About the Indigenous and American Indian Studies Program

What is IAIS?

American Indian studies emerged during the late 1960s and early 1970s with the intent to examine and protect Tribal sovereignty, Tribal self-determination, and Tribal nation rebuilding. Our program is designed to provide students with an integrated foundation of interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills relevant to sustainable and intelligent capacity-building within and for Tribal communities.

Opportunities with an IAIS Degree

Graduates from our program have used their studies to prepare for professions in Tribal and federal government, law, education, archiving and information management, and advocacy positions. Many also have entered graduate or professional programs in American Indian studies, geography, conflict resolution, law, environmental sciences, public health, education, social welfare, and other areas.

Program Vision

Our program’s vision is “affirming sovereignty through action.”

Admission Deadlines

Individuals can apply to the AIS program for either the Fall or Spring semester. The deadline for the Fall admission is March 15th. The deadline for Spring admission is October 1st. Applications are available to download here.

Admission Requirements

• 2.5 or better cumulative college grade point average (GPA)
• Successful completion of 45 hours of general education courses
• Official academic transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Completed AIS program application
• Two letters of recommendation (see application for information)
• Writing sample (see application for information)
• Completion of AIS 102 and AIS 110 (or their equivalent) with a “C” or higher
• Completion of ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or their equivalent) with a “C” or higher