Previous Major Requirements

Students who have declared an RCD major prior to Fall 2022 can follow the new major requirements or choose to follow the previous major requirements, as follows:

American Studies Major (10 courses)

• Requirement 1 (1 course):
  RCD 0050 Introduction to Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora.
   
• Requirement 2 (1 course):
  One course from the RCD or History department that functions as a survey of U.S. or North American history.
   
• Requirement 3 (5 courses):
  Five courses from at least two different disciplines that form a coherent interdisciplinary cluster. Students prepare a rationale for their choice of five courses.
   
• Requirement 4 (1 course):
  RCD 0150 Theories and Methods in Studies of Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora.
   
• Capstone (2 courses):
  Students may choose a) a one-semester senior special project and an elective; b) a two-semester senior honors thesis; or c) two elective courses. Departmental approval required.

Africana Studies Major (10 courses)

• Requirement 1 (1 course):
  RCD 0050 Introduction to Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora.
   
• Requirement 2 (1 course):
  Survey course in Africana Studies. Please see the departmental website for an updated list of courses.
   
• Requirement 3 (6 courses):
  At least four of these courses should come from the student’s main area of concentration (drawn from the designated areas Africa, African America, and Diaspora outside the U.S.). The other two should be selected from the other two areas, one from each. Please see the departmental website for an updated list of courses.
   
• Requirement 4 (1 course):
  RCD 0150 Theories and Methods course in Studies of Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora.
   
• Capstone Project (1 course):
  Students may choose a) senior special project (one semester); b) senior honors thesis (two semesters); or c) an optional course such as an advanced research course or independent study. A senior honors thesis will reduce Requirement 3 to five (vs. six) courses. Departmental approval required.

Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora Studies Major (10 courses)

• Requirement 1 (1 course):
  RCD 50 Introduction to Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora
   
• Requirement 2 (1 course):
  RCD 150 Methods in Studies of Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora (focused on creating a research proposal as the learning product)
   
• Requirement 3 (1 course):
  RCD Research Seminar, or an approved cross-listed Research Seminar with a strong research component. This will provide students an opportunity to conduct original research and complete a research paper.
   
• Requirement 4 (6 courses):
  Six additional RCD courses (or cross-listed courses) with:
  a) at least 3 courses contributing to a focal topic of choice (e.g., Africana Gender & Sexuality; Comparative Indigenous Performance; Global Latinx), designed in consultation with your RCD advisor. One of these courses must provide historical context for the student’s focal topic of choice. (In terms of the historical context requirement: the Director of Studies will dialogue with RCD instructors to determine which courses fulfill this requirement.)
  
  b) The focal topic should engage relational or comparative study, for example it might draw connections across at least 2 of the RCD’s tracks (i.e., Africana St., American St., Native American and Indigenous St., Latinx St., Asian American St., Colonialism St.)

Beyond these nine courses, there are then three options to complete the major:

1. RCD 195: A one-semester community-based or creative project that is complemented by active scholarship and advising
2. RCD 198: A two-semester thesis. Note: students who choose to write a senior thesis are responsible for 5 additional RCD courses besides RCD 50, RCD 150, and the RCD Research Seminar.
3. One additional course taken from the RCD curriculum (see list on the RCD website)