Teaching Approach

This course will be taught in English.  A student is encouraged to use English in the classroom and required in taking the exams.  Even though lecturing will take up most of the course time, a student has to participate in classroom discussion, especially answering the questions provided in the end of each chapter.  Preparation for the assigned materials before each class is a prerequisite for meaningful participation. 

To be announced later.

Course Requirements

For undergraduate students, midterm and final exam each accounts for 35% of the total grade.  A country study project accounts for 15% of the grade.  Class participation accounts for the remaining 15% of the grade as students will have to answer questions in the class. 

For graduate students, midterm and final exam each accounts for 30% of the total grade.  The final report constitutes 20% and a country study project accounts for 10% of the grade.  Class participation accounts for the remaining 10% of the grade as students will have to answer questions in the class. 

There is also a map test that requires a student to identify/locate all African countries on the map.  A student has to pass the map test before receiving the final grade.  He/she can take this test as many times as needed.  Objective questions such as matching, true & false, multiple choices, as well as short and long essay questions will be included to accommodate individual student's particular strength in comprehension. 

The country study project requires each student to collect the following information of one African country (if possible, 2018, or the latest):

Alex Thompson, An Introduction to African Politics, 4^th Edition.  London and New York: Routledge, 2016.

Goran Hyden, African Politics in Comparative Perspective, 2^nd edition. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013.  (For graduate students only)