Black Studies

Description:

The Black Studies Program provides a coherent set of courses for the development of the academic knowledge and skills appropriate to the scholarly study of global African and African American communities. The program includes Afrocentric courses, a critical race theory framework, a focus on social justice, and a capstone course that may include service learning or an African destination study abroad option. Students will engage topics such as African intellectual genealogies, historical patterns of resistance movements, and relevant theoretical frameworks.

The Black Studies curriculum is for students planning to transfer to baccalaureate programs after study at Community College of Philadelphia. Students are expected to consult with an academic advisor, counselor and/or program coordinators upon entry to the program and in subsequent semesters.

Transfer planning should begin early so that the student can gain the most benefit from the curriculum. Students who follow the Black Studies curriculum and plan to attend a specific four-year college after graduation should choose elective courses that duplicate as closely as possible those in the first two years of the program of that college.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Create and refine a personal leadership vision that develops pathways to transfer, internship, or future employment within local and global Black communities 
  • Evaluate and interpret primary and secondary texts using global Black Studies theories and concepts. 
  • Apply relevant critical race and social justice theories as they pertain to local-global Black communities. 
  • Produce independent research and apply research and other relevant theoretical frameworks to resolve local and global concerns within Black communities.
  • Evaluate the intersections of historical, socio-political, economic, and environmental discourses and its impact on local global Black communities.             

Program Entry Requirements:

Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as a part of their degree program.

Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:

Students in the Black Studies curriculum are recommended to enroll in FYE 101: First Year Experience within the first 12 credits and complete recommended courses ENGL 101, ENGL 102, college-level math, CIS 103, SOC 101, BLAS 101, and BLAS 102 within the first 24 credits. To qualify for the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Black Studies, a student must complete a minimum of 61 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).

Course Sequence:

Semester 1

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
FYE 101 - First Year Experience   3 credits  
ENGL 101 - English Composition I or
ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)
  3 credits Writing, Research, Info Lit 1
CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology   3 credits Technological Competency
FNMT 101 - Quantitative Reasoning or
FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra
 or higher*
FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placement 3 credits Quantitative Reasoning
BLAS 101 - Introduction to Black Studies   3 credits Cultural Analysis & Interpretation

Semester 2

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or
ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)
ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better 3 credits Writing, Research, Info Lit 2
Language Cluster Options:
ARAB 101 - Elementary Arabic or
FREN 101 - Elementary French or
SWAH 101 - Elementary Swahili or
SPAN 101 - Elementary Spanish **
  3 credits  
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or
SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) 
  3 credits  
ENGL 250 - Survey of African American Literature: From Colonization to the Harlem Renaissance or
ENGL 251 - Survey of African American Literature: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Present 
ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better  3 credits  
BLAS 102 - Global Black Theory and Social Change BLAS 101 3 credits  

Semester 3

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
HIST 220 - African American History to 1877 or
HIST 221 - African American History After 1865 
  3 credits  
ENGL 115 - Public Speaking ENGL 101 which may be taken concurrently 3 credits Oral Communication/Creative Expression
ENGL 219 - Black Rhetoric or
LEAD 120 - Introduction to Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice
 or
ENGL 116 - Interpersonal Communication or
BHHS 103 - Human Development and Behavior in the Social Environment 
For ENGL 219 and BHHS 103: ENGL 101
For ENGL 116: ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently
For BHHS 103: ENGL 101
3 credits  
Language Cluster Options:***
ARAB 102 - Elementary Arabic or
FREN 102 - Elementary French or
SWAH 102 - Elementary Swahili or
SPAN 102 - Elementary Spanish 
ARAB 101 or
FREN 101 or
SWAH 101 or
SPAN 101
3 credits  
BIOL 106 - General Biology I or
CHEM 105 - Inquiry into Chemistry 
  4 credits Scientific Reasoning

Semester 4

Course Number and Name Prerequisites and Corequisites Credits Gen Ed Req.
HUM 180 - Introduction to African Cultures and Civilizations ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently 3 credits  
ENGL 256 - African Literature ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better 3 credits  
BLAS 250 - Special Topics in Black Studies ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently 3 credits  
JUS 122 - Race and Justice   3 credits  
BLAS 290 - Black Studies Capstone Course: Community Engagement and Civic Leadership BLAS 101 and ENGL 102 3 credits  

Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:

61

* Some colleges and universities require a mathematics course above FNMT 118. Here are the options:

  • Students who are FNMT 118 ready may take MATH 137 or MATH 150 instead of FNMT 101.
  • Students who are FNMT 118 ready who intend to transfer to Temple University should take FNMT 118, which is the prerequisite for MATH 161.
  • Please visit the transfer agreements web page for more information and consult with an advisor when selecting a quantitative reasoning course

**Students may take a higher level of a world language if placed there. 
***Students should take two sequential semesters of their chosen world language.

General Education Requirements:

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

For More Information, Contact:

The Division of Liberal Studies, Room BR-21, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8450 or the College Information Center (215) 751-8010.