Associate in Arts, Emphasis in American Indian Studies

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in American Indian Studies provides a multi-disciplinary academic approach to studying Indigenous Peoples, their cultures, struggles, and maintaining sovereignty and self-determination. This degree empowers students to effectively work in urban and rural environments, and government agencies, and help Native Nations. Coursework focuses on historic relations with non-Indian societies, the development of federal Indian law, tribal governments, treaty rights, environmental issues, public policy, economic development, cultural preservation, and contemporary social issues. This degree provides students with the foundational coursework needed to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in the field.

Details

Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in American Indian Studies (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8126
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Federal Indian policy stipulates tribal preference in hiring, which should be considered in seeking employment with tribal nations and selected federal agencies. Seek advice of the tribal agency for available employment opportunities.

This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:

ASU (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), American Indian Studies, BS

Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU .

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Analyze tribal, federal, state, and municipal governmental policy and legal interactions related to inherent sovereignty.
  • Collaborate effectively to identify and examine issues at the tribal, state, and national levels that affect the holistic well-being of Indigenous Peoples.
  • Examine the Indigenous concept of interconnectedness with respect to the Sacred, which is holistically and organically inclusive of culture, homeland, worldview, identity, nature, and sustainability.
  • Analyze the various ways in which Indigenous Peoples identify and organize themselves in relation to pre- and post-colonial contact.
  • Analyze the impacts of sovereign powers at the tribal, state, and federal levels in relation to the international governmental forum.
  • Examine the laws, codes, and statutes at the tribal, federal, and state levels.
  • Examine the impact of political diversity and historic, socio-economic, contemporary, and cultural contexts on Indigenous Peoples and their respective cultures.
  • Perform academic research and writing in accordance with ethical standards and scholarly practices.
  • Effectively communicate orally, visually, digitally, and in writing in a manner that demonstrates cross-cultural empathy, self-awareness, open mindedness, and responsiveness.
  • Illustrate the ways in which the influences of past and current social and political institutions promote inequalities, privileges, stereotypes, mistrust, and biases that continue to extrinsically shape the identity of Indigenous Peoples.
  • Value Indigenous knowledge as it relates to multi-generational cultural education, including elderhood, oral traditions, and aesthetics.
  • Examine the endangerment of Indigenous language extinction and the acceleration of Indigenous culture loss as well as the efforts to revitalize and restore them.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Anthropologists and Archeologists
$61,390
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$78,800
Curators
$54,520
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
$67,680
First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers
$51,280
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$59,190
Forest and Conservation Workers
$33,690
Historians
$72,130
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
$29,630
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
$68,180
Interpreters and Translators
$37,840
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$50,580
Nursing Assistants
$34,610
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
$56,120
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$71,910
Recreation Workers
$33,560
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$55,180
Social and Human Service Assistants
$39,460
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
$78,220

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Legal Support Workers, All Other
  • Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
  • Teaching Assistants, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS/SOC105 Introduction to American Indian Studies Critical course Gateway course C 3
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or CS 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics MA 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS/SOC160 American Indian Law AIS/SOC160 satisfies a required course for AC in American Indian Studies C, H 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 L 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Elective General Elective 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 OR ENH259 American Indian Literature HU 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies:
AIS101 OR AIS/HIS140 OR AIS/SOC141 		SB 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 OR ENH259 American Indian Literature HU 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies:
AIS101 OR AIS/HIS140 OR AIS/SOC141 		SB 3
Elective General Elective 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS/SOC105 Introduction to American Indian Studies Critical course Gateway course C 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics MA 3–6

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AIS/SOC160 American Indian Law AIS/SOC160 satisfies a required course for AC in American Indian Studies C, H 3
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or CS 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 L 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies:
AIS101 OR AIS/HIS140 OR AIS/SOC141 		SB 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 OR ENH259 American Indian Literature HU 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: AIS213/REL203 OR ENH259 American Indian Literature HU 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies:
AIS101 OR AIS/HIS140 OR AIS/SOC141 		SB 3
Elective General Elective 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Elective General Elective 3
Elective General Elective 0–3

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Recommended:
CPD103BE Native American Cultural Pride and Awareness
NAV101 Elementary Navajo I
NAV102 Elementary Navajo II
PIM115 Beginning Pima Conversation I
PIM116 Beginning Pima Conversation II
YAQ100 Yaqui Indian History and Culture
YAQ110 Yaqui Language and Culture

For students intending to earn an Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies, selecting a total of three (3) credits from the following list (except those used to satisfy other areas) is recommended:
AIS+++ Any AIS American Indian Studies course
ARH145 History of American Indian Art
CCS101 Chicana and Chicano Studies
ENH259 American Indian Literature
GCU221 Arizona Geography
HIS+++ Any HIS History course
NAV+++ Any NAV Navajo course
SPH245 Hispanic Heritage in the Southwest

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=16456257).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in American Indian Studies