Program type
Minor
Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context (Minor, Cert)
Primary campus
Sir George Williams (SGW)
Start term
Fall
Why study Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context?
Black histories in Canada have traditionally been underrepresented in school curriculum. Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context aims to change this, introducing students to the historical and contemporary Black presence in Canada, its challenges and lived experiences. Using an interdisciplinary approach, these programs contextualize Blackness through its local and global histories, cultures, experiences and diasporic connectivity.
Black Studies is a holistic field located at the intersections of sociology, philosophy, literature, history, media studies, visual and performing arts, geography and more. These studies interrogate the concept of race and grapple with discrepant understandings of Blackness, engage with global and local perspectives on colonialism and racial injustice, and draw intersectional connections between race, sex, gender and class as forms of identity and social determination.
This unique minor and certificate draw their curriculum from the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Arts and Science. Completing them will allow you to enhance your foundational studies and critical thinking abilities with knowledge and methods of Black cultures in the Canadian context.
Students interested in applying for the minor must complete a motivation questionnaire.
Program highlights
- Engage with a wide range of interdisciplinary fields, students and faculty from history, geography, English, sociology, political studies, women’s studies, communication studies and the fine arts
- Learn to think critically about race, identity and power, while gaining tools to better understand the world you live in and your place in it
Special funding for out-of-province students
Up to $4000 for undergraduate programs.
Program structure
Program options
- Minor in Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context (24 credits)
The minor must be combined with an honours, specialization or major program. In addition to the courses listed below, students will have the flexibility of choosing from a list of some additional Special Topic courses that align with the learning outcomes of the program, in consultation with the Program Director.
- Certificate in Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context (30 credits)
Courses
9 credits:
- BLST 200 – Introduction to Black Studies in the Canadian Context (3 credits)
This course offers a broad introduction to Black Studies. Emphasis is placed on the histories and themes of Blackness within the Canadian context. This course introduces students to foundational texts, histories, cultures, philosophies, creative expressions, debates and academic traditions of Black scholars in the field. Students develop critical vocabulary and frameworks to examine and engage with Blackness in the Canadian context through the study of Canada’s diverse Black populations. - BLST 211 – Black Montreal (3 credits)
This course is designed to introduce students to the major themes, issues, and debates in Montreal’s Black history from its origins until today. Students gain an understanding of how Black communities lived, worked, socialized, and defined themselves in Montreal. - BLST 230 – Race and Ethnic Relations (3 credits)
Race and ethnicity are examined as bases of social differentiation. Ethnic group relations are analyzed in relation to stratification and the exercise of power. The course further involves exploration of the phenomena of discrimination, prejudice, and intergroup accommodation.
9 credits (minor) or 12 credits (certificate) chosen from the following list:
Black-focused Topics in Literature, History, and the Arts
- ANTH 255 – The Caribbean: History and Political Economy (3 credits)
- ARTH 381 – Feminism and Art History (3 credits)
- ARTH 389 – Issues in Ethnocultural Art Histories (3 credits)
- ENGL 3390 – Black British Literature and Culture (3 credits)
- ENGL 3651 – Race and Ethnicity in American Literature (3 credits)
- ENGL 369 – African-American Literature (3 credits)
- ENGL 3771 – Race and Ethnicity in Canadian Literature (3 credits)
- ENGL 383 – African Literatures (3 credits)
- ENGL 386 – Caribbean Literature (3 credits)
- ENGL 3945 – Black Studies and Literature (3 credits)
- FFAR 256 – Hip Hop: Past/Present/Future (3 credits)
- FLIT 363 – Littératures d’Afrique francophone (3 credits)
- FLIT 365 – Littératures de la Caraïbe francophone (3 credits)
- FLIT 367 – Littérature d’Haïti (3 credits)
- HIST 264 – History of Africa (3 credits)
- HIST 274 – The Atlantic World (3 credits)
- HIST 276 – History of Latin America: The Colonial Period (3 credits)
- HIST 277 – History of Latin America: The Modern Period (3 credits)
- HIST 353 – Colonial America and the Atlantic World (3 credits)
- HIST 3620 – African Slavery in Global Perspective (3 credits)
- HIST 363 – Africa in the 20th Century (3 credits)
- HIST 368 – African Popular Culture (3 credits)
- JHIS 314 – Jazz History (3 credits)
- JHIS 398 – Special Topics in Jazz History (3 credits)
- RELI 3140 – Malcolm X (3 credits)
6 credits (minor) or 9 credits (certificate) chosen from the following list:
Critical Perspectives on Postcolonial and Decolonial Narratives
- ANTH 483 – Nationalism and Racism (3 credits)
- COMS 464 – Race, Ethnicity, and Media (3 credits)
- ENGL 3811 – Critical Perspectives on Settler Colonialism (3 credits)
- ENGL 385 – Studies in Postcolonial Literature and Theory (3 credits)
- ENGL 394 – Critical Race Theory (3 credits)
- ENGL 454 – Advanced Topics in Postcolonial Studies (3 credits)
- FLIT 433 – Littératures postcoloniales (3 credits)
- GEOG 310 – Refugees and Migration in Today’s World (3 credits)
- GEOG 315 – Social and Cultural Geographies (3 credits)
- GEOG 418 – Geographies of Postcolonialism (3 credits)
- GEOG 430 – Social Geographies of Montreal (3 credits)
- LING 300 – Sociolinguistics (3 credits)
- RELI 3660 – Hip-Hop Culture and Social Change (3 credits)
- RELI 3690 – Decolonizing Religion (3 credits)
- SOCI 483 – Nationalism and Racism (3 credits)
- URBS 440 – Urban Policing and Security (3 credits)
- WSDB 393 – Critical Race Feminisms (3 credits)
- WSDB 401 – Ending Sexual Violence (3 credits)
- WSDB 492 – Post-colonial and Anti-colonial Feminist Theories and Practice (3 credits)
This is a yearly list of supplementary courses that students can also take as electives for this academic year. It comprises a list of special topics courses from the Faculties of Arts and Science and Fine Arts that are not permanent courses and often not offered each year.
You can also select from these electives available under two major program clusters.
CLUSTER 1 — Black-focused Topics in Literature, History, and the Arts
- ARTH 271 – Introduction to Canadian Art - Concordia University (3 credits)
- FFAR 298 CC – Black Representation in the Arts (3 credits)
- FFAR 298 AA – It's Bigger than Hip Hop (3 credits)
- HIST 498G – Reading the Archives of Black Women’s Lives in Quebec (3 credits)
CLUSTER 2 — Critical Perspectives on Postcolonial and Decolonial Narratives
- WSDB 398 A – Black Feminist Archival Practices (3 credits)
United States students: A U.S. Federal Student Aid-eligible version of this program is offered. This version meets all U.S. regulations (such as no co-operative education or e-courses) for eligible programs.
Admission criteria
Certificate: Minimum cut-off averages and course requirements
- Quebec CEGEP: DEC
- High School: C+
- ACT or SAT is NOT required
- Canadian curricula course requirements
- Accepted international qualifications
- International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma: 26
- International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (CP): 4.3/7
- Baccalauréat français: 11
- British system of education (GCE):
- A-levels: At least two A-level exams CD or
- AS-levels: At least 4 AS-level exams with equivalent results or
- BTEC: Level 3 Diploma or Extended Diploma in a related subject area with equivalent results
- Additional information for British System of Education (GCE) applicants
- University Transfers (internal/external): C
Minimum cut-off averages should be used as indicators. The cut-off data may change depending on the applicant pool. Applicants who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to these programs.
Minor
To apply for the minor, please complete the motivation questionnaire.
Contact us
Do you have more questions? Don't hesitate to reach out: blstcc.assistant@concordia.ca
Minimum cut-off averages should be used as indicators. The cut-off data may change depending on the applicant pool. Applicants who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to these programs.
Application deadlines
FALL ENTRY (September)
Deadline: March 1
U.S. and international applicants: Apply no later than February 1 to allow time for immigration document processing. However, applying earlier is strongly recommended. Immigration processing times vary by country, and delays could prevent you from starting your studies on time.
WINTER ENTRY (January)
Admission to this program is available for the Fall Term only.
We reserve the right to close admission to a program at any time after the official deadline without prior notice.
After your degree
Due to the interdisciplinary approach of the Black and African Diaspora Studies minor and certificate, you'll graduate with a depth of knowledge informed by an understanding of how your subject connects to the wider world, including:
- A better understanding of the realities of Black and African diasporic experiences in Canada and the contributions of those communities to Canadian society
- Stronger ability to recognize and confront issues of social & racial in/justice
- Applicable critical and analytic tools for interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches to the study of Black lives
