"Indigenous" is used to designate the human populations originating in a particular land or region. The focus may be Native Americans, Native Canadians, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians, Maori, Aboriginal Australians, or other peoples native to a region.
"Applied" indicates our program looks toward today's needs on reservations.
Our goal is to develop knowledge and train individuals who can tackle the issues and challenges facing today and tomorrow's indigenous communities.
Although understanding the history is a means to understand today's questions, our main focus in research and teaching is creating success stories in indigenous communities. This aspect is enhanced in the degree program with the required field work experience for each student.Focusing on self-determination, AIS will enable you to work with selected faculty to understand and develop strategies for community development through active participation in research and learning. The following links will take you to:
What will I learn?
The curriculum covers tribal histories and cultures, federal policies, and contemporary reservation conditions.
B.S. and B.A. majors have ten core courses required for all students; students select an additional four courses from a list of electives.
The core courses are:
**The B.A. major requires 16 hours of language study.
Key among the core courses is a summer internship offered in coordination with tribes and other reservation organizations.
A number of field sites will be available both on and off the reservation where students may work on applied projects.
Based on the students' skills and interests, these internships are developed to provide services to tribal organizations or other entities, while providing students with valuable learning experiences.
What can I do with an AIS Degree?
Depending on the exact course of study, you will be prepared for entry level positions as practitioners in a variety of positions important to indigenous communities. The field work experience may also lead to job opportunities.
NAU Career Services can assist students with job search and preparation, including assistance with resume writing and interview skills.
Workshops on these topics are often available through their offices. Students are encouraged to visit their web site at www.nau.edu/career.
Examples of areas you may wish to pursue:
Community development combines various programs and practices:
Who are my classmates?
Your classmates will represent a diverse student body, including more than 1,300 Native American students representing at least forty tribes—one of the largest enrollments of Native American students of any four-year university in the U.S.
The population of Native American students at NAU is constantly growing. This year, NAU ranked 1st in the nation for total degrees awarded to Native Americans with 253 graduates at undergraduate, master's and doctorate level.
NAU ranked 1st for degrees awarded to Native American women at both the bachelor and master's level, and 3rd for Native American men at the bachelor level and tied for 3rd at the master's level for men.
NAU's ranking was determined by the IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) Report. This report ranks 577 institutions of higher earning each year. Several student clubs targeting indigenous issues are also available on campus. These clubs engage in social, intellectual and cultural activities. for more information on these organizations, click here
Department of Applied Indigenous Studies
Social and Behavioral Sciences West
Bldg. 70, Room 100
P.O. Box 15020
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5020
Ph: 928-523-6624
Fax: 928-523-5560
© 2008 Arizona Board of Regents.
Northern Arizona University, South San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
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