Native American & Indigenous Studies

The Native American & Indigenous Studies Certificate offered by WEST is a program that is dedicated to exploring and understanding the complexities of Indigenous knowledge worldwide, with a focus on American Indian issues, First Nations in Canada, and Pacific Islanders.

The program places a strong emphasis on diversity and social justice issues, covering topics such as race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and environmental justice.

Completing the program can enhance future career options and interests, as it is marketable to a wide variety of employers and institutions, including American Indian tribes and tribal organizations, government organizations, libraries, archives, and museums, as well as graduate programs and professional schools.

The program's strong focus on diversity and social justice issues, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and environmental justice, allows students to gain a comprehensive perspective on the complex issues facing Indigenous communities today.

Students will have the opportunity to explore various aspects of Indigenous knowledge, such as history, language, art, literature, spirituality, politics, and contemporary issues, while also having networking and mentoring opportunities. 

• Independent studies may not be used to earn this certificate
• All courses be WEST courses or cross-listed with WEST courses
• A minimum grade of 2.0 (C) is required for each course applied to the certificate
• One course counted toward this certificate may count toward another WEST certificate

After completing WEST 1010 - Introduction to Social Justice Studies: Leadership, Inclusion, and Engagement, students are required to complete 12 credit hours of the WEST courses listed below, 9 of which must be upper division.

Students must take at least one of the following core courses (3-6 credit hours):

• WEST 2070 - Foundations of Native American Study
• WEST 3250 - The Prehistory and History of Native American Cultures of the Southwest
• WEST 3420 - North American Indians
• WEST 3820 - Native American Languages and Cultures

Students may take any of the following WEST courses to complete the certificate requirements:

• WEST 3220 / SOC 3270 - Global Indigenous Issues
• WEST 3550 - Native American Literature
• WEST 3780 - South Sea Tales
• WEST 4100 - Native American Perspectives on Museums
• WEST 4120 - Indigenous Views on Sustainability: All My Relations
• WEST 4280 - Native American Philosophical Thought
• WEST 4340 - Indigenous Arts of the Americas

Additional WEST courses may be offered and counted toward the certificate. These courses must be approved in advance by the certificate coordinator or the WEST Program Director.

A minimum grade of 2.0 (C) is required for each course applied to the certificate. One course counted toward the Native American & Indigenous Studies Certificate may also be counted toward the Global Studies, Latino/a Studies, and Gender & Sexualities Studies certificates.

For additional details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.

General Admissions Details

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships

Intent and Completion Applications for Program Admission

Once admitted to UCCS, students choosing to pursue a certificate must submit a Certificate Declaration Form.

After completing the program requirements, the student must submit the Certificate Completion Form with all supporting documents uploaded where indicated on the form. Students planning to pursue multiple certificates will need to submit separate declaration and completion forms for each certificate.