Undergraduate Academics and Advising
To declare an AIS major or minor, visit the Declare Major or Minor page. There is a form you can fill out. After filling out the form, an advisor will declare the major or minor for you, and will let you know that the change is complete.
American Indian Studies has a variety of funding resources for undergraduate students on our Funding Page. All students are strongly encouraged to seek funding support from outside the department.
American Indian Studies has four core courses: AIS 220, AIS 248, AIS 323, and AIS 496T. AIS majors are required to take all four courses, while AIS minors are required to take three of the four. For all other credits, there is flexibility in choosing other courses.
Degree Requirement pages: Major Requirements, Minor Requirements.
Yes, an internship can help fulfill an AIS major or minor requirement. Here is our AIS Internship Form.
The American Indian Studies major requires a minimum of 39 units. This includes all 4 core courses, 15 units of AIS electives, and 12 units of additional AIS elective courses. 18 units of AIS courses must be upper division (300-400 level) courses. For more information, check our Degree Requirements page.
The American Indian Studies minor requires a minimum of 18 units. This includes 3 core courses (9 units), 6 units of AIS electives, and 3 units of additional AIS elective courses. 9 units of AIS courses must be upper division (300-400 level) courses. Double dipping, or double use, of courses with another major/minor is not permitted.
In order to request transfer credit, begin a conversation with your advisor. Note that for some courses transfer agreements are already arranged and shown on AZ Transfer. For all others, complete the Coursework Request Form and submit the form to the American Indian Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Graduate Academics and Advising
At the University of Arizona, tuition and registration fees are higher for graduate students than for undergraduate students. See the Fee Rates Table on the Bursar’s Office website for current fees.
The completion of a doctorate degree differs significantly from a bachelor’s, or even a master’s degree, in terms of the student’s investment of time, energy, and resources. Doctoral students begin the degree program by completing course work according to a plan of study. In the American Indian Studies program, most students spend about two to three years completing their coursework before moving on to the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive exam is a two part exam, one part written and one part oral, designed to test students’ proficiency in their areas of study and their ability to conduct independent research. After passing the comprehensive examination, students begin their independent research through a project of significant size and scope and eventually report their findings in a dissertation, which can be a book-length document. Our students engage in a wide range of research projects, but research for the dissertation may include weeks or months of research at sites across the United States or abroad and/or extensive interviewing of many consultants (as many as sixty people or more). Scheduling and completing such research often requires a substantial amount of time, and the gathering of evidence is followed by additional time for analyzing the data, then documenting the findings in a series of drafts written under the close supervision of a faculty advisor. It is not unusual for the research, analysis, and writing process to require a minimum of two years. The U. S. average for completing the doctorate degree in social sciences and humanities fields is seven years.
Students in a doctorate program are responsible for all costs associated with their research, analysis, and writing: including travel, equipment, supplies, gifts for interviewees and consultants, reproduction costs for archival research, etc. These expenses are above and beyond living expenses, and tuition and university registration fees.
To complete a master’s degree in American Indian Studies, students must complete coursework according to a plan of study and write a thesis or master’s report based on their own original research. Our students engage in a wide range of research projects, but research for the thesis may include weeks or months of research at sites across the United States or abroad and/or extensive interviewing of many consultants. Scheduling and completing such research often requires a substantial amount of time, and the gathering of evidence is followed by additional time for analyzing the data, then documenting the findings in a series of drafts written under the close supervision of a faculty advisor.
Students in a master’s program are responsible for all costs associated with their research, analysis, and writing: including travel, equipment, supplies, gifts for interviewees and consultants, reproduction costs for archival research, etc. These expenses are above and beyond living expenses, and tuition and university registration fees.
The U. S. average for completing the doctorate degree in social sciences and humanities fields is seven years. Most doctoral students in American Indian Studies complete their degree in a timeframe that is on par with the national average.
The master’s program in American Indian Studies is a two-year program. Some students may take longer to complete the degree, if they enroll as a part-time student or choose a thesis topic that requires more than the usual amount of research time.
Graduate enrollment requirements differ significantly from undergraduate enrollment requirements; in general graduate students are required to enroll in fewer units than undergraduates. The required number of units for graduate students depends upon whether the student is working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), and the stages of his/her degree progress.
Full-time master’s or doctorate student not working as GTA: minimum 9 units
Full-time master’s or doctorate student working as GTA: minimum 6 units
Full-time master’s or doctorate student enrolling in 900-level coursework only, not working as GTA: minimum 3 units
Full-time master’s or doctorate student enrolling in 900-level coursework only, working as GTA: minimum 6 units
If a master’s student has completed all degree requirements, including the 6 required thesis units, but still needs additional time to complete the thesis, the student may enroll in a minimum of 1 units to maintain good standing at the university. Please note: 1 credit does not meet full-time status requirements for financial aid.
If a doctoral student has completed all degree requirements, including the 18 required dissertation units, but still needs additional time to complete the dissertation, the student may enroll in a minimum of 1 unit to maintain good standing at the university. Please note: 1 credit does not meet full-time status requirements for financial aid.
American Indian Studies offers a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistantships to doctoral students during their first year in the program. The Graduate Teaching Assistantship is a part-time position (10-13 hours of work per week) which includes a salary, partial tuition waiver, and student health insurance. All students are strongly encouraged to seek funding support from outside the department.
American Indian Studies has a limited amount of scholarship funds available for first-year master’s students. The scholarship funds for master’s students may only be applied toward tuition/registration expenses. All students are strongly encouraged to seek funding support from outside the department.
Check our our funding page.
No. American Indian Studies will not withhold funding from a student because he or she is able to obtain additional funding from an outside resource. Some types of funds may not be used in combination with one another, however, so students are required to report all funding sources to AIS.
American Indian Studies requires students to report all of their funding sources to the department because some types of scholarships and funding cannot be used in combination with one another. It is important to manage the funds carefully to obtain the maximum advantage for the student.
For more information about American Indian Studies or graduate degree requirements, please contact Jen Decker, Program Coordinator, at (520)621-9050 or by email at jldecker@arizona.edu. Please keep in mind that information about individual students’ degree progress cannot be released except at the request of the student.
International Students and Scholars
Every year our program attracts applications from international students and scholars wishing to come and study/work in the American Indian Studies department. Below are a few suggestions and tips that you may find useful through the process and while in the program
Student Admissions
Campus Health
Center for English as a Second Language
Immigration
*Other resources are listed under the proper tab.
Career Services - Career development and resources
Handshake - Campus jobs
Tax Information - Variety of tax resources
Admission information, objectives, legal information, tax information, grants, general inquires and more for international students.
Global Center
615 N. Park Avenue, Room 120
Tucson, AZ 85721
(520) 621-4627
Tel: (520) 621-4627
Email: intl-isps@arizona.edu
Office Hours: 8:00-12:00, 1:00-5:00 Monday-Friday
isps@arizona.edu
http://internationalstudents.arizona.edu/home
Visa information, exchange visitor, temporary workers, permanent residence, forms, fees, legal information, tax information, and other resources.
International Faculty and Scholars
Global Center
615 N. Park Avenue, Room 142
Tucson, AZ 85721
Tel: (520) 626-6289
Contact: https://international.arizona.edu/contact-us
Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00-12:00, 1:00-5:00
Program opportunities, advising, financial aid for study abroad, health and safety information, foreign student exchange, grants, and other information for general inquires.
Global Center
615 N. Park Avenue, Room 150
Tucson, AZ 85721
Tel: (520) 626-9211
Email: studyabroad@arizona.edu
Office Hours: 8:00-12:00, 1:00-5:00 Monday-Friday
Passports, Passport renewal, fees, International ID cards, Grants.
Student Union Memorial Center
1303 E University Blvd, Rm 142
Tucson, Arizona 85719
Tel: 1-520-626-7161
Office Hours: Appointments available Monday - Friday
Resources for U.S. students, non-U.S. students, U.S. scholars, non-U.S. scholars, and foreign language teaching assistants.
Contact Us
For more information, please contact the AIS main office.
AIS Main Office
aisp@arizona.edu
520-621-7108