American Indian Studies
Major and Minor Requirements and Core Courses
American Indian Studies is an interdisciplinary field that enhances student abilities to design a program to fit their professional goals. Currently, students can use the "Special Major" option to design a degree. AIS Special Majors work directly with the Director of the Program, an Academic Advisor in another field to design a combination of classes that help the student prepare for their professional life. AIS Special Majors participate in internship training.
American Indian Studies minors enhance their existing programs with an in-depth study of American Indian history, law, literature, and activism. In addition, AIS minors participate in internship training.
Core Classes
AIS 5. American Indian History
Surveys American Indian history from American Indian historical perspectives and records, including accounts of American Indian origins, cultures, sciences and self-governance prior the arrival of colonialism. AIS 5 also explores the impacts of early settler colonialism and U.S. nation-formation. G.E. Breadth F
Units: 3
GE Area: F
AIS 9T. American Indian and Indigenous Women Writers
Explores the oral traditions and writing of American Indian peoples, and highlights the work of American Indian storytellers. Today’s American Indian writers of fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry draw on the tribal oral traditions to bring to light discussions about tribal sovereignty and self-determination, are used to critique the forces of change that impact the quality of life of American Indians and community relationships, and promote community healing and cultural preservation.
Units: 1-3
AIS 50. Contemporary Life of the American Indian
Prerequisite: GE Foundation A2 for students in English college-readiness Category III and IV. Current problems of American Indians and Arctic Natives resulting from culture conflict, acculturation, minority status, and governmental policy. G.E. Breadth D2
Units: 3
GE Area: D2
AIS 101. American Indian Law
Concepts of laws on Indian reservations, termination, litigation and complaints, strengthening tribal governments. Law related to Indian land and resources.
Units: 3
AIS 103. California American Indians
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. Surveys the precolonial American Indian cultures of California, historical developments of California American Indian cultures according to regional resources, and explores the ongoing impacts of colonial and western expansion in the California region on American Indian peoples. Political, cultural, and creative expressions of California American Indian peoples will be examined to see how the relationships between state-making and the political, social, cultural, and economic issues are faced by California American Indians today. G.E. Breadth F.
Units: 3
GE Area: F
AIS 170. Experience in American Indian Community
Offers students supervised field experience working for a tribe, tribal/Indian organization, tribal school or Indian education program, public agency, or the university's Indian organizations.
Units: 3, Repeatable up to: 6
AIS 190. Independent Study
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study. Approved for RP grading.
Units: 1-3, Repeatable up to: 6