Advanced Zulu II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in AFRI-Z 301 or LING-Z 301, or equivalent proficiency. Study of more complex grammatical structures and of more complex contextual discourse patterns. Advanced readings of traditional and modern literature. Advanced oral and written compositions, advanced listening comprehension and translation of complex texts. Uses videos and Internet resources. Credit given for only one of AFRI-Z 302 or LING-Z 302.