African Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that covers African topics through a coordinated set of courses offered in the Departments of Anthropology, Communication, Ethnic Studies, History, Literature, Music, Political Science, Sociology, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts. In addition to the offerings at UCSD, opportunities for further study in Africa and Europe are avail- able through the University of California Education Abroad Program and the UCSD Opportunities Abroad Program. Students develop a broad background in African histories, societies, cultures and politics. A minor in African Studies signals a candidate with a strong global perspective and offers a competitive edge in career and academic possibilities.

A minor in African Studies consists of six total courses.
Take a minimum of one course from Groups A, B, and C,
but take no more than four courses in any one department.
Detailed course descriptions are available in the course
catalog and up-to-date class information is available
through the departments.

African Studies Minor
Spring 2025 Course Offerings

We are gearing up for AAASRC’s 31st Anniversary Awards Banquet on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm at the Atkinson Pavilion of the UCSD Faculty Club. As usual, the Banquet will begin with a meet-and-greet hour in the courtyard and will then move into the building t 6:00 pm. The donor link is https://giveto.ucsd.edu/giving/home/gift-referral/87b36118-eb31-4014-a657-60e8fe032349/ If you have trouble clicking on the link, you may go to the main Give to UCSD page and enter AAASRC in the Fund Search box and select the fund from the search results.

Our keynote speaker this year is UCSD alumna, Sabrina Strings, Ph.D. (Professor and North Hall Chair of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara). Her research examines race, gender, and embodiment in science, media, and medicine. She has been featured in dozens of venues, including BBC News, NPR, Huffington Post, NowThis!, Essence, Vogue, TIME, and The New York Times. Professor Strings is also featured in the Netflix docuseries, “The Black Beauty Effect.” She is the author of the award-winning book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (NYU Press, 2019). Her second book, The End of Love: Racism, Sexism and the Death of Romance, is the subject of her keynote address for AAASRC’s Awards Banquet. More information about Professor Strings may be found on her website at: https://www.sabrinastrings.com.

The Banquet will honor the outstanding achievements of African Studies students, faculty, staff, and community members.  Tables of eight are available for purchase for $650.00. Support for individual students is $25.00. Early bird ticket purchases are due by Thursday, May 8, 2025 at $81.25 a piece. Day of Ceremony Tickets will be available in a very limited number for $85 each.

We look forward to seeing you at this very exciting event.
With all the best, 

Bennetta Jules-Rosette
Distinguished Professor of Sociology
Director, African and African-American Studies Research Center
University of California, San Diego
858-534-9063
fax: 858-534-4753
bjulesrosette@ucsd.edu

and

Lea Marie Ruiz-Ade
Social Media Chair, AAASRC