Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context (Minor)

Black histories in Canada have traditionally been underrepresented in school curriculum. The minor in 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, the program contextualizes 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. Its scholarship focuses on the sociopolitical and economic structures navigated by Black people, including the history of colonialism, its related knowledge and practices, and its resulting impacts on Black diasporic lives.

Drawing its curriculum from a range of disciplines and courses offered by the Faculties of Arts and Science and Fine Arts, this 24-credit minor interrogates the concept of race and grapples with discrepant understandings of Blackness, engages with global and local perspectives on colonialism and racial injustice, draws intersectional connections between race, sex, gender and class as forms of identity and social determination, and proposes cross-disciplinary knowledge on Black Canadian and African diasporic studies.

Completing this minor in conjunction with your undergraduate major will allow you to enhance your foundational studies and critical thinking abilities with knowledge and methods of Black cultures in the Canadian context.

Program option

• 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.

Courses

Minimum cut-off averages and course requirements

• Quebec CEGEP: DEC
  • Additional information for CEGEP applicants
• High School: C+
  • ACT or SAT is NOT required 
  • Canadian curricula course requirements
  • Accepted international qualifications
• International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma: 26
• 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
  • 24 credits completed at Concordia and a minimum cumulative and last annual GPA of 2.0

Additional requirements for admission

Students also complete a motivation questionnaire form.

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.

Due to the interdisciplinary approach of the Black and African Diaspora Studies minor, you'll graduate with a depth of knowledge informed by an understanding of how your subject connects to the wider world.

• Better understanding of realities of Black and African diasporic experiences in Canada and the contributions of those communities to Canadian society
• Better equipped to recognize and confront issues of social & racial in/justice
• Community-oriented framework facilitates the development of unique skills and networks in relation to Black Studies in the Canadian context
• Applicable critical and analytic tools for interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches to the study of Black lives