Department website: https://krieger.jhu.edu/chloe/
Critical Diaspora Studies Major Requirements
(Also see Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.)
The BA program in Critical Diaspora Studies (CDS) is an interdisciplinary major that inspires students to bring critical knowledge of racism, migration, colonialism, and social movements to bear on pressing practical issues of belonging, citizenship, social justice, and equality. It addresses the urgent need for a comparative, synthetic, and applied academic program that moves beyond identitarian modes of knowledge production, particularly in the wake of immense social and racial tensions.
Originating in student demands for curricular change, the CDS major enables students to study the connections, solidarities, and dissonances between geographical and cultural areas of study—such as Asian-American, African diaspora, Indigenous studies, and Latinx studies—that are too often considered separately from one another but are in fact connected through entangled histories of migration, colonialism, and social movements.
The CDS major provides unique, interdisciplinary opportunities for students to explore topics related to indigenous and diasporic communities and their migration by prioritizing comparative, synthetic, structural, global, and activist modes of analysis. By moving away from a geographically restricted approach, and toward a more innovative, exploration of the interrelationships between identity, institutions, migration, and displacement, the major also encourages original research and community-engaged practices.
Students who enroll in CDS courses and cross-listed courses, as well as students who choose the BA in CDS, will benefit from opportunities to engage in research in Baltimore and beyond, drawing on a range of methodologies, including ethnographic, archival, and cultural-studies approaches. The Chloe Center for the Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, and Colonialism provides numerous opportunities for undergraduate students to work with faculty mentors on research projects, and it also offers regular workshops and research grants.
The CDS major prioritizes critically engaged and interdisciplinary scholarship on issues of contemporary relevance, and students who pursue a CDS course of study will be well-prepared to embark on careers in advocacy, law, public service, education, arts and culture, and much more.
To fulfill the general requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students majoring in Critical Diaspora Studies (CDS) must complete a total of 48-56 credits including 12 courses in CDS or courses cross-listed in CDS. CDS Majors must receive a grade of C- or better in all major requirements and no major requirements may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Students majoring in CDS maintain a close working relationship with their faculty mentor and/or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, meeting at least twice each term to coordinate their progress through the program.
Writing and Communication in the Major
Students must complete at least 6 credits of Writing and Communication foundational ability coursework in one major. For this major, students would be able to fulfill this requirement by completing the required course AS.305.111 Methods in Critical Diaspora Studies and selecting 3 credits of elective in the major that is designated as a Writing and Communications course.
General Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Course | ||
| AS.305.101 | Introduction to Critical Diaspora Studies | 3 |
| Methods Course | ||
| AS.305.111 | Methods in Critical Diaspora Studies | 3 |
| Readings Courses | ||
| Two Critical Diaspora Studies Readings courses. Consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to determine which courses fulfill the readings requirements. | 6 | |
| Critical Diaspora Studies Focus Area Requirement | ||
| Choose three courses in one of the following tracks: Migration and Borders (CDS-MB), Global Indigeneities (CDS-GI), Empires, Wars, and Carceralities (CDS-EWC), Solidarities, Social Movements, and Citizenship (CDS-SSMC). Two courses must be at the 300 level or higher. 1 | 9 | |
| Non-Focus Area Courses | ||
| Two courses at any level from a non-focus area | 6 | |
| One course at the 300 level or higher from a non-focus area 2 | 3 | |
| Community-Engaged Learning Courses | ||
| Two consecutive community-engaged learning courses, or nonconsecutive in consultation with Director of Undergraduate Studies 3 | 6 | |
| Language Courses | ||
| Complete the language requirement of four courses in language through the intermediate level. 4 | 12-20 | |
| Total Credits | 48-56 | |
- 1
Cross-listed First-Year Seminar can count toward track requirement at the 100 level.
- 2
Cross-listed First-Year Seminar can count toward elective requirement at the 100 level if not counted toward track requirement.
- 3
Consult with Director of Undergraduate Studies to understand which courses are approved as Community Engaged Learning Courses.
- 4
Modern languages offered at JHU are automatically accepted towards this requirement. Other relevant languages can meet the requirement with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students may waive some or all of the language requirement by taking a placement exam and in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Sample Program of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| FYS Taught by CDS (optional) | 3 | Beginning Foreign Language II | 4 |
| Beginning Foreign Language I | 4 | ||
| 7 | 4 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| AS.305.101 | 3 | AS.305.111 | 3 |
| Intermediate Foreign Language I | 3 | Intermediate Foreign Language II | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Readings Course 1 | 3 | Readings Course 2 | 3 |
| CDS Focus Area Course 1 | 3 | CDS Focus Area Course 2 (300 level) | 3 |
| Community-Engaged Learning Course I | 3 | Community-Engaged Learning Course II | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CDS Focus Area Course 3 (300 level) | 3 | CDS Non-Focus Area Course 2 | 3 |
| CDS Non-Focus Area Course 1 | 3 | CDS Non-Focus Area Course 3 (300 level) | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| Total Credits 53 | |||