Mission Statement
The Mission of American Indian Studies is to educate students about the rich diversity of American Indian histories and cultures, to promote research and scholarship concerning American Indian issues, and to prepare students for professional or scholarly careers.
Online Degree in American Indian Studies
All students intending to pursue the American Indian Studies Degree online must ensure that they transfer all of UNCP's General Education requirements (including two hours of physical education) in order to complete the degree online. UNCP will offer all of the American Indian Studies courses required for the online degree, but non-major courses are not necessarily offered online.Why Major in American Indian Studies?
American Indian Studies majors are people with curious, critical, and open minds who are eager to understand the holistic histories and contemporary concerns of American Indian and Indigenous peoples regionally, nationally, and globally. The AIS major at UNCP offers an interdisciplinary education providing both breadth of knowledge about the extensive diversity of Native peoples throughout the Americas, and specific courses concerning regional Southeastern Indian peoples. With the option of focusing in three areas – Peoples and Histories, Social and Cultural Issues, Stories and Literatures – or creating a General focus from courses within the other three focus areas, AIS majors may tailor their studies toward a specific area of interest while also taking required core courses.
Through examining issues of sovereignty, nation building, colonization, social justice, and the historical roots of American Indian lives as they are lived today, an American Indian Studies major cultivates a powerful educational foundation for graduates to pursue a variety of career paths. With the cross-cultural understanding and creative problem solving skills gained by majoring in AIS, graduates will leave UNCP prepared to enter graduate school programs or careers in health care, education, fine arts, digital and media production, non-profit organizations, business and entrepreneurship, tribal governance, environmental resource management, law and policy, and many others.
If you are interested in an undergraduate education whose core values strive to provide a meaningful education that supports local American Indian communities and larger Native American constituencies, consider a major, minor, or concentration in American Indian Studies. Please contact the AIS Department with any questions you may have.