Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Studies Track

Concentrators Requirements

Basic Requirements: 12 courses (48 credits)

  1. Required Courses:
    1. AFRAMER 12: Introduction to Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies. Students should take this course by the end of their junior year.
    2. AFRAMER 11: Introduction to African Studies. Students should take this course by the end of their junior year.
    3. A course in pre-20th century Afro-Latin American & Caribbean history. (Students must select from a preapproved list of courses available on the department’s website or petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies for a substitution.)
    4. Seven additional courses in Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies, with at least one in the social sciences and one in the humanities. (These courses need not be given in the department.) Upper level language courses that reflect content relevant to the track are welcome.
    5. Language requirement: Students must achieve a level of competency equivalent to graded completion of Spanish 30 or Portuguese 30. Students may count a maximum of one semester of Spanish or Portuguese language instruction towards meeting this requirement as one of the 7 electives. Petitions for languages other than Spanish or Portuguese to meet this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For example, a combination of French for students studying the French and Creole-speaking Caribbean.
    6. Language option: Students are also strongly encouraged to take courses in an African or Afro-Diasporic language (e.g. Kreyol, Papiamento). Up to two semesters of language study in an African or Afro-Diasporic language may count towards meeting the requirement of 7 electives.
  2. Tutorials:
    1. Sophomore Tutorial: AFRAMER 97: Race, Class, and Colonialism in Africa and the Americas. (Restricted to concentrators and others by permission of instructor.)
    2. Junior Tutorial: AFRAMER 98B: An individual course tutorial that focuses on an Afro-Latin American & Caribbean topic.
  3. Other information:
    1. Pass/fail: No course used for the concentration may be taken pass/fail, with the exception of AFRAMER 99
    2. Students can take AFRAMER 12 and AFRAMER 97 in succeeding terms starting in their first year or sophomore year, and then proceed to do individual tutorials in the junior year. Nevertheless, the tutorial program is designed to allow great flexibility; students who declare late may take AFRAMER 97 concurrently with AFRAMER 12, for example. Concentrators may be permitted to substitute for AFRAMER 12 if they declare late.
    3. Study abroad: Students are encouraged to explore the options available for study abroad, either during the regular academic year or the summer. It is recommended that students study abroad in the spring term of their junior year. In either case, they must get approval of their Plan of Study from the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Requirements for Honors Eligibility: 12-14 courses (48-56 credits)

  1. Required courses: Same as Basic Requirements.
  2. Tutorials:
    1. Same as Basic Requirements.
    2. Senior year: One year of AFRAMER 99: Senior Thesis Workshop required.
    3. Thesis: Required for eligibility for high and highest honors. A student who has not written a thesis but has attained a GPA of at least 3.9 in 12 concentration courses may be recommended for honors (but not high or highest honors).
    4. Other information: Same as Basic Requirements.

As per the Harvard College Fields of Concentration Handbook 2025-2026

Joint Concentrators Requirements

Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies Track Joint Concentration Requirements: 8 courses, including thesis (32 credits)

  1. Required courses:
    1. AFRAMER 12: Introduction to Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies.
    2. A course in Afro-Latin American & Caribbean history. (Students must select from a preapproved list of courses available on the department’s website or petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies for a substitution.)
    3. Two courses in Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies, one in the humanities and one in the social sciences. Upper-level language courses that reflect content relevant to the track are welcome.
    4. Language requirement: Students must achieve a level of competency Spanish or Portuguese equivalent to graded completion Spanish 30 or Portuguese 30. Students may count a maximum of one semester of Spanish or Portuguese language instruction towards meeting this requirement as one of the 2 electives. Petitions for languages other than Spanish or Portuguese to meet this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For example, a combination of French for students studying the French and Creole-speaking Caribbean. Students are also strongly encouraged to take courses in an African or Afro-Diasporic language (e.g. Kreyol, Papiamento). Up to two semesters of language study in an African or Afro-Diasporic language may count towards meeting the requirement of 2 electives.
  2. Tutorials:
    1. Sophomore tutorial: AFRAMER 97. (Restricted to concentrators and others by permission of instructor.)
    2. Junior tutorial: AFRAMER 98B or junior tutorial equivalent in primary concentration if African and African American Studies is the allied concentration.
    3. Senior year: One year of AFRAMER 99 required if African and African American Studies is the primary concentration. If African and African American Studies is the allied concentration, the student should register for the thesis tutorial in the primary concentration.
  3. Thesis:
    1. Required. Thesis must be related to both fields. Both departments will participate in evaluating the thesis.
  4. Other information: Same as Basic Requirements. 

Concentration requirements for the Joint Concentration in History and Afro-Latin American & Caribbean Studies Track Requirements: 14 courses (56 credits)

  1. For further information please consult with the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies.
    1. Two types of courses count automatically toward African and African American Studies/History joint concentration requirements:
      1. Courses listed in the course catalog’s “History’’ section and historical courses in the catalog’s “African and African American Studies” section, as determined in consultation with the History Director of Undergraduate Studies.
      2. Courses taught in the General Education and/or Freshman Seminar programs by members of the History or African and African American Studies department faculty. Students wishing to count such courses toward their concentration requirements should consult the Undergraduate Office, as they may need to file a petition requiring approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students may also apply to do an independent study, or HIST 91R, with a member of the department; HIST 91R can be used to fulfill one of the elective course requirements.
    2. The joint concentration also regularly accepts credit from Study Abroad toward concentration requirements. With the exception of certain Freshman Seminars taught by History or African and African American Studies faculty (see above), courses taken on pass/fail basis may not be counted for concentration credit. 

As per the Harvard College Fields of Concentration Handbook 2024-2025

Subject Requirements

Please use this tool to find the most up to date classes of requirements for History, Humanities, or Social Science Courses for the 2023-2024 academic year. Please remember that any courses with a 20XX & 20X or above number are graduate level courses and will require the approval of the instructor.

Course Search Tool

 

Forms and Downloads

  • AAAS 98 or 98A Junior Tutorial Guidelines (.pdf) - to be reviewed by AAAS primary concentrators, some joint concentrators, and faculty or graduate student tutorial leaders in advance of enrollment in the junior tutorial
  • Thesis track declaration (.docx) - to be completed by thesis-track AAAS primary and joint concentrators during spring of junior year
  • FAS concentration credit petition for cross-listed courses (PDF) - to apply for concentration/secondary field credit for approved courses taken outside the Harvard FAS. (Approved FAS courses do not require this form.)
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to declare a concentration in my.harvard.edu
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to access the Advising Report in my.harvard.edu
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to declare a secondary field in my.harvard.edu
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to apply to graduate in my.harvard.edu