Preparation for the Major

Required: American Indian Studies M10 and two courses from Anthropology 9, Political Science 40, Statistics 12, Women's Studies 10. Each course must be completed with a grade of C or better.

The Major

Requirements are distributed according to certain categories to create a breadth of knowledge. Students are required to take a research methods course to become familiar with scholarly techniques of knowledge production and to critically regard academic research, as well as a course in either ethnic/race/gender relations or comparative indigenous studies. Three additional electives are selected in the social sciences and humanities according to a distributional formula that encourages further specialization within either of these two broad areas while simultaneously adding additional breadth. Finally, American Indian Studies C122SL prioritizes the experiential dimension of involvement in Native American communities (either urban, reservation, or rancheria) through work that provides service experience and/or supervised internship opportunities.

Students must complete 15 upper division courses (60 units) as follows, with no more than 32 units from American Indian studies courses:

1. Ten core courses (40 units), including (a) American Indian Studies M161, (b) two language courses from Anthropology M140, C144, Linguistics 114, (c) two history or law courses from American Indian Studies 140, 158, C170, History 149A, 149B, 157B, (d) one social sciences course from American Indian Studies C120, C121, C130, C175, C178, Anthropology CM168P, 172A, 172B, 172R, or 174P, (e) two expressive culture courses from American Indian Studies 180, Art History C117A through C117D, 118D, English 106, Ethnomusicology 106A, 106B, Theater 103F, 107, (f) one methodology course from Anthropology 115P, 117, 139, 143, M186, Art History 100, Community Health Sciences 181, Comparative Literature 100, Ethnomusicology 180, Linguistics 160, Political Science 104A, 170A, Social Welfare 103, 106, Sociology 106A, 113, or World Arts and Cultures 195, and (g) either one ethnic/race/gender relations course (Afro-American Studies M120, M164, Anthropology M134, 152, M154P, M154Q, Asian American Studies 130A, M130B, M130C, 131A, 132A, 133, 134, Chicana and Chicano Studies M182, Communication Studies M124, Film and Television 128, Sociology 154, 156, M162, Women's Studies M104C, 130, or 168) or one comparative indigenous studies course (Anthropology 153P, Comparative Literature 158, Geography M131, History 135A, or Sociology 157)

2. Three elective courses (12 units) in one of the following options: (a) history, law, and social sciences: two courses in those categories as listed above and one expressive culture course or (b) expressive culture: one social sciences course and two expressive culture courses

3. American Indian Studies C121 and C122SL (experiential service learning or supervised internship)

The 15 courses must fit one of the following regional emphasis patterns: (1) Native North America—eight courses, including those mentioned above and additional electives on Native North American topics or (2) indigenous peoples of the Americas—eight courses, including at least four dealing with indigenous people in Central and/or South America.

Each course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. No more than two independent studies courses (199s) may be applied toward the degree.

American Indian Studies Minor

The American Indian Studies minor is designed for students who wish to augment their major program of study in the College of Letters and Science with a group of related courses from various disciplines germane to American Indian studies. The minor exposes students to Indian-related research and literature in a number of different disciplines, such as American Indian studies, anthropology, economics, history, political science, sociology, and theater.

To enter the minor, students must be in good academic standing (2.0 grade-point average), have completed 45 units, and file a petition at the American Indian Studies Center, 3220 Campbell Hall, (310) 206-7511. All degree requirements, including the specific requirements for this minor, must be fulfilled within the unit maximum set forth by the College of Letters and Science.

Required Lower Division Course (5 units): American Indian Studies M10 with a grade of C or better.

Required Upper Division Courses (28 units): Seven courses selected from the following: (1) one American Indian languages and communication systems course (Anthropology C144 or Linguistics 114); (2) three history and social sciences courses from American Indian Studies C120, C121, C122SL, C130, 140, 158, C170, C175, C178, Anthropology 113Q, 113R, 114P, 114Q, 114R, 158, 172R, History 149A, 149B, 157B, Sociology M161, Women’s Studies 130; (3) three humanistic perspectives on language and expressive culture courses from American Indian Studies 180, Art History C117A, C117B, C117C, 118D, English 106, 180, Ethnomusicology 106A, 106B, Theater 103F.

A minimum of 20 units applied toward the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied toward major or minor requirements in another department or program, and at least 16 units applied toward the minor must be taken in residence at UCLA. Transfer credit for any of the above is subject to program approval; consult the interdepartmental adviser before enrolling in any courses for the minor.

Each minor course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have a minimum grade of C (2.0) in each and an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.