Undergraduate

African American Studies, B.A.

The African American Studies major requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework in the major. Each student must complete 18 hours of required courses and 12 hours of Africana Studies Electives. Students must complete at least 18 of the 30 required hours for a major in African American Studies in residence at the University of Houston, and 12 of those hours must be advanced courses at the 3000 or 4000 level. Students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all courses applied to the major.

Fall 2026 Courses

AAS 2320: INTRO TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

Course Description
An introductory analysis of the discipline of African American/African Studies, its mission, key theories and major concerns.

Instructors:

Dr. Biko Gray
In-Person
Tuesdays & Thursdays
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Dr. Gerald Horne
In-Person
Tuesdays
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Dr. Kelechi Wright
Hybrid
Wednesdays
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Dr. Ameenah Shakir
Hybrid
Tuesdays
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

University of Houston
African American Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

View AAS 2320 Flyer

AAS 2320: INTRO TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
FALL 2026

Course Description:
An introductory analysis of the discipline of African American/African Studies, its mission, key theories and major concerns.

Instructor: W. Danae Muhammad Murphy
Days: Wednesdays
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Hybrid

View AAS 2320 Hybrid Flyer

AAS 3325: AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
THEORY, METHODS AND RESEARCH

Course Description:
African American Studies (AAS) is an interdisciplinary field uniquely dedicated to critical social constructs, histories and cultures of people of African descent in the United States and the African Diaspora. It engages with local and global contexts, examines structures of racism and inequality, introduces quantitative, historical, philosophical, literary, cultural and critical approaches to research, and emphasizes community-based, applied and experiential learning.

Instructor: Dr. Kelechi Wright
Day & Time: Thursdays 10:00–11:30AM
Date: 08/24/2026 to 12/14/2026
Hybrid 

View Flyer

AAS 3339: AGING & HEALTH IN AFRICA & THE USA

Course Description:
This class covers scholarship on the structural forces that lead to stratified later-life health and well-being outcomes among older people of the African continent and people of African descent in the United States of America.

Instructor: Dr. Neema Langa
Day & Time: Mondays 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Hybrid

View Flyer

AAS 3356: AFRICANA THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY
FALL 2026

Course Description:
Political and social philosophies which have shaped the struggle for Black liberation in the United States: strategies and ideologies such as integration, cultural nationalism, non-violence, passive resistance, direct action, and Pan-Africanism; thoughts and ideas of Africana leadership figures throughout the global diaspora.

Instructor: Dr. Biko Gray
Day & Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
In-Person

View Flyer

AAS 3348: African Americans and the Law

Course Description:
Historical and contemporary analyses of American law and constitutional decisions affecting African Americans from slavery to the present.

Instructor: Dr. Eronn Putman
Day & Time: Tuesdays 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Hybrid

View Flyer

AAS 2320: INTRO TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
FALL 2026

Course Description:
An introductory analysis of the discipline of African American/African Studies, its mission, key theories and major concerns.

Instructor: W. Denae Mohammad Murphy

Days: TBA
Time: TBA
Asynchronous Online

View AAS 2320 Flyer Asynchronous Online

AAS 3358: GENDER AND HEALTHCARE IN AFRICA

Course Description:
An overview of gender as a social determinant of health care in Africa.

Instructor: Dr. Neema Langa
Day & Time: Wednesdays 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Hybrid

View Flyer

AAS 3366: African American Studies Community Internship

Course Description:
This internship provides African American Studies Majors with hands-on experiences and engaged practice in the broader African American community through practice and service of educational experiences to study, explore, or realize contemporary issues impacting African American and African descended communities.

Paid Internships at $18.00/hour

Instructor: Dr. W. Dana Muhammad Murphy
Day & Time: Mondays 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Asynchronous Online

View Flyer

AAS 3390: Harlem Renaissance

ENGL 3390 – 26457 (AAS 3390)

Prof. Tara Greene
Fall 2026

09/25/26

Th: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
(Hybrid Online)

Harlem Renaissance

In this course we will travel from the American South, to the North and to Europe with some of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century. This hybrid course will focus on poetry, fiction, film, music and their relationship to the political concerns of the interwar era. Let’s talk about pleasure, identity, class, activism, and beauty.

View Flyer

AAS 3375: BLACK WOMEN IN THE U.S.

This hybrid course traces the history of black women in contemporary U.S. society from 1776 to present. It examines the meaning of gender and racial difference and intersections such as race, class, and sexuality, using a range of primary and secondary sources related to civil and human rights. Students will engage and implement feminist or progressive research perspectives, black feminist ideologies, and life experiences. Additionally, this course demonstrates the realities of womanhood by exploring the role of Black women in important social justice liberation movements in African American history and culture.

Instructor: Dr. Ameena Shakir
Day & Time: Wednesdays 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Hybrid

View flyer

AAS 4330: The Black Church in America

Course Description:
The institutional church’s role in the life of black Americans and influence in the black community.

Instructor: Dr. Alexander Johnson
Day & Time: Thursdays 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Hybrid

View Flyer