Major map compass icon
2021-2022

African American Studies, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: General Studies (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Program description

The Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies is an interdisciplinary degree that provides students with knowledge of human cultures and intellectual and practical skills to engage complexity, diversity and change. The degree program fosters students’ personal and social responsibility and, through applied learning experiences, empowers students to negotiate and to solve the complex problems of the 21st century. The Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies requires the completion of 120 credits with at least 30 credits in African American Studies courses. At least 15 of the 30 credits in African American Studies must be in upper-level courses.


Students also are required to establish an area of study by taking either a minimum of four courses in a single cooperating department or in one of the following multidisciplinary concentrations: artistic, historical and literary perspectives; political, religious and societal perspectives; or social and behavioral perspectives.  At least one of the four courses taken in a single cooperating department must have an Africana focus, and at least one of the four courses must be an upper-level course. A cooperating department or program is defined as one that regularly offers at least one course with an Africana focus per year, which includes: Anthropology, Dance, English, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Geography, History, Mass Communications, Music history, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Theatre. When non-Africana-focused courses are used to meet the concentration requirement, they must be selected in consultation with the African American studies adviser.

Career opportunities

An undergraduate degree in African American Studies is good preparation for graduate study in African American studies, as well as other areas such as business, education, history, international relations, law, political science, psychology, public administration, public health, and social work. Career opportunities with a B.A. in African American Studies include employment in just about any industry from public and private schools to nonprofit organizations. The perspective fostered by an humanities degree in combination with excellent verbal and written communication skills are an asset for any career in the private or public sector. Part-time and summer jobs, internships, and volunteer positions are critical to gaining the experience and skills that employers seek.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Budget Analyst
  • City and Regional Planning Aid
  • Fundraiser  
  • High School Teacher
  • Historical Interpreter
  • Human Resource Generalist
  • Paralegal and Legal Assistant
  • Social and Human Services Assistant
  • Social Science Research Assistants
  • Staff and Legislative Assistant
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • College Professor
  • Nonprofit Director
  • Urban & Regional Planner
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

African American Studies, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: General Studies)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Apply to the John Tyler Pathways Program.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
Experience Year 2
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA or HandsOnRVA.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Department of African American Studies.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Apply to the John Tyler Pathways Program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA or HandsOnRVA.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Department of African American Studies.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

African American Studies, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: General Studies)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
CST 100 or CST 110 Principles of Public Speaking or Introduction to Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
History elective Select 1: HIS 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Art elective Art elective (select 1): ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 226 VCU equivalent 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science Social/behavioral science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268 (PSY 230 will be accepted if Associate degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
ITE 115 Intro to Computer Applications INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
Select 1: GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 241, REL 230, SOC 268 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory science (select 1): BIO 101, CHM 101, CHM 111, ENV 121, PHY 101, PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Foreign Language Foreign Language 101 or elective (take elective course if successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). VCU equivalent 3 General education
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1) ENGL 3 General education
HLT 160 Personal Health and Fitness. Additional Course Options: BUS 100, ECO 201, ECO 202, ADJ 100, ENG 210, ENG 211. VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Social/Behavioral Science Social/behavioral science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268 (PSY 230 will be accepted if Associate degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory science (select 1): BIO 101, BIO 102, ENV 121, CHM 101, CHM 111, CHM 112, ENV 121, PHY 101, PHY 202 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Foreign Language Foreign Language 102 or elective (take elective course if successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). VCU equivalent 3 General education
Transfer elective Transfer elective (select two) VCU equivalent 6 Elective
John Tyler credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
AFAM 111 Introduction to Africana Studies 3 Major (Ancillary)
AFAM 201 Theories and Foundations of Africana Studies 3 Major
AFAM 211 Africana Social and Political Thought 3 Major
AFAM 311 African Diaspora Experiences 3 Major
AFAM 399 Interdisciplinary Research Methods 3 Major
AFAM 493 Internship in Africana Studies 3 Major
AFAM 499 Capstone Seminar in Africana Studies 3 Major
Complete four courses in one of the cooperating VCU departments or programs, including at least one Africana-focused course and at least one upper level course (see VCU advisor for course options) 12 Major
Upper-level electives (300 or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major. Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 27 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120