American Indian Studies Layout 1

About the program

The Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies Online Degree Completion program is designed to explore the rich history and culture of various Native American peoples. As a student of our online American Indian Studies program, you’ll study the complex social relationships that inform and influence tribal communities. You’ll also explore the ways in which those tribes interact with each other and with outside communities, including the United States government, and you’ll learn how those complex relationships continue to evolve.

Our virtual classrooms are led by faculty and lecturers from SDSU’s Department of American Indian Studies. We’ve also partnered with tribal liaisons from the Kumeyaay Nation, San Diego’s indigenous tribal community, to build a curriculum and an academic community that is forward-thinking and culturally sensitive. We also work closely with the Elymash Yuuchaap Indigenous Scholars and Leaders Program and SDSU’s Native American Student Alliance.

Estimated Cost

$#NUM,000-$#NUM,000

Min. Completion Time

#NUMBER Years

Course Format

Online

Program is perfect for...

The SDSU World Campus online American Indian Studies degree program focuses on a variety of issues, including history, tribal law and federal treaties, social justice issues, cultural studies, tribal sovereignty, and the needs of contemporary Native American communities. As such, earning your Bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies will prepare you for a variety of careers both within and outside of Indian reservations. The coursework will prepare you to work in tribal education programs, social and human services programs, and cultural preservation divisions. You’ll gain the experience necessary to work with various Federal agencies that work with Native communities, such as the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Indian Gaming Commission.

With growing economic development opportunities in Indian Country, you can also use our program to launch a career with different non-Indian corporations and industries that serve Native communities, such as hospitality, environmental planning, financial services, engineering/architectural consulting, and entrepreneurship.

Because the program is entirely online, you won’t have to sacrifice your current career and other responsibilities; you can work towards earning your degree on your schedule. Best of all, upon graduation you’ll have earned the same degree as our on-campus students, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Major in American Indian Studies.

What you can learn

Our BA in American Indian Studies Online Degree Completion program will teach you to:

1. Recognize diversity of tribal communities
2. Value indigenous knowledges and sustainability
3. Enact preservation and promotion of cultural heritage
4. Identify mechanisms of oppression
5. Support processes of decolonization
6. Comprehend global indigeneity

This online American Indian Studies program is designed to examine the past and the present, with an eye towards the future. Many of your online courses will focus on the diverse histories of Native American communities in the United States. You’ll learn about the differences between pre- and post-contact American Indian communities, and how historical and contemporary forms of oppression affect these communities. Our courses also focus on the ways that different forms of oppression have shaped and continue to affect these communities. Our goal is for you to become an advocate for decolonization and self-determination, through continued efforts to repatriate sacred objects, protect traditional sacred sites, and preserve Native intellectual property and cultural heritage.

You’ll learn about these topics in online courses developed by expert faculty from SDSU’s Department of American Indian Studies and tribal liaisons from the Kumeyaay Nation. Your instructors bring their extensive academic and professional experience to every lesson, turning the virtual classroom into an interactive forum for personal growth and thoughtful exploration.

Whether you’re currently a member of an indigenous tribe, or you’d like to work with tribal communities in the future, our program is designed to give you the skills and the cultural contexts you’ll need in order to become an advocate for indigenous communities throughout the world.

Outcomes

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for American Indian Studies graduates is a positive one. Over the past year, there have been over 1.2 million job postings across the country that are seeking individuals with the skills you’d acquire with a BA in American Indian Studies program. As we begin to face the impact that environmental and ecological issues are having on indigenous communities across the globe, that number is expected to grow by almost 8% over the next decade. Job postings in California are predicted to grow by over 10%.

The average national salary for individuals with a BA in American Indian Studies is $54,826, much higher than the average salary for individuals in those same positions who hold an Associate’s degree or less ($31,588).

Why Should You Choose Us?

Accessibility

As an online degree, our BA in American Indian Studies program is designed to work with your busy schedule. Millions of adults across the country are unable to complete their degrees due to the time and costs associated with a traditional on-campus undergraduate experience. Our program eliminates many of those barriers, making a high-quality liberal arts education accessible for all types of learners.

Responsiveness

Our online American Indian Studies degree program has developed a close relationship with San Diego’s indigenous Kumeyaay Nation. Through partnerships with tribal liaisons, we’ve worked together to develop a curriculum that is meaningful to and motivated by the needs of the indigenous communities throughout San Diego, Southern California, and all over the world.

Versatility

The program is, at its core, a liberal arts degree program. This means that you’ll receive a well-rounded education designed to enhance your critical thinking and communication skills. Though the majority of the program focuses on the histories and cultures of Native American communities, our program will prepare you for work in a variety of fields, from marketing and finance to social service and government.