African Studies
Established in 1969, the African Studies Program at McGill was the first of its kind in Canada. The Program offers courses across the disciplines leading to a Minor and Major Concentration and a Joint Honors Program, allowing students many exciting opportunities to explore a wide range of political, historical, social, economic, and environmental issues pertaining to Africa. The underlying conception of the African Studies Program emanates from the basic premise that African Studies is a foundational field of study and a global intellectual enterprise, rather than one constrained by territorial boundaries.
For students pursuing a Major or Minor concentration in African Studies, the plan of study begins with an introductory course that explores African issues from an interdisciplinary and global perspective and ends with an advanced research seminar. In addition to facilitating opportunities for students to travel and study in Africa, the Program also offers a course in Swahili, which greatly enhances knowledge of African culture and society and can, along with other courses offered, pave the path towards exciting future career and travel opportunities in Africa. The African Studies Program also sponsors a variety of other types of scholarly and cultural activities throughout the academic year related to Africa and the African diaspora, many of which are initiated by its undergraduate student organization, the African Studies Students Association (ASSA), as well as the McGill African Students Society (MASS).
Please visit our website for more information.
To register for an African Studies program, you must have been offered admission into the Bachelor of Arts program at McGill. Please refer to this link for further information: https://www.mcgill.ca/undergraduate-admissions/
Major Concentration African Studies (36 Credits)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Major Concentration African Studies (36 Credits)
Program Requirement
The Major Concentration African Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the African continent.
Students wishing to major in African Studies should consult the Program Advisor at the beginning of their first academic year. In the African Studies Major concentration, students will be encouraged to identify an area within a discipline of the Faculty, taking as many relevant courses as possible in that field.
Required Courses (6 Credits)
AFRI 200
Intro to African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
AFRI 598
Res Sem in African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: an introductory course in any of the disciplines studying Africa
- Restriction: Open to final year Program students, and to others by permission of Program Adviser
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Group A (9 credits from)
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 352
Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: A study of international politics in Africa; including Africa in the U.N., the Organization of African Unity, African regional groupings and integration, Africa as a foreign policy arena and African inter-state conflict and diplomacy.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in International or African politics or written consent of the instructor
- Note: The field is International Politics.
Group B (21 credits from)
21 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
AFRI 401
Swahili Language and Culture
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: Priority to students in the African Studies Program and/or participants of the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program and to students with a demonstrable need related to internship or research. Approval by African Studies Program Adviser required.
AFRI 480
Honours Thesis
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading, research and preparation of an undergraduate thesis under the direction of a staff member.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Restriction(s): Open only to Joint Honours students.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
AFRI 481
Special Topics 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading in advanced special topics in African Studies under the direction of a member of staff.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
AFRI 499
Arts Internship: African Stud
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Internship with an approved host institution or organization.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: U2 and U3 students in good standing, normally after completing 30 credits of a 90-credit program or 45 credits of a 96-120 credit program, a minimum CGPA of 2.7, and permission from the departmental Internship Adviser. This course will normally not fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 579D1
Seminar: African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Readings in and discussion of a theme in African history.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 200 or HIST 201 or HIST 382 or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate students and Honours students or advanced students with permission of the instructor. Not open to students who have taken HIST 486D1/D2.
- 1. Topics will vary by year.
- 2. Students must register for both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2.
- 3. No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 579D2
Seminar: African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: See HIST 579D1 for course description.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 579D1.
- Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate students and Honours students or advanced students with permission of the instructor. Not open to students who have taken HIST 486D1/D2.
- 1. Topics will vary by year.
- 2. Students must register for both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2.
- 3. No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Anthropology
ANTH 212
Anthropology of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 301
Course not available
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 411
Primate Studies & Conservation
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: Critical evaluation of theories in primate behaviour, ecology, and conservation that emphasizes direct observations, research design, and developing field methods.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Prerequisite: One course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies, Introductory Biology, or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction: Students must have completed at least two full semesters at their home university. Only open to students in the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 416
Environment/Dev: Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Restriction: Open only to students in the Study in Africa program, a full-term field study program in East Africa
- Prerequisite: One prior course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Economics
ECON 208
Microeconomic Analysis&Applic
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): A university-level introduction to demand and supply, consumer behaviour, production theory, market structures and income distribution theory.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Licun Xue, Paul T Dickinson
- Mayssun El-Attar Vilalta
ECON 313
Economic Development 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): Microeconomic theories of economic development and empirical evidence on population, labour, firms, poverty. Inequality and environment.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Sonia C Laszlo
- Matthieu Chemin
ECON 416
Topics in Econ Development 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): This course gives students a broad overview of the economics of developing countries. The course covers micro and macro topics, with particular emphasis on the economic analysis at the micro level.
Offered by: Economics
English
* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.
ENGL 320
Postcolonial Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of postcolonial literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
ENGL 352
Theories of Difference
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): 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.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Fall
- Restriction: Limited to students in English Major and Honours Programs.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
ENGL 421
African Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of African literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
Geography
GEOG 216
Geography of the World Economy
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- Instructors
- Oliver T Coomes, Sébastien Breau
GEOG 403
Global Health & Envir. Change
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 404
Environmental Management 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 302 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 408
Geography of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
GEOG 410
Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 216 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 416
Africa South of the Sahara
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- Offered in Kenya as part of the African Field Studies semester.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
History
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
HIST 381
Colonial Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: An overview of the history of foreign intervention and anticolonial resistance in 19th and 20th century Africa. Topics include: theories of colonialism, the scramble for Africa, colonialism and disease, indirect rule, labour, nationalism and resistance, and changing gender roles.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 382
History of South Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 498
Independent Research
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: Written permission from the instructor and the undergraduate program director.
- Restriction: Open to History Major Concentration, Honours or Joint Honours students only. Not open to students who have taken HIST 413.
- Students may only register for this course once.
- Students may count a maximum of 3 credits of HIST 498 or HIST 499 toward the 6-credits of 400-level or higher courses required for the History Major Concentration.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pedro Monaville, Brian D A Lewis, Don Nerbas, Lynn Kozak
HIST 528
Indian Ocean World Slave Trade
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisites: HIST 200 or HIST 213 or permission of instructor.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken HIST 467.
Islamic Studies
ISLA 360
Islam and Politics
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Assessment of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Middle East and Africa through various analytic themes, including political economy, social movement and gendered analysis.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Fall
- Prerequisite: ISLA 210 or permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ISLA 410
History:Middle-East 1798-1918
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
ISLA 221D1
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisites: Permission of the Institute required.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ISLA521D1/D2.
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Muhammad Ahmad Munir, Shokry A Gohar, Hala Jawlakh
ISLA 221D2
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: See ISLA 221D1 for course description.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 221D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
Political Science
POLI 227
Developing Areas/Introduction
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: An introduction to Third World politics. A comparative examination of the legacies of colonialism, the achievement of independence, and contemporary dynamics of political and socio-economic development in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Topics include modernization, dependency, state-building and national integration, revolution, the role of the military, and democratization.
Offered by: Political Science
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 522
Seminar: Developing Areas
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: Seminar on developing areas. Topic varies year to year.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: At least one upper-level course in the politics of developing areas.
- Restriction: Open to graduate students, final year honours students, and other advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor; (Note: The field is Comparative Politics in Developing Areas).
- Terms
- Instructors
- Narendra Subramanian, Juan Wang
Sociology
SOCI 365
Health and Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 370
Sociology: Gender&Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
SOCI 446
Colonialism and Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): Forms that colonialism took, its impact on colonial societies, and its modern legacies, focusing on overseas colonialism between 1600 and the 1970s.
Offered by: Sociology
- Prerequisite: SOCI 210 or permission from instructor.
SOCI 484
Emerging Democratic States
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 513
Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 550
Developing Societies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.
Minor Concentration African Studies (18 Credits)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Minor Concentration African Studies (18 Credits)
Program Requirement
The Minor Concentration African Studies is available for those students majoring in a discipline of the Faculty of Arts who wish to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge of Africa.
This program may be expanded to the Major Concentration African Studies.
Required Courses (6 Credits)
AFRI 200
Intro to African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
AFRI 598
Res Sem in African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: an introductory course in any of the disciplines studying Africa
- Restriction: Open to final year Program students, and to others by permission of Program Adviser
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Group A (3 credits from)
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 352
Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: A study of international politics in Africa; including Africa in the U.N., the Organization of African Unity, African regional groupings and integration, Africa as a foreign policy arena and African inter-state conflict and diplomacy.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in International or African politics or written consent of the instructor
- Note: The field is International Politics.
Group B (9 credits from)
9 credits from the Group B course lists below drawn from at least 2 disciplines with no more than 6 credits from any one discipline.
African Studies
AFRI 401
Swahili Language and Culture
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: Priority to students in the African Studies Program and/or participants of the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program and to students with a demonstrable need related to internship or research. Approval by African Studies Program Adviser required.
AFRI 480
Honours Thesis
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading, research and preparation of an undergraduate thesis under the direction of a staff member.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Restriction(s): Open only to Joint Honours students.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
AFRI 481
Special Topics 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading in advanced special topics in African Studies under the direction of a member of staff.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
AFRI 499
Arts Internship: African Stud
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Internship with an approved host institution or organization.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: U2 and U3 students in good standing, normally after completing 30 credits of a 90-credit program or 45 credits of a 96-120 credit program, a minimum CGPA of 2.7, and permission from the departmental Internship Adviser. This course will normally not fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 579D1
Seminar: African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Readings in and discussion of a theme in African history.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 200 or HIST 201 or HIST 382 or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate students and Honours students or advanced students with permission of the instructor. Not open to students who have taken HIST 486D1/D2.
- 1. Topics will vary by year.
- 2. Students must register for both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2.
- 3. No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 579D2
Seminar: African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: See HIST 579D1 for course description.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 579D1.
- Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate students and Honours students or advanced students with permission of the instructor. Not open to students who have taken HIST 486D1/D2.
- 1. Topics will vary by year.
- 2. Students must register for both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2.
- 3. No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Anthropology
ANTH 212
Anthropology of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 301
Course not available
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 411
Primate Studies & Conservation
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: Critical evaluation of theories in primate behaviour, ecology, and conservation that emphasizes direct observations, research design, and developing field methods.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Prerequisite: One course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies, Introductory Biology, or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction: Students must have completed at least two full semesters at their home university. Only open to students in the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 416
Environment/Dev: Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Restriction: Open only to students in the Study in Africa program, a full-term field study program in East Africa
- Prerequisite: One prior course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Economics
ECON 208
Microeconomic Analysis&Applic
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): A university-level introduction to demand and supply, consumer behaviour, production theory, market structures and income distribution theory.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Licun Xue, Paul T Dickinson
- Mayssun El-Attar Vilalta
ECON 313
Economic Development 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): Microeconomic theories of economic development and empirical evidence on population, labour, firms, poverty. Inequality and environment.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Sonia C Laszlo
- Matthieu Chemin
ECON 416
Topics in Econ Development 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): This course gives students a broad overview of the economics of developing countries. The course covers micro and macro topics, with particular emphasis on the economic analysis at the micro level.
Offered by: Economics
English
* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.
ENGL 320
Postcolonial Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of postcolonial literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
ENGL 352
Theories of Difference
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): 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.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Fall
- Restriction: Limited to students in English Major and Honours Programs.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
ENGL 421
African Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of African literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
Geography
GEOG 216
Geography of the World Economy
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- Instructors
- Oliver T Coomes, Sébastien Breau
GEOG 403
Global Health & Envir. Change
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 404
Environmental Management 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 302 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 408
Geography of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
GEOG 410
Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 216 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 416
Africa South of the Sahara
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- Offered in Kenya as part of the African Field Studies semester.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
History
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
HIST 381
Colonial Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: An overview of the history of foreign intervention and anticolonial resistance in 19th and 20th century Africa. Topics include: theories of colonialism, the scramble for Africa, colonialism and disease, indirect rule, labour, nationalism and resistance, and changing gender roles.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 382
History of South Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 498
Independent Research
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: Written permission from the instructor and the undergraduate program director.
- Restriction: Open to History Major Concentration, Honours or Joint Honours students only. Not open to students who have taken HIST 413.
- Students may only register for this course once.
- Students may count a maximum of 3 credits of HIST 498 or HIST 499 toward the 6-credits of 400-level or higher courses required for the History Major Concentration.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pedro Monaville, Brian D A Lewis, Don Nerbas, Lynn Kozak
HIST 528
Indian Ocean World Slave Trade
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisites: HIST 200 or HIST 213 or permission of instructor.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken HIST 467.
Islamic Studies
ISLA 360
Islam and Politics
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Assessment of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Middle East and Africa through various analytic themes, including political economy, social movement and gendered analysis.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Fall
- Prerequisite: ISLA 210 or permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ISLA 410
History:Middle-East 1798-1918
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
ISLA 221D1
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisites: Permission of the Institute required.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ISLA521D1/D2.
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Muhammad Ahmad Munir, Shokry A Gohar, Hala Jawlakh
ISLA 221D2
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: See ISLA 221D1 for course description.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 221D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
Political Science
POLI 227
Developing Areas/Introduction
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: An introduction to Third World politics. A comparative examination of the legacies of colonialism, the achievement of independence, and contemporary dynamics of political and socio-economic development in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Topics include modernization, dependency, state-building and national integration, revolution, the role of the military, and democratization.
Offered by: Political Science
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 522
Seminar: Developing Areas
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: Seminar on developing areas. Topic varies year to year.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: At least one upper-level course in the politics of developing areas.
- Restriction: Open to graduate students, final year honours students, and other advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor; (Note: The field is Comparative Politics in Developing Areas).
- Terms
- Instructors
- Narendra Subramanian, Juan Wang
Sociology
SOCI 365
Health and Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 370
Sociology: Gender&Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
SOCI 446
Colonialism and Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): Forms that colonialism took, its impact on colonial societies, and its modern legacies, focusing on overseas colonialism between 1600 and the 1970s.
Offered by: Sociology
- Prerequisite: SOCI 210 or permission from instructor.
SOCI 484
Emerging Democratic States
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 513
Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 550
Developing Societies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.
Joint Honours Component World Islamic & Middle East Studies (36 Credits)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Joint Honours Component African Studies (36 Credits)
Program Requirement
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.
Required Courses (9 Credits)
AFRI 200
Intro to African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
AFRI 480
Honours Thesis
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading, research and preparation of an undergraduate thesis under the direction of a staff member.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Restriction(s): Open only to Joint Honours students.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
*
AFRI 598
Res Sem in African Studies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: an introductory course in any of the disciplines studying Africa
- Restriction: Open to final year Program students, and to others by permission of Program Adviser
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
* 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.
Group A (9 credits from)
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 352
Intl Pol/Foreign Pol:Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: A study of international politics in Africa; including Africa in the U.N., the Organization of African Unity, African regional groupings and integration, Africa as a foreign policy arena and African inter-state conflict and diplomacy.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in International or African politics or written consent of the instructor
- Note: The field is International Politics.
Group B (18 credits from)
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
AFRI 401
Swahili Language and Culture
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: Priority to students in the African Studies Program and/or participants of the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program and to students with a demonstrable need related to internship or research. Approval by African Studies Program Adviser required.
AFRI 481
Special Topics 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Supervised reading in advanced special topics in African Studies under the direction of a member of staff.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: the completion of all available courses relevant to the topic, and permission of the instructor and Program Adviser prior to registration
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
AFRI 499
Arts Internship: African Stud
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
African Studies: Internship with an approved host institution or organization.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Note: U2 and U3 students in good standing, normally after completing 30 credits of a 90-credit program or 45 credits of a 96-120 credit program, a minimum CGPA of 2.7, and permission from the departmental Internship Adviser. This course will normally not fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Anthropology
ANTH 212
Anthropology of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 222
Legal Anthropology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 301
Course not available
ANTH 322
Social Change in Modern Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
ANTH 355
Theories of Culture & Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Prerequisites: one 200-level anthropology course and one other anthropology course at any level
- Restriction: Honours, Joint Honours, Major and Minor students in Anthropology, U2 standing or above
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 411
Primate Studies & Conservation
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: Critical evaluation of theories in primate behaviour, ecology, and conservation that emphasizes direct observations, research design, and developing field methods.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Prerequisite: One course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies, Introductory Biology, or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction: Students must have completed at least two full semesters at their home university. Only open to students in the Canadian Field Studies in Africa program.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 416
Environment/Dev: Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Restriction: Open only to students in the Study in Africa program, a full-term field study program in East Africa
- Prerequisite: One prior course in Anthropology, Geography or Environmental Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ANTH 451
Res in Society & Dev in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Anthropology: 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.
Offered by: Anthropology
- Winter
- Prerequisite: Open to U2 or later students in the AFSS.
- Corequisite: NRSC 452.
- Restriction: Open only to AFSS students during the year of participation in the field. Not open to students who have taken GEOG 451.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Economics
ECON 208
Microeconomic Analysis&Applic
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): A university-level introduction to demand and supply, consumer behaviour, production theory, market structures and income distribution theory.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Licun Xue, Paul T Dickinson
- Mayssun El-Attar Vilalta
ECON 313
Economic Development 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): Microeconomic theories of economic development and empirical evidence on population, labour, firms, poverty. Inequality and environment.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Sonia C Laszlo
- Matthieu Chemin
ECON 314
Economic Development 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Economics (Arts): Macroeconomic development issues, including theories of growth, public finance, debt, currency crises, corruption, structural adjustment, democracy and global economic organization.
Offered by: Economics
- Terms
- Instructors
- Matthieu Chemin
- Franque Grimard
English
* Note: Course is counted only when African materials are taught.
ENGL 320
Postcolonial Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of postcolonial literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
ENGL 352
Theories of Difference
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): 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.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Fall
- Restriction: Limited to students in English Major and Honours Programs.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
ENGL 421
African Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
English (Arts): A study of African literature.
Offered by: English
- For the most detailed and up-to-date descriptions of course and seminar offerings please see the Department of English website at www.mcgill.ca/english.
- Winter
Geography
GEOG 216
Geography of the World Economy
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- Instructors
- Oliver T Coomes, Sébastien Breau
GEOG 302
Environmental Management 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: Any 200-level course in Geography or MSE or BIOL 308 or permission of instructor.
GEOG 403
Global Health & Envir. Change
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 404
Environmental Management 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 302 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
*
GEOG 408
Geography of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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).
Offered by: Geography
GEOG 410
Geog of Underdvlpmnt:Cur Probs
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 216 or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
GEOG 416
Africa South of the Sahara
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- Offered in Kenya as part of the African Field Studies semester.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
*
GEOG 423
Dilemmas of Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Prerequisite: GEOG 310 or GEOG 408 or GEOG 410, or equivalent
- Restriction: Open to students in the African Field Study Semester (AFSS) only
*
GEOG 451
Res in Society & Dev in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- Prerequisite: Open to U2 or later students in the AFSS.
- Corequisite: NRSC 452.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken, or are taking ANTH 451.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
*
GEOG 493
Health & Environment in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: 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.
Offered by: Geography
- Prerequisite: GEOG 221, GEOG 303 or permission of instructor
- Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken GEOG 403. Open to students in the African Field Study Semester (AFSS) only.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
*
* Note: Normally offered as field courses (in African Studies Field Semester)
History
HIST 200
Intro to African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Philip Gooding, Maliha W Sarwar, Avishi Gupta
HIST 201
Modern African History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
HIST 382
History of South Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 444
Course not available
HIST 498
Independent Research
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: Written permission from the instructor and the undergraduate program director.
- Restriction: Open to History Major Concentration, Honours or Joint Honours students only. Not open to students who have taken HIST 413.
- Students may only register for this course once.
- Students may count a maximum of 3 credits of HIST 498 or HIST 499 toward the 6-credits of 400-level or higher courses required for the History Major Concentration.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pedro Monaville, Brian D A Lewis, Don Nerbas, Lynn Kozak
HIST 528
Indian Ocean World Slave Trade
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: 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.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisites: HIST 200 or HIST 213 or permission of instructor.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken HIST 467.
Islamic Studies
ISLA 360
Islam and Politics
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Assessment of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Middle East and Africa through various analytic themes, including political economy, social movement and gendered analysis.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Fall
- Prerequisite: ISLA 210 or permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
ISLA 410
History:Middle-East 1798-1918
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
ISLA 221D1
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: 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.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisites: Permission of the Institute required.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ISLA521D1/D2.
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Muhammad Ahmad Munir, Shokry A Gohar, Hala Jawlakh
ISLA 221D2
Introductory Arabic
4.5 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: See ISLA 221D1 for course description.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 221D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 221D1 and ISLA 221D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Students must register for both ISLA221D1 and ISLA 221D2.
Political Science
POLI 227
Developing Areas/Introduction
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: An introduction to Third World politics. A comparative examination of the legacies of colonialism, the achievement of independence, and contemporary dynamics of political and socio-economic development in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Topics include modernization, dependency, state-building and national integration, revolution, the role of the military, and democratization.
Offered by: Political Science
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 324
Developing Areas/Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: 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.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
- Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
POLI 522
Seminar: Developing Areas
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: Seminar on developing areas. Topic varies year to year.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: At least one upper-level course in the politics of developing areas.
- Restriction: Open to graduate students, final year honours students, and other advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor; (Note: The field is Comparative Politics in Developing Areas).
- Terms
- Instructors
- Narendra Subramanian, Juan Wang
*
* 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
SOCI 365
Health and Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 370
Sociology: Gender&Development
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
SOCI 446
Colonialism and Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): Forms that colonialism took, its impact on colonial societies, and its modern legacies, focusing on overseas colonialism between 1600 and the 1970s.
Offered by: Sociology
- Prerequisite: SOCI 210 or permission from instructor.
SOCI 484
Emerging Democratic States
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 513
Soc Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
SOCI 550
Developing Societies
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Sociology (Arts): 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.
Offered by: Sociology
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.
AFRI 598 Research Seminar in African Studies Winter 2021