Center for Native American Indigenous Studies
Andrew Cowell
1330 Grandview Ave.
T: (303) 735-4595
cnais@colorado.edu
The Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS) offers both a graduate and undergraduate certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS). The certificate program offers a unique interdisciplinary curriculum for CU Boulder students interested in studying the history, cultures, languages, arts, policies and rights of Indigenous peoples from the Americas and around the globe. CNAIS encourages interdisciplinary and intersectional study that develops students' awareness of the diversity and complexity of Indigenous peoples, cultures and nations. It also encourages students to link their academic study of Indigeneity with community outreach and service learning.
A founding principle of CNAIS is to value and expand upon the connections and interdisciplinary nature of Native American & Indigenous scholarly work. The issues facing Native American and Indigenous peoples today require expertise from multiple disciplines and draw from scholarship in a number of fields, including art & art history, anthropology, ethnic studies, environmental studies, gender studies, geography, history, law, linguistics, literature and religion. CU Boulder has recruited an unprecedented number of faculty working in a wide array of areas related to NAIS, and already enjoys a high national and international reputation in several of these areas. In pursuing the NAIS certificate, students join a vibrant and growing community at CU Boulder, including graduate and undergraduate students and more than 40 professors.
For more information, visit the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies website.
Requirements
Students pursuing this certificate must complete an undergraduate degree in any of the academic areas offered by CU Boulder, and complete a total of 18 credits of acceptable coursework from the certificate program list.
At least 6 of the 12 credit hours of elective courses must be upper division, and students may choose to apply up to 3 credits of independent study/internship toward the credit requirement. Any independent study must be undertaken with a CNAIS core faculty member, and may be done when a student wishes to pursue an individualized course of study not normally offered in the NAIS course offers. Independent study is typically reserved for third- and fourth-year students.
Only nine credits from the student's major or minor may be counted toward the certificate, students must maintain a C average (2.0) or better, and students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses that count toward the certificate.
Required Courses and Credit Hours
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ETHN 1023 | Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 4717 | Native American and Indigenous Studies Capstone Seminar (*or the equivalent ) | 3 |
| Electives 1 | 12 | |
| At least three of the four required elective courses must be taken outside the student's major department. | ||
| Approved Anthropology Courses | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Tibet | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Pueblo Indians of the Southwest | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Maya | ||
| Indigenous Imperialism on the Andes: The Inca Realm and its People | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Aztecs | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Regional Cultures of Africa | ||
| Exploring Global Cultural Diversity (The Andes ) | ||
| Exploring Culture and Gender through Film | ||
| Culture and Power (Democracy) | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Africa: Peoples and Societies in Change | ||
| Ethnography of Mexico and Central America | ||
| Peoples of the South Pacific | ||
| Explorations in Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Museum Anthropology | ||
| Southwestern Archaeology | ||
| From Olmec to Aztec: The Archaeology of Mexico | ||
| Archaeology of the Maya and Their Neighbors | ||
| Plains Archaeology | ||
| The Archaeology of Inequality | ||
| Collections Research Practicum in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Nomadic Peoples of East Africa | ||
| Anthropology of Tibet | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Brazil | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Approved Art and Art History Courses | ||
| Special Topics in Art History (Native North American Art) | ||
| The Arts of Colonial Mexico and Peru | ||
| Precolumbian Art of Mesoamerica | ||
| Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History (Contemporary Indigenous Art) | ||
| Approved Cinema Studies and Moving Image Arts Courses | ||
| American Indians in Film | ||
| Approved English Courses | ||
| American Ethnic Literatures | ||
| American Indian Literature | ||
| Approved Ethnic Studies Courses | ||
| Critical Issues in Native North America | ||
| American Indians in Film | ||
| Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions | ||
| American Indian Literature | ||
| Selected Topics in American Indian Studies | ||
| Native American and Indigenous Environmental Issues | ||
| Approved Geography Courses | ||
| Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean | ||
| India and Its Neighbors: Societies, Economies, and Geopolitics | ||
| Global Africa: Environment, Development, and Culture | ||
| Political Ecology & Latin America | ||
| Approved History Courses | ||
| Introduction to Early Latin American History to 1810 | ||
| Aztecs, Incas, and the Spanish Conquest of the Americas | ||
| Colorado History | ||
| History of Mexico to 1821 | ||
| Environmental History of North America | ||
| Approved Linguistics Courses | ||
| American Indigenous Languages in their Social and Cultural Context | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Approved Music Courses | ||
| World Musics: Asia and Oceania | ||
| World Musics: Asia and Oceania | ||
| Ethnomusicology | ||
| American Indian Music | ||
| Approved Religious Studies Courses | ||
| Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
| 1 | Elective courses not taught by CNAIS core or affiliate faculty must be approved by the CNAIS director. |