Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Native American Studies

Native American studies is the interdisciplinary study of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas: their histories, languages, literatures, arts, religions, governments and present-day concerns. Programmes use the methods of history, anthropology, law, political science and literary studies, and many are taught from Indigenous perspectives. Names vary by institution: Native American Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, American Indian Studies and, in Canada, First Nations and Indigenous Studies.

A central theme is the legal and political position of Native nations. According to the US Bureau of Indian Affairs, there are at present 575 federally recognized tribes in the United States, each recognized as having a government-to-government relationship with the federal government. Courses on sovereignty, treaties and federal Indian policy explain how that relationship developed and how tribal governments work today.

What students learn

Course lists show the range of the subject. At Fort Lewis College in Colorado, coursework is taught from an Indigenous perspective and includes Contemporary Issues of Native Nations, Federal Indian Policy, Native American Gender Issues, Native American Religion and Spirituality and Cultural Heritage Preservation. At Dartmouth College, the major is built around required courses in three areas, Literature and Languages, History and Culture, and Governance and Sovereignty, followed by five electives and a culminating experience or thesis.

Some programmes have a regional focus. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, founded in 1887 to educate American Indian students, concentrates on the tribes of the Southeast, including the Lumbee, and its students work with local tribal communities. The University of California, Davis takes a hemispheric view: its major is described as a multi-disciplinary introduction to the Indigenous cultures of North, Central and South America, and students choose a plan centred on North America, on Meso-America or on South America.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. The usual qualification is a Bachelor of Arts with a major in the subject, as at UC Davis, UNC Pembroke, Fort Lewis College and Dartmouth. At the University of British Columbia, the Bachelor of Arts in First Nations and Indigenous Studies, a programme founded in 2001, includes a fourth-year practicum in which students carry out a research project with a community partner.
  • Minor. Many universities offer the subject as a minor that is combined with another major, for example law-related, education, health or environmental studies. UNC Pembroke, Dartmouth, Fort Lewis College and UBC all list a minor next to the major.
  • Graduate study. Fewer universities teach the subject at graduate level. The Department of Native American Studies at UC Davis offers a programme leading to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, and a designated emphasis for graduate students of other approved programmes.

Where to study it

This directory lists 10 schools that teach Native American studies: nine in the United States and one in Canada. Examples are Fort Lewis College in Durango (Colorado), Dartmouth College in Hanover (New Hampshire), the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the University of California campuses in Davis, Berkeley and Irvine, Idaho State University in Pocatello, Illinois State University in Normal, Ithaca College in New York State and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Teaching is in English, although several programmes include Indigenous language study.

Study away from campus is part of some degrees. UC Davis majors may spend one to three quarters elsewhere in the Americas, or on or near a reservation, as part of their area of specialisation.

Costs differ for Native students at some institutions. Fort Lewis College offers a Native American Tuition Waiver to eligible students who are enrolled citizens, or children of an enrolled citizen, of a federally recognized American Indian Tribal Nation or Alaska Native Village. The waiver covers tuition only; fees, housing, meals and books remain the student's responsibility.

Careers

The degree is a general humanities and social science qualification with specific knowledge of Indigenous communities. UC Davis describes it as preparation for a scholarly career or for professional careers such as teaching, law, human services, health, tribal administration and social work. UBC lists public policy, resource management, community development, arts and culture conservation, education, academic research and public administration among the options for its graduates. UNC Pembroke mentions education, law, social services and museum work. For regulated professions such as law or teaching, a further professional qualification is needed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be Native American to study Native American studies?

No. Programmes are open to all students; UNC Pembroke, for example, addresses its programme to Native and non-Native students alike.

Is Native American studies only about the United States?

No. UC Davis covers the Indigenous cultures of North, Central and South America, with study plans focused on Meso-America and on South America, and the University of British Columbia focuses on Indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond.

Can I study it at master's or doctoral level?

Yes, at a smaller number of universities. UC Davis offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Native American Studies.

What can I do with a degree in Native American studies?

Universities name teaching, law, health and human services, tribal administration, public policy, community development and cultural heritage work. Some of these careers require an additional professional degree.