About American Indian Studies

Program History: 1991 to Present

The AIS Master's program, established in 1982, was the first of its kind in the United States. By 1984, a minor in AIS at the doctorate level was approved by the Graduate College. Prior to 1991, AIS was operating with a half time director, 1 full-time employee assigned to the program, and a core of committed faculty from across the university whose tenuous attachment to the program was based on courtesy appointments. There was 1 staff member, $4,900 in operations and variable support for graduate students from the Graduate College and other competitive funding within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The program was housed in four small temporary offices borrowed from the Political Science department. Approximately 20 to 30 graduate students were enrolled in any given semester.

A phased and substantive program of enhancement of administration, curriculum, academic programming, student financial support, staff, and infrastructure was undertaken. It was felt that this serious commitment by The University of Arizona would provide the necessary momentum which would lead to the establishment of full departmental status. Although departmental status has not been pursued to date, AIS has aligned itself as an interdisciplinary program under the auspices of the Graduate College. This has greatly strengthened faculty alliance and afforded the program its unique autonomous status.

AIS has over the years been able to increase its service to graduate students and to American Indian nations. In a decade of fiscal restraint for higher education and academic program elimination at the university, AIS has commitment and support from key central administrators resulting in significant program growth. The implementation of the Ph.D. program and new faculty hires has positively impacted the quality of the program.

Degree Programs

Ph.D. Program - In the fall of 1997, The University of Arizona was the first educational institution in the U.S. to offer a Ph.D. in American Indian Studies. The Ph.D. in American Indian Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to: prepare graduate students for academic careers; conduct advanced and applied scholarly research from a cross-cultural perspective; develop theoretical and innovative theories, methodologies, and research tools appropriate for and useful to sovereign tribes; and to educate students to assume leadership and policy-making roles in higher education, tribal communities, the state and nation. The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in 3-4 years (after completing the Master's degree).

Ph.D. Minor - AIS also offers a Ph.D. minor for majors across the university. The Ph.D. minor was approved in 1984. The Ph.D. minor is planned by the student and two AIS faculty who serve on the student's Ph.D. committee.

Master's Program - A Master's Degree with a concentration in American Indian Policy was inaugurated in 1979 and subsequently, an interdisciplinary Master's Degree in American Indian Studies, the first of its kind in the nation, was formally approved in 1982. The Master's program offers opportunities for advanced study in the following concentrations: American Indian law and policy; American Indian societies and cultures; American Indian languages and literatures; and American Indian education.

Concurrent Degree in Law and American Indian Studies - A concurrent Juris Doctorate (Law degree) and Masters degree in American Indian Studies also began in the fall of 1997. The objective of this concurrent program is to attract exceptional students into American Indian Law and American Indian Studies. This is the first program of its kind in the U.S. and Canada.

The concurrent degree will be granted upon the completion of a minimum of 106 units in Law and American Indian Studies. Graduates will be qualified to provide legal representation to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Indian individuals in cases involving civil rights, land and water litigation, fishing and hunting rights, religious and cultural protections and taxation on Indian lands. The joint degree is designed to be completed in four years.

Undergraduate Minor - American Indian Studies offers a minor at the undergraduate level. The minor is designed to complement or enhance a student's major. A minor in American Indian Studies consists of 18 to 24 hours of coursework with a required course in linguistics or native language. The remainder of the hours can be selected from approximately 28 courses. Course selection is usually done in consultation with an advisor in the major and minor.

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