African Studies Joint Honours Component (B.A.) (36 credits)
Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 36
Program Description
The Joint Honours program in African Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the African continent.
Students wishing to study at the Honours level in two disciplines can combine Joint Honours program components in any two Arts disciplines. For a list of available Joint Honours programs, see "Overview of Programs Offered" and "Joint Honours Programs". Joint Honours students should consult an adviser in each department to discuss their course selection and their interdisciplinary Honours thesis (if applicable). Joint Honours students are expected to maintain a program GPA of 3.30 and, according to Faculty regulations a minimum CGPA of 3.00 in general.
At least 9 of the 36 credits must be at the 400 level or above.
Degree Requirements — B.A. students
To be eligible for a B.A. degree, a student must fulfil all Faculty and program requirements as indicated in Degree Requirements for the Faculty of Arts.
We recommend that students consult an Arts OASIS advisor for degree planning.
Degree Requirements — B.A. & Sc. students
This program is offered as part of a Bachelor of Arts & Science (B.A. & Sc.) degree.
To graduate, students must satisfy both their program requirements and their degree requirements.
- The program requirements (i.e., the specific courses that make up this program) are listed under the Course Tab (above).
- The degree requirements—including the mandatory Foundation program, appropriate degree structure, and any additional components—are outlined on the Degree Requirements page.
Students are responsible for ensuring that this program fits within the overall structure of their degree and that all degree requirements are met. Consult the Degree Planning Guide on the SOUSA website for additional guidance.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFRI 200 | Introduction to African Studies. | 3 |
Introduction to African Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The African experience and current approaches to African studies, through adopting multidisciplinary perspectives on topics that include political conflict, governance and democratization, environment and conservation, economic development, rural life and urbanism, health and illness, gender, social change, popular culture, literature, film, and the arts. | ||
| AFRI 480 | Honours Thesis. 1 | 3 |
Honours Thesis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised reading, research and preparation of an undergraduate thesis under the direction of a staff member. | ||
| AFRI 598 | Research Seminar in African Studies. | 3 |
Research Seminar in African Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary research seminar on topics of common interest to staff and students of the African Studies Program. As part of their contribution, students will prepare a research paper under the supervision of one or more members of staff. | ||
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Honours Thesis course must be taken for the AFRI Joint Honours component. Students must meet the specific requirements regarding Thesis credits of their second program in addition to the AFRI 480 Honours Thesis. Honours Thesis.
Complementary Courses (27 credits)
Group A
9 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 322 | Social Change in Modern Africa. | 3 |
Social Change in Modern Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The impact of colonialism on African societies; changing families, religion, arts; political and economic transformation; migration, urbanization, new social categories; social stratification; the social setting of independence and neo-colonialism; continuity, stagnation, and progressive change. | ||
| HIST 200 | Introduction to African History. | 3 |
Introduction to African History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course stresses the interactions of the peoples of Africa with each other and with the worlds of Europe and Islam from the Iron Age to the European Conquest in 1880. | ||
| HIST 201 | Modern African History. | 3 |
Modern African History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. While covering the general political history of Africa in the twentieth century, this course also explores such themes as health and disease, gender, and urbanization. | ||
| POLI 324 | Comparative Politics of Africa. | 3 |
Comparative Politics of Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The government and politics of African states south of the Sahara with reference to the ideological and institutional setting as influenced by the forces of tradition and the impact of Western colonialism. | ||
Group B
18 credits from the Group B course lists below drawn from at least 3 disciplines with no more than 9 credits from any one discipline.
African Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFRI 401 | Swahili Language and Culture. | 3 |
Swahili Language and Culture. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic knowledge of the Swahili language and culture with emphasis on handling circumstances that might be encountered in field research: everyday conversation, developing aural and oral skills and mastering basic grammar rules, understanding cultural norms and practices, issues of culture sensitivity and appropriateness. | ||
| AFRI 481 | Special Topics 1. | 3 |
Special Topics 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised reading in advanced special topics in African Studies under the direction of a member of staff. | ||
| AFRI 499 | Arts Internships: African Studies. | 3 |
Arts Internships: African Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Internship with an approved host institution or organization. | ||
Anthropology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 212 | Anthropology of Development. | 3 |
Anthropology of Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Processes of developmental change, as they affect small communities in the Third World and in unindustrialized parts of developed countries. Problems of technological change, political integration, population growth, industrialization, urban growth, social services, infrastructure and economic dependency. | ||
| ANTH 222 | Legal Anthropology. | 3 |
Legal Anthropology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of dispute resolutions and means of social cohesion in various societies of the world. Themes: dichotomy between law and custom, local definitions of justice and rights, forms of conflict resolution, access to justice, gender and law, universality of human rights, legal pluralism. | ||
| ANTH 322 | Social Change in Modern Africa. | 3 |
Social Change in Modern Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The impact of colonialism on African societies; changing families, religion, arts; political and economic transformation; migration, urbanization, new social categories; social stratification; the social setting of independence and neo-colonialism; continuity, stagnation, and progressive change. | ||
| ANTH 355 | Theories of Culture and Society. | 3 |
Theories of Culture and Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Contributions to contemporary anthropological theory; theoretical paradigms and debates; forms of anthropological explanation; the role of theory in the practice of anthropology; concepts of society, culture and structure; cultural evolution and relativity; interpretive anthropology, post-modernism. | ||
| ANTH 411 | Primate Studies and Conservation. | 3 |
Primate Studies and Conservation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Critical evaluation of theories in primate behaviour, ecology, and conservation that emphasizes direct observations, research design, and developing field methods. | ||
| ANTH 416 | Environment/Development: Africa. | 3 |
Environment/Development: Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of environmental effects of development in East Africa, especially due to changes in traditional land tenure and resource use across diverse ecosystems. Models, policies and cases of pastoralist, agricultural, fishing, wildlife and tourist development will be examined, across savanna, desert, forest, highland and coastal environments. | ||
| ANTH 451 | Research in Society and Development in Africa. | 3 |
Research in Society and Development in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Instruction focuses on three goals: 1) existing research in selected core thematic areas, 2) participating in interdisciplinary team research, 3) developing powers of observation and independent inquiry. Students will be expected to develop research activities and interdisciplinary perspectives, and to become conversant with advances in local research in their field. | ||
Economics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 208 | Microeconomic Analysis and Applications. | 3 |
Microeconomic Analysis and Applications. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A university-level introduction to demand and supply, consumer behaviour, production theory, market structures and income distribution theory. | ||
| ECON 313 | Economic Development 1. | 3 |
Economic Development 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Microeconomic theories of economic development and empirical evidence on population, labour, firms, poverty. Inequality and environment. | ||
| ECON 314 | Economic Development 2. | 3 |
Economic Development 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Macroeconomic development issues, including theories of growth, public finance, debt, currency crises, corruption, structural adjustment, democracy and global economic organization. | ||
English
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 320 | Postcolonial Literature. 1 | 3 |
Postcolonial Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of postcolonial literature. | ||
| ENGL 352 | Theories of Difference. 1 | 3 |
Theories of Difference. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to a selection of theories that have influenced thinking about difference across the humanities and social sciences, including gender, sexuality, race, class and hierarchical structures, language, religion, ethnicity, and personal identity. | ||
| ENGL 421 | African Literature. | 3 |
African Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of African literature. | ||
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Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.
Geography
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 216 | Geography of the World Economy. | 3 |
Geography of the World Economy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course introduces the geography of the world economic system. It describes the spatial distribution of economic activities and examines the factors which influence their changing location. Case studies from both "developed" and "developing" countries will test the different geographical theories presented in lectures. | ||
| GEOG 302 | Environmental Management 1. | 3 |
Environmental Management 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An ecological analysis of the physical and biotic components of natural resource systems. Emphasis on scientific, technological and institutional aspects of environmental management. Study of the use of biological resources and of the impact of individual processes. | ||
| GEOG 403 | Global Health and Environmental Change. | 3 |
Global Health and Environmental Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major themes and contemporary case studies in global health and environmental change. Focus on understanding global trends in emerging infectious disease from social, biophysical, and geographical perspectives, and critically assessing the health implications of environmental change in different international contexts. | ||
| GEOG 404 | Environmental Management 2. 1 | 3 |
Environmental Management 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical application of environmental planning, analysis and management techniques with reference to the needs and problems of developing areas. Special challenges posed by cultural differences and traditional resource systems are discussed. This course involves practical field work in a developing area (Kenya or Panama). | ||
| GEOG 408 | Geography of Development. | 3 |
Geography of Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examines the geographical dimensions of development policy, specifically the relationships between the process of development and human-induced environmental change. Focuses on environmental sustainability, struggles over resource control, population and poverty, and levels of governance (the role of the state, non-governmental organizations, and local communities). | ||
| GEOG 410 | Geography of Underdevelopment: Current Problems. | 3 |
Geography of Underdevelopment: Current Problems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the cultural, political, and economic mechanisms and manifestations of contemporary underdevelopment and the response to it from different regional and national peripheral societies within the dominant world economic system. | ||
| GEOG 416 | Africa South of the Sahara. 1 | 3 |
Africa South of the Sahara. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A synthetic overview of physical and cultural geography examining particularly the relation of African peoples to their landscapes, the causes and consequences of environmental changes, and the idea of sustainable development as it applies to African landscapes, resource systems and economies. | ||
| GEOG 423 | Dilemmas of Development. 1 | 3 |
Dilemmas of Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Africa seems beset by development problems. Some of these appear to have no clear answer. Such dilemmas present significant barriers to moving forward with durable, effective development in Africa. This course will examine two primary and frequently interlocked dilemmas in East Africa with wide ranging impact - food security, and conflict. | ||
| GEOG 451 | Research in Society and Development in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Research in Society and Development in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Three intersecting components: 1) core development themes including culture change, environmental conservation, water, health, development (urban and rural), governance and conflict resolution, 2) research techniques for topics related to core themes, including ethics, risk, field methods and data analysis, 3) field documentation, scientific recording and communication. | ||
| GEOG 493 | Health and Environment in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Health and Environment in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of key diseases of development, as well as patterns and determinants of health and disease in East Africa. Topics will focus on population and environmental health. | ||
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Note: Normally offered as field courses (in African Studies Field Semester)
History
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 200 | Introduction to African History. | 3 |
Introduction to African History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course stresses the interactions of the peoples of Africa with each other and with the worlds of Europe and Islam from the Iron Age to the European Conquest in 1880. | ||
| HIST 201 | Modern African History. | 3 |
Modern African History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. While covering the general political history of Africa in the twentieth century, this course also explores such themes as health and disease, gender, and urbanization. | ||
| HIST 382 | History of South Africa. | 3 |
History of South Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. History of South Africa from precolonial times to the present. Topics include: precolonial societies; British and Dutch colonialism; slavery in colonial South Africa; the Zulu kingdom; mining capitalism; the Boer War; Afrikaner nationalism; apartheid; the anti-apartheid struggle; music, religion, and art; challenges of the post-apartheid state. | ||
| HIST 498 | Independent Research. | 3 |
Independent Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exceptionally, and under the direction of a member of staff, advanced and highly qualified students who have an extensive background in the proposed area of study, may pursue this independent study. | ||
| HIST 528 | Indian Ocean World Slave Trade. | 3 |
Indian Ocean World Slave Trade. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The origins, structure and impact of the Indian Ocean World slave trade from early times to the present day. Enslavement, the trading structure, slave functions, reactions to slavery, emancipation and 'slave' diaspora. Comparisons will be made to the Atlantic slave system. | ||
Islamic Studies
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 221D1 | Introductory Arabic. | 4.5 |
Introductory Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic, including pronunciation and reading and writing of the Arabic script; and speaking and comprehension of basic sentences, commands, statements in the present tense. | ||
| ISLA 221D2 | Introductory Arabic. | 4.5 |
Introductory Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 221D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 360 | Islam and Politics in Africa | 3 |
Islam and Politics in Africa Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Africa through various analytic themes, including political economy, social movement and gendered analysis. | ||
| ISLA 410 | History: Middle-East 1798-1918. | 3 |
History: Middle-East 1798-1918. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the Middle East from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt to the end of WWI. Emphasis will be on the emergence of nationalisms in the context of European imperialism; political, social, and economic transformation; religion and ideology; and changing patterns of alliances. | ||
Political Science
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 227 | Introduction to Comparative Politics - Global South. | 3 |
Introduction to Comparative Politics - Global South. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to politics across the Global South. A comparative examination of the legacies of colonialism, the achievement of independence, and political and socio-economic development in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Topics include modernization, dependency, state-building, political violence, revolution, the role of the military, authoritarianism, and democratization. | ||
| POLI 324 | Comparative Politics of Africa. | 3 |
Comparative Politics of Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The government and politics of African states south of the Sahara with reference to the ideological and institutional setting as influenced by the forces of tradition and the impact of Western colonialism. | ||
| POLI 522 | Seminar: Comparative Politics 1 . 1 | 3 |
Seminar: Comparative Politics 1 . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar on comparative politics. | ||
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Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught. Admission to this course will be subject to the Political Science departmental requirements and approval of the Departmental Honours Adviser. Priority will be given to Political Science students.
Sociology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 365 | Health and Development. | 3 |
Health and Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Main concepts and controversies linking health to broader social and economic conditions in low income countries. Topics include the demographic and epidemiological transitions, the health and wealth conundrum, the social determinants of health, health as an economic development strategy, and the impact of the AIDS pandemic. | ||
| SOCI 370 | Sociology: Gender and Development. | 3 |
Sociology: Gender and Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of the main development theories and discussion of how gender is placed within them, analysis of the practical application of development projects and discussion of how they affect gender dynamics, and examination of power relations between development agencies and developing countries. Examples from Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America are used. | ||
| SOCI 446 | Colonialism and Society. | 3 |
Colonialism and Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forms that colonialism took, its impact on colonial societies, and its modern legacies, focusing on overseas colonialism between 1600 and the 1970s. | ||
| SOCI 484 | Emerging Democratic States. | 3 |
Emerging Democratic States. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focus on the sociological aspects of recent transitions to democracy within developing countries - particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Exploration of why democratization has taken place, to what extent it has been successful and the implications of democratization. | ||
| SOCI 513 | Social Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa. | 3 |
Social Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of the social causes and consequences of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Gender inequality, sexual behaviours, marriage systems, migration, and poverty are shaping the pandemic as well as how the pandemic is altering social, demographic and economic conditions across Africa. | ||
| SOCI 550 | Developing Societies. | 3 |
Developing Societies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Comparison of alternative explanations of underdevelopment: the impact of social stratification, relations of domination and subordination between countries, state interference with the market. Alternative strategies of change: revolution, structural adjustment, community development and cooperatives. Students will write and present a research paper, and participate extensively in class discussion. | ||