American Indian Studies

This award is not eligible for Financial Aid

The Academic Certificate (AC) in American Indian Studies program explores the unique experiences of the American Indian people living in the Southwest and provides students the opportunity to study the cultures, values, histories, and contemporary lives of the indigenous people of North America. The Certificate includes courses that investigate their language, literature, arts, philosophy, religions, and politics.

Details

Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Academic Certificate (AC)
Academic Plan
American Indian Studies (CER)
Academic Plan Code
6208N
Total credits required
15
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2020
Admission criteria

None

Notes

This program is not eligible for Title IV Federal Financial Aid.
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program

Federal Indian policy stipulates tribal preference in hiring, which should be considered in seeking employment with tribal nations and selected federal agencies. Seek advice of the tribal agency for available employment opportunities.

What You'll Learn
  • Examine the lifeways of Indigenous Peoples from time immemorial to the point of initial contact with non-Indigenous Peoples.
  • Analyze the impact of Westernized social and political institutions upon Indigenous Nations during the eras of colonization.
  • Examine the major US federal governmental Indigenous policies that culturally and politically impacted Indigenous Nations.
  • Examine the scope of the past and present-day sovereign powers of Indigenous Nations.
  • Analyze the past and present-day legal and political relationship between Indigenous Nations and US governmental entities, including federal, state, county, and municipal.
  • Analyze the contemporary perspectives regarding diverse cultural, social, political, legal, and economic issues that continue to confront Indigenous Nations.
  • Explain the role of Indigenous Nations within the sphere of international governmental relations.

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Anthropologists and Archeologists
$61,390
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$78,800
Curators
$54,520
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
$67,680
Historians
$68,400
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$50,580
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$71,910
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$55,180
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
$78,220

There are additional career opportunities associated with this certificate that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Industrial Engineering Technologists
  • Legal Support Workers, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS105 or
SOC105		 Introduction to American Indian Studies or Introduction to American Indian Studies Critical course Gateway course AIS105 OR SOC105 may be selected based on course availability. C or C 3
AIS160 or
SOC160		 American Indian Law or American Indian Law AIS160 OR SOC160 may be selected based on course availability. C, H or C, H 3
RE Restricted Electives 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS213 or
REL203 or
AIS140 or
HIS140		 American Indian Religions or American Indian Religions or American Indian History or American Indian History AIS213 OR REL203 may be selected based on course availability. or AIS140 OR HIS140 may be selected based on course availability. C, HU, L or C, HU, L or C, H, SB or C, H, SB 3

Restricted Electives 

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS+++ Any AIS American Indian Studies course 3
ARH145 History of American Indian Art C, HU 3
CCS101 Chicana and Chicano Studies C, HU 3
ENH259 American Indian Literature C, HU 3
GCU221 Arizona Geography: Landforms, Climate, Water, People, and Culture C, H, SB 3
HIS+++ Any HIS History course 3
NAV+++ Any NAV Navajo course 3
SPH245 Hispanic Heritage in the Southwest C, HU 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS105 or
SOC105		 Introduction to American Indian Studies or Introduction to American Indian Studies Critical course Gateway course AIS105 OR SOC105 may be selected based on course availability. C or C 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS160 or
SOC160		 American Indian Law or American Indian Law AIS160 OR SOC160 may be selected based on course availability. C, H or C, H 3
AIS213 or
REL203 or
AIS140 or
HIS140		 American Indian Religions or American Indian Religions or American Indian History or American Indian History AIS213 OR REL203 may be selected based on course availability. or AIS140 OR HIS140 may be selected based on course availability. C, HU, L or C, HU, L or C, H, SB or C, H, SB 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
RE Restricted Electives 3

Restricted Electives 

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS+++ Any AIS American Indian Studies course 3
ARH145 History of American Indian Art C, HU 3
CCS101 Chicana and Chicano Studies C, HU 3
ENH259 American Indian Literature C, HU 3
GCU221 Arizona Geography: Landforms, Climate, Water, People, and Culture C, H, SB 3
HIS+++ Any HIS History course 3
NAV+++ Any NAV Navajo course 3
SPH245 Hispanic Heritage in the Southwest C, HU 3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

This certificate is not eligible for Title IV Federal Financial Aid.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm11?id=141923).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Academic Certificate (AC) in American Indian Studies