Native American and Indigenous Studies, Certificate

The undergraduate Certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) requires a minimum of 18 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 certificate coursework.

The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.

All students develop an individual certificate plan of study in consultation with the NAIS coordinator. In some cases, students may be able to count certificate courses toward certain GE CLAS Core requirements. Students complete one introductory course and 15 s.h. in elective coursework as indicated below. Elective courses reflect the certificate 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.

The Certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies requires the following coursework.

Introductory Courses

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

Elective Courses

Students must choose 15 s.h. in elective coursework. They may petition for certificate credit for courses not listed below that contain significant Indigenous content.

Course # Title Hours
NAIS:1500Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies3
NAIS:2300/AMST:2300Native Americans in Film3
NAIS:2500Indigenous Art, Land, and Social Justice3
NAIS:3289/HIST:3289The Atlantic World c. 1450-18503
NAIS:3430/POLI:3430Environmental Politics and Indigeneity3
NAIS:3432/POLI:3432Agriculture Politics and Policy3
NAIS:3502/HIST:3502/LAS:3502History of Mexico3
NAIS:4500Special Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies1-3
AMST:1049/HIST:1049/NAIS:1049Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies (if not taken as an introductory course)3
AMST:1290/GHS:1290/HIST:1290/NAIS:1290Native American Foods and Foodways3
ANTH:2165/AMST:2165/NAIS:2165Native Peoples of North America (if not taken as an introductory course)3
ANTH:3110/GHS:3110/NAIS:3110Colonialism and Indigenous Health Equity3
ANTH:3240/NAIS:3240Cultural Resources Management Archaeology: Practice and Practicalities3
ANTH:3243/NAIS:3243Archaeology of the American Midcontinent3
ANTH:3257/NAIS:3257North American Archaeology3
ANTH:3258/NAIS:3258Southwestern Archaeology3
ARTH:1095/NAIS:1095Native American Art3
ENGL:2505Introduction to Postcolonial Studies3
ENGL:3431American Novel Since 1945 (when topic is Native American literature)3
ENGL:3441/NAIS:3441Native American Literature3
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:2292/AMST:2292/NAIS:2292Native American Law and Policy: A History (if not taken as an introductory course)3
HIST:2294/NAIS:2294/SJUS:2294Indigenous Art Activism and Social Justice3
HIST:3270/NAIS:3270Colonial North America, ca. 1600-17753
HIST:3272/NAIS:3272Native Americans in the Age of Empires, ca. 1500-18153
HIST:3273War and Violence in Early American Societies and Culture3
HIST:4130/MUSM:4130Museum Literacy and Historical Memory3
SPAN:3240Mexico City3