American Indian studies provides students with a liberal arts education focused on cultural diversity. The American Indian studies program takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Native American peoples. Using literature, art, history, and politics as touchstones, students come to understand the individual, as well as tribal character of Indian people.
Applications Are Now Open!
Fall 2021: Oct. 1-April 30
The B.A. in American Indian Studies Online Degree Completion program provides a well-rounded, thoughtful study of the economy, governance, history, culture, and contemporary lifestyles of Native American peoples. The program is designed to help you prepare for careers within and outside of Indigenous communities, without putting your professional life on hold.
About the program
The Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies Online Degree Completion program is designed to explore the rich history and contemporary life of various Native American peoples. As a student of the online American Indian Studies program, you’ll study the complex social and political relationships that inform and influence tribal communities. You’ll also explore the ways in which those tribes interact with each other and with outside communities, including the United States government, and you’ll learn how those complex relationships continue to evolve.
Total Estimated Cost
Completion Time
Course FormatAt the same time as you work towards your Bachelor’s degree, you’ll also have the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Tribal Casino Operations Management from the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming. This five-course certificate program focuses on casino operations, marketing, regulation, and finances. With this certificate, you’ll be better prepared for a fruitful career in the tribal gaming industry.
Your virtual classrooms are led by faculty and lecturers from SDSU’s Department of American Indian Studies and the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming. We’ve also partnered with the university’s Tribal Liaison who hails from the Kumeyaay Nation, San Diego’s largest Indigenous tribal community, to build a curriculum and an academic community that is forward-thinking and culturally sensitive. We also work closely with the Elymash Yuuchaap: Indigenous Scholars and Leaders Program and SDSU’s Native American Student Alliance.
What is a Degree Completion Program?
This degree completion program is specifically designed for students who have started, but not finished, their four-year undergraduate degree. If you've completed 60 transferable units, satisfied all CSU requirements, and have a 2.0+ GPA, you can earn a valuable degree from San Diego State University that fits your busy schedule.
This program is designed for students who have not earned a bachelor's degree. If you already have a bachelor's degree, we will not be able accept your application for this program.
Program is perfect for...
The SDSU Global Campus online American Indian Studies degree program focuses on a variety of issues, including history, political economy, tribal law and federal treaties, nation-building, social justice issues, cultural studies, tribal sovereignty, and the needs of contemporary Native American communities.
As such, earning your Bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies will prepare you for a variety of careers both within and outside of Indian reservations. The coursework will prepare you to work in tribal economic development and tribal enterprises (particularly gaming facilities), education programs, social and human services programs, and cultural preservation divisions.
You’ll gain the experience necessary to work with various Federal agencies that work with Native communities, such as the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Indian Gaming Commission.
With growing economic development opportunities in Indian Country, you can also use the program to launch a career with different non-Indian corporations and industries that serve Native communities, such as hospitality, environmental planning, financial services, engineering/architectural consulting, and entrepreneurship.
Because the program is entirely online, you won’t have to sacrifice your current career and other responsibilities; you can work towards earning your degree on your schedule. Best of all, upon graduation you’ll have earned the same degree as our on-campus students, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Major in American Indian Studies.
What you can learn
The B.A. in American Indian Studies Online Degree Completion program will teach you to:
- Recognize diversity of tribal communities
- Value Indigenous knowledges and sustainability
- Promote economic development and nation-building
- Enact preservation and promotion of cultural heritage
- Identify mechanisms of oppression
- Support processes of decolonization
- Comprehend global Indigeneity
This online American Indian Studies program is designed to examine the past and the present, with an eye towards the future. Many of your online courses will focus on the diverse histories of Native American communities in the United States.
You’ll learn about the differences between pre- and post-contact American Indian communities, and how historical and contemporary forms of oppression affect these communities. The courses also focus on the ways that different forms of oppression have shaped and continue to affect these communities.The goal is for you to...
The goal is for you to become an advocate for decolonization and political and economic self-determination through continued efforts to repatriate sacred objects, develop sustainable tribal economies, protect traditional sacred sites, and preserve Native intellectual property and cultural heritage.
You’ll also have the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Tribal Casino Operations Management that runs concurrently with our Bachelor’s degree program. This certification was developed with the help of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming as a way to provide higher education opportunities focused specifically on the tribal gaming industry. The certificate program consists of twelve units across five courses that explore topics like gaming in cultural and political contexts, casino management and operations, legal issues, and public relations. You’ll also learn how tribal gaming relates to tribal sovereignty and economic development of Indigenous communities. You can earn your Tribal Casino Operations Management in the first year of the program.
You’ll learn about these topics in online courses developed by expert faculty from SDSU’s Department of American Indian Studies and SDSU’s Tribal Liaisons from the Kumeyaay Nation. Your instructors bring their extensive academic and professional experience to every lesson, turning the virtual classroom into an interactive forum for personal growth and thoughtful exploration.
Whether you’re currently a member of an Indigenous community, or you’d like to work with tribal communities in the future, the program is designed to give you the skills and the cultural contexts you’ll need in order to become an advocate for Indigenous communities throughout the world.
Outcomes
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for American Indian Studies graduates is a positive one. Over the past year, there have been over 1.2 million job postings across the country that are seeking individuals with the skills you’d acquire with a B.A. in American Indian Studies program. As we begin to face the impact that environmental and ecological issues are having on Indigenous communities across the globe, that number is expected to grow by almost 8% over the next decade. Job postings in California are predicted to grow by over 10%.
The average national salary for individuals with a B.A. in American Indian Studies is $54,826, much higher than the average salary for individuals in those same positions who hold an Associate’s degree or less ($31,588).
Labor Analysis
B.A. in American Indian Studies — Nationwide
Job Postings
Last 12 months
1,222,767
Projected Growth
Over 10 years
+7.81%
Salary Range
Average
$35,000-$80,000
Source: BLS & Burning Glass Technologies, 2020
Why Should You Choose Us?
Accessibility
As an online degree, the B.A. in American Indian Studies program is designed to work with your busy schedule. Millions of adults across the country are unable to complete their degrees due to the time and costs associated with a traditional on-campus undergraduate experience. The program eliminates many of those barriers, making a high-quality liberal arts education accessible for all types of learners.
Responsiveness
The online American Indian Studies degree program has developed a close relationship with San Diego’s Indigenous Kumeyaay and Luiseño communities. Through partnerships with our Tribal Liaison, we’ve worked together to develop a curriculum that is meaningful to and motivated by the needs of the Indigenous communities throughout San Diego, Southern California, and all over the world.
Versatility
The program is, at its core, a liberal arts degree program. This means that you’ll receive a well-rounded education designed to enhance your critical thinking and communication skills. These skills will prepare you for work in a variety of fields, from marketing and finance to social service and government.