Earning a Minor in Black Studies
Minor Requirements
If you have questions regarding the Black Studies minor or are interested in declaring the minor, please contact Kibby Smith, Academic Advisor, at smithkib@missouri.edu.
To receive a minor in Black Studies an undergraduate student must complete a minimum of 15 hours of required coursework including the following:
- BLSTU 1000 Introduction to Black Studies
- Twelve (12) credit hours spread across four areas of concentration, with three (3) hours in each of the following (see below for courses taught in each area of concentration):
- Black Politics
- Arts, Literature, and Culture
- Africa and African Diaspora Studies
- Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Class
At least two (2) of the above area studies courses must be 2000-level or above and one (1) of the above area studies courses must be 3000-level or above.
Minor Policies
- A minimum of fifteen (15) credits are required to complete the minor.
- A minimum of nine (9) hours must be completed at MU.
- A minimum of six (6) credits are required at the 2000 level.
- A minimum of three (3) credits are required at the 3000 level.
- All required minor coursework must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
- A minimum minor GPA of 2.0 is required to earn the minor.
- A minor must be completed and awarded at the same time as the MU undergraduate degree.
- Complete the minor form with the department advisor. Then turn the form into the A&S Advisement Center, 107 Lowry Hall for final approval.
- You cannot use the same coursework for multiple A&S minors.
- Minor coursework cannot also be used in Foreign Language Alternative.
- Once an A&S minor is awarded, a student cannot return to MU to complete a major in the same department.
Courses
For a list of courses currently being taught please visit our page Current Courses in Black Studies.
For a list of all Black Studies courses, please visit the Registrar's Black Studies Course Offerings page.
Please consult with our advisor, Kibby Smith, or our Director of Undergraduate Studies before making a plan for your minor.
Black Studies Courses in their Areas of Concentration
1. Black Politics
BLSTU 1704 Introduction to Black Politics
BLSTU 2704 African Political Thought
BLSTU 2804 Black Political Thought
BLSTU 3200 Black Freedom Movement, 1955-1973
BLSTU 3230 Black Sexual Politics
BLSTU 3850 Gender, Hip Hop, and the Politics of Representation
BLSTU 4130 African-American Politics
BLSTU 4303 Race, Class, Gender, & U.S. Social Policy
BLSTU 4415 African American Justice
BLSTU 4640 African Politics
BLSTU 4720 Third World Politics
2. Arts, Literature, and Culture
BLSTU 1250 World Theatre Workshop
BLSTU 1335 Intro to Soul & Country
BLSTU 1705 Intro to Black Studies in Culture
BLSTU 1720 African-American Theatre History
BLSTU 2150 African-American Cinema
BLSTU 2310 Literature of the African Diaspora
BLSTU 2400 Introduction to African Diaspora Literature
BLSTU 2407 Introduction to African Diaspora Literature, 1603-1789
BLSTU 2408 Introduction to African Diaspora Literature, 1789-1890
BLSTU 2409 Introduction to African Diaspora Literature, 1890-Present
BLSTU 2610 Languages of Africa
BLSTU 2715 Studies in Black Culture
BLSTU 2720 African-American Visual Culture
BLSTU 3005 Americans in Paris
BLSTU 3100 African American Psychology
BLSTU 3248 Periods and Genres in African Diaspora Literature, 1789-1890
BLSTU 3303 Black Athletes
BLSTU 3400 Survey of African American Literature, Beginnings
BLSTU 3410 Survey of African American Literature, 1900-Present
BLSTU 3420 Periods and Genres in African Diaspora Literature
BLSTU 3424 Periods and Genres in African Diaspora Literature, 1890-Present
BLSTU 3427 Periods and Genres in African Diaspora Literature, 1603-1789
BLSTU 3625 Comparative Approaches to Black Studies in Culture
BLSTU 3705 Themes in Black Culture
BLSTU 4181 Themes in Literature by Women
BLSTU 4220 Religion in Afro-American Literature
BLSTU 4352 Historical Studies in African Music
BLSTU 4407 Studies in African Diaspora Literature, 1603-1789
BLSTU 4408 Studies in African Diaspora Literature, 1789-1890
BLSTU 4409 Studies in African Diaspora Literature, 1890-Present
BLSTU 4410 Major Africana Diaspora Writers
BLSTU 4420 Studies in African Diaspora Literature
BLSTU 4480 Major African Diaspora Women Writers
BLSTU 4487 Major Africana Diaspora Writers, 1603-1789
BLSTU 4488 Major Africana Diaspora Writers, 1789-1890
BLSTU 4489 Major Africana Diaspora Writers, 1890-Present
BLSTU 4530 Caribbean Women Writers
BLSTU 4710 Themes in African Diaspora Folklore
3. Africa and African Diaspora Studies
BLSTU 1410 African American History
BLSTU 1790 History of Early Africa
BLSTU 1800 Making Modern Africa
BLSTU 1801 Introduction to Africa and the African Diaspora
BLSTU 1810 History of South Africa
BLSTU 2210 Black Americans
BLSTU 2570 Black Religion
BLSTU 2604 Caribbean History & Culture
BLSTU 2904 Slavery & Freedom
BLSTU 2940 African American Religion
BLSTU 3022 Peacebuilding & Peacemaking in the Modern Caribbean
BLSTU 3200 Freedom Movements
BLSTU 3590 Religious Biography: Black Religion
BLSTU 3670 Black Nationalism
BLSTU 3800 Women in African History
BLSTU 3804 Resistance in the Black Atlantic
BLSTU 4270 African Americans in the 20th Century
BLSTU 4420 African Womanism
BlSTU 4835 Race and Politics in South Africa
Courses Taught in FRENCH:
FRENCH 4510 African Francophone Literature
FRENCH 4980 Special Themes in French
FRENCH 4993 Capstone Experience in French
Courses Taught in SPANISH:
SPAN 4510 Afro-Hispanic Literature
SPAN 4980 Special Themes in Spanish
SPAN 4993 Capstone Experience in Spanish
Courses Taught in PORTUGUESE:
PORT 3001 Topics in Portuguese
4. Gender, Race, Sexuality & Class
BLSTU 2200 Social Inequalities
BLSTU 2410 African American Women in History
BLSTU 3005 Black Diaspora Women and Reproductive Justice
BLSTU 3230 Black Sexual Politics
BLSTU 3800 Women in African History
BLSTU 3850 Gender, Hip Hop, & the Politics of Representation
BLSTU 4020 Studies in Black Feminist Thought
BLSTU 4181 Themes in Literature by Women
BLSTU 4230 Women, Development, and Globalization
BLSTU 4235 Social Perspectives on Gender and Emotion
BLSTU 4300 The Black Family: Past, Present & Future
BLSTU 4335 The Wire: Race, Urban Inequality, and the "Crisis" of the American City
BLSTU 4420 Africana Womanism
BLSTU 4480 Major African Diaspora Women Writers
BLSTU 4487 Major African Diaspora Women Writers, 1603-1789
BLSTU 4488 Major African Diaspora Women Writers, 1789-1890
BLSTU 4489 Major African Diaspora Women Writers, 1890-Present
BLSTU 4530 Caribbean Women Writers
BLSTU 4877 Historical Studies of Black Women