Majors & Minors

American Indian Studies is a field of study dedicated to advancing awareness and understanding of the histories and contemporary experiences of American Indian people.

Requirements for the Major

Students must complete at least 120 credits, including 3 preparatory credits in AMIN 1001 and 30 additional credits in the major.
All courses satisfying major requirements must be taken on an A/F basis with grades of at least C-.
A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 is required for courses satisfying major requirements.
All majors must also select a focus and complete the rest of their required credits as follows below.

Forms

Undergraduate Handbook(PDF)
Major with language focus form (PDF)
Major with a general focus (PDF)
To declare a major or minor in American Indian Studies please contact the American Indian Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies, John Nichols, at jdn@umn.edu

General Track

In addition to AMIN 1001 and the Senior Project, all majors within the General Track must complete:

AMIN 1002 Indigenous Peoples in Global Perspective
or
AMIN 1003 American Indian Peoples in Minnesota
At least one course (3 credits) completed from each of the following groups:
- Group A, Tribal Arts & Humanities: AMIN 3201W, 3301, 3303/5303, 3401, 3402/5402, 3601, 4201, 4301
- Group B, Culture & History: AMIN 3409/5409, 3701, 3711, 3713, 3870, 3871, 3872, 3876, 4721
- Group C, Political, Social & Policy Issues: AMIN 3141/5141, 3501, 3876, 4231, 4501, 4511, 4515, 4525
Note: Courses appearing in more than one group may only be used to satisfy one requirement, i.e. “double-dipping” is not allowed. AMIN 4990, 4991, 4994, and 4996 (Topics, Independent Study, Directed Research, and Field Study) may be used to satisfy group requirements with the permission of the DUS.

An additional 15-18 upper division credits (AMIN/DAKO/OJIB 3xxx-5xxx), including the Senior Project, to reach the minimum of 33 credits in the major.

Language Track

In addition to AMIN 1001 (3 cr) and the Senior Project, all majors within the language track must complete:

The four-course (20 credits) language sequence in Dakota (DAKO 1121-1122-3123-3124) or Ojibwe (OJIB 1101-1102-3103-3104)
One advanced level language course from AmIn 3141, 3143, 3107/5107, 3108/5108, 3110/5110; DAKO 5126/5129; or OJIB 5106/5109.
A minimum of 7 upper division credits (AMIN/DAKO/OJIB 3xxx-5xxx) must be completed in the major, including the Senior Project.

Senior Project

Both focuses require a senior project. The specific topic for the project, the method for evaluating and interpreting it, and its final format must be approved by the student’s faculty supervisor. Students will either take the Junior/Senior Seminar offered every other year as AmIn 4990 (typically 3 cr.) or register for AmIn 4991 Independent Study (variable credit) with a faculty supervisor. The credits earned in one of these courses may be counted toward the 33 credits required for the major. Completion of the senior project will be confirmed by submission to the student’s college office of a completion form signed by the faculty supervisor.

Students with a double major in American Indian Studies and another department in CLA complete only one senior project in the department of their choice but are still required to have the full 33 credits in the American Indian Studies major.

Requirements for the Minor

Students must complete at least 18 credits to be distributed as follows:
- AmIn 1001, 1002, or 1003
- A minimum of 15 upper-division credits (AMIN/OJIB/DAKO 3xxx-5xxx).
All courses satisfying minor requirements must be taken on an A/F basis with grades of at least C-, with a cumulative GPA in the minor of at least 2.0.

Forms

Minor Form (PDF)
To declare a major or minor in American Indian Studies please contact Miguel Vargas, at varg0043@umn.edu or 612-626-5759.

Research and Internships

The University has set aside funds for undergraduates who want to pursue research opportunities. Full information about this can be found in the publication Undergraduate Research Opportunities. There are a number of research opportunities in University programs already existing such as UROP Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program which gives undergraduates students the chance to work closely with faculty members on research projects. There are work/study arrangements with local corporations, public agencies and internships with the Hubert Humphrey Institute and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

The Department of American Indian Studies is usually engaged with tribal communities, reservations and programs on research projects, internships and collaborative projects to benefit American Indian people.