Seminar, three hours. Requisites: courses 201A, 201B. Designed for first-year African American Studies graduate students. Students are assisted in conceptualizing, designing, and writing research proposals. Introduction to other professional research skills which help students prepare for graduate study, academics, and/or research according to their respective areas of interest. Skills include Institutional Review Boards (IRB) or research involving human subjects; securing research grants; funding and understanding their criteria; and writing statements of purpose and personal statements as students. Demystifies thesis writing process and provides students with basic tools for writing successful and highly publishable research essay or thesis. Letter grading.