The graduate certificate is a unique program that enables graduate and professional students from across the University of Washington (including the Tacoma and Bothell campuses) to join a rich community of scholars, develop research and writing skills, and acquire the necessary context to do rigorous work in American Indian and Indigenous Studies.
The certificate will cover:
- Scope and history of American Indian and Indigenous Studies
- Indigenous intellectual theory and knowledge
- Competence in American Indian and Indigenous and community-based methods in a specific field
- Completion of a research-based presentation
Through classes in the Department of American Indian Studies, graduate students will develop knowledge in historical and contemporary approaches to the advanced study of Indigenous intellectual history, theory, and research methodologies. In particular, students in the program will have a space on campus to strategize around emergent AIIS topics and methodologies, particularly that of community engagement.
Graduate Certificate Requirements (16-18 credits)
AIS 575 - Indigenous Theory Course (5 credits): This course offers broad training in Indigenous intellectual history and the relationships between theory and practice. Students will be prepared to do research that is aware of the genealogy of the ideas that anchor the field and how these ideas link with various American Indian and Indigenous communities’ social, cultural, and political efforts. (Scheduled Winter 2025)
*Application available for seats in Winter 2025 course now available. See Admissions section for details below.
AIS 576 - Indigenous Methodologies Course (5 credits): This course focuses on building strong research relationships with communities and prepares students through discussions around ethics, key criteria, protocols, and different possible methodologies based on the needs of the research community. This foundational training in AIIS methodologies, including best practices and approaches, will prepare graduates for both future academic work and non-academic positions with tribes or communities. This class will teach students how to develop research questions prompted by communities and maintain strong relationships with these communities throughout and after the research period. (Planned Spring 2025)
One Elective (3-5 credits): The 3-5 credit elective at the 400 or 500 level may be selected from a list of classes taught by GCAIIS-affiliated faculty. Students may enroll in these elective credits in any quarter. You can find a list of pre-approved elective courses here.
Capstone project AIS 605 (3 credits): Once students have completed their Certificate coursework they are eligible to enroll in this 3-credit independent study course during any Spring Quarter. Working with one faculty mentor from American Indian Studies, including AIS adjuncts, students must complete a 7-10 page research-based paper. This research paper should be written specifically for and be presented at the annual Indigenous Studies Symposium hosted in collaboration with the Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies each Spring. Additionally, it should highlight how a student's research is engaging the field of American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Students are encouraged to think with their mentors and advisors about when the best time to complete their capstone might be, balancing their primary department’s obligations and requirements.
In order to register for the capstone credits please email Kai Wise (kaiwise@uw.edu) and indicate which AIS faculty member will serve as your capstone mentor to receive a faculty code for registration. This should be done prior to the start of Spring quarter, ideally when registration begins during Winter quarter, to give your faculty member and you time to plan.
Students will additionally need to register for the Indigenous Studies Symposium by submitting their abstract proposal through the online registration form. The form will ask you to indicate whether you are presenting to fulfill your GCAIIS capstone requirement.
Admission
The Winter time schedule is now available and we are now accepting applications for seats in AIS 575 Indigenous Theory for Winter 2025 (Wednesdays 9:30am-12:20pm) with Professor Dian Million. We are excited to announce that starting this year, we are planning to offer both core courses for the Graduate Certificate in AIIS every year, with AIS 575 in Winter and AIS 576 in Spring. With this addition we are also hoping to establish a cohort model for the Certificate, which was one of our original intentions with the program.
For this year, we are offering priority consideration for seats in the courses as follows:
1) Students who have completed one of the core courses already and would like to complete the second core course this year, especially those planning to complete the capstone and graduate in Spring 2025.
2) Students who can commit to the cohort model and complete both core courses this year. Students in the cohort model will complete:
- AIS 575 Indigenous Theory in Winter 2025 (Wednesdays 9:30am-12:20pm)
- AIS 576 Indigenous Research Methods in Spring 2025 (TBD, tentatively Tuesdays 10:30am-1:20pm)
After this, students are free to complete the required elective and capstone project in the quarter that best fits with their research and graduation plans.
Students who are not in either of these groups are still welcome to apply for seat in AIS 575 Indigenous Theory for Winter 2025 and will be added on a space available basis. Students who have already completed AIS 575 and are interested in AIS 576 Indigenous Research Methods in Spring 2025 are also welcome to apply now, though we will also offer an opportunity for these students to request a seat before the Spring quarter class.
Priority application deadline October 25th, 2024 by 5pm. Application form
Contact American Indian Studies Adviser Kai Wise (kaiwise@uw.edu) for any questions or additional information. Students must formally apply for admission to the graduate certificate before enrolling in the program capstone. Certificate students are encouraged to wait until they have completed independent research to develop their capstone presentation. Thus, students might have some gap between completing courses and finishing the certificate.
Students will be expected to maintain a 3.0 or above in all certificate coursework in order to be awarded the certificate. All grades will be awarded by the relevant course instructor(s) and based on the standards outlined in the syllabus.
Faculty - is your course a GCAIIS elective?
Courses are approved by curriculum committee. If you are interested in your course being a GCAIIS elective option, please send a copy of the syllabus to kaiwise@uw.edu.