Indigenous Studies Certificate
The main goal of the indigenous studies certificate program is to encourage active intellectual and community engagement with indigenous peoples and cultures. The program allows undergraduate students to develop interdisciplinary expertise in indigenous studies and comparative approaches to their primary field of interest.
Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Upon completion of the course requirements, students write a three- to four-page essay that describes their intellectual work in the program and how the experience contributed to their academic career at the University.
Total Hours Required: 18
Requirements
Requirements are listed in the table below. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum. Students should also review the University's Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete requirements of an undergraduate major | ||
| A lower-division introductory or foundational course with indigenous studies content, such as: | 3 | |
| Topics in Introduction to Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in United States History | ||
Other courses from an approved list | ||
| Complete an approved upper-division capstone course with 100% content related to Native American and indigenous studies | 3 | |
| Complete four courses with at least 30% content related to Native American and Indigenous Studies (at least nine hours must be from upper-division courses and at least six hours must be taken in a field of study outside the student’s major department) | 12 | |
| College Requirements - Liberal Arts | ||
| Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence.
- Students will be given the opportunity to enroll in a 3-hour conference course that allows students to work with issues in Indigenous Texas or the Southwest. This course can count toward the above 12-hour requirement.
- Each semester a list of approved courses that meet the requirements above is available on the website of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/nais/.