Native American and Indigenous Studies, Minor

This is the first version of the 2025–26 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

The minor in Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS) requires a minimum of 15 s.h., including at least 12 s.h. in courses completed at the University of Iowa. Students must earn a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all coursework completed for the minor.

Students complete one introductory course and 12 s.h. in elective coursework. Elective courses reflect the program’s emphasis on Indigenous histories in the Americas, Indigenous cultures and literatures, and Indigenous peoples in global perspectives. Elective courses from several departments ensure that students are exposed to different themes. Students may consult with the NAIS coordinator.

The minor in Native American and Indigenous studies requires the following coursework.

Introductory Courses

Course # Title Hours
One of these:
NAIS:1049/AMST:1049/HIST:1049Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies3
NAIS:2165/AMST:2165/ANTH:2165Native Peoples of North America3
NAIS:2292/AMST:2292/HIST:2292Native American Law and Policy: A History3

Elective Courses

Students must choose 12 s.h. in elective coursework. They may petition for minor credit for courses not in the following list that contain significant Indigenous content.

Course # Title Hours
NAIS:1049/AMST:1049/HIST:1049Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies (if not taken as an introductory course)3
NAIS:1095/ARTH:1095Native American Art3
NAIS:1290/AMST:1290/GHS:1290/HIST:1290Native American Foods and Foodways3
NAIS:1500Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies3
NAIS:2165/AMST:2165/ANTH:2165Native Peoples of North America (if not taken as an introductory course)3
NAIS:2292/AMST:2292/HIST:2292Native American Law and Policy: A History (if not taken as an introductory course)3
NAIS:2300/AMST:2300Native Americans in Film3
NAIS:2500Indigenous Art, Land, and Social Justice3
NAIS:3110/ANTH:3110/CBH:4200/GHS:3110Colonialism and Indigenous Health Equity3
NAIS:3145/ANTH:3145/MUSM:3145Excavation to Exhibit: Making Artifacts Public3
NAIS:3240/ANTH:3240Cultural Resources Management Archaeology: Practice and Practicalities3
NAIS:3243/ANTH:3243Archaeology of the American Midcontinent3
NAIS:3257/ANTH:3257North American Archaeology3
NAIS:3270/HIST:3270Colonial North America, ca. 1600-17753
NAIS:3272/HIST:3272Native Americans in the Age of Empires, ca. 1500-18153
NAIS:3289/HIST:3289The Atlantic World c. 1450-18503
NAIS:3305/ANTH:3305Human Osteology3
NAIS:3430/POLI:3430Environmental Politics and Indigeneity3
NAIS:3432/POLI:3432Agriculture Politics and Policy3
NAIS:3441/ENGL:3441Native American Literature3
NAIS:3502/HIST:3502/LAS:3502History of Mexico3
NAIS:3580/PBAF:3580Native American Public Policy3
NAIS:4500Special Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies1-3
ENGL:2505Introduction to Postcolonial Studies3
ENGL:3431American Novel Since 1945 (when topic is Native American literature)3
ENGL:3515Topics in Postcolonial Studies3
FREN:4090Quebec Literature3
GWSS:3350/ANTH:3125/IS:3350Transnational Feminism3
HIST:1040Diversity in History (when topic is Indigenous feminisms; consult instructor)3
HIST:2151Introduction to the History Major (when topic is focused on Indigenous peoples)3
HIST:3273War and Violence in Early American Societies and Culture3
HIST:4130/MUSM:4130Museum Literacy and Historical Memory3
SPAN:3240Mexico City3