American Indian Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the histories, experiences, languages, arts, and cultures of peoples indigenous to the lands that now comprise the United States of America. It seeks to broaden students' understandings of the diversity and complexity of American Indian identities, communities, and nations; to make connections between Native peoples and cultures in the U.S. and Indigenous peoples and cultures across the Americas and around the globe; to provide comparative and intersectional approaches to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and citizenship; and to encourage linking educational and research initiatives to community and political concerns.
Program requirements for the American Indian Studies minor are fully detailed in the College of Arts and Science's official AIS Minor Description below. The program requires 12 credit hours of coursework. Students must choose a minimum of four courses, from at least two different academic units. Three courses (9 credit hours) must be taken in American Indian Studies. The remaining elective course (3 credit hours) should be taken in either global Indigenous studies or comparative U.S. race/ethnicity studies. The elective course in global Indigenous or comparative U.S. race/ethnicity studies will be approved by the coordinating adviser in consultation with the student on a case-by-case basis.
Students may include up to three credit hours of variable credit courses in independent research/fieldwork or internship experience in either AIS or global Indigenous or comparative US race/ethnicity with the approval of the AIS coordinating adviser.
You may find more information about the American Indian Studies minor on the Arts and Sciences website. Additional information about all minors offered by the College of Arts and Sciences can be found under their Programs: Minors Offered website.
American Indian Studies Minor Description
College of Arts and Sciences American Indian Studies Minor (AMINSTD-MN)
American Indian Studies Coordinating Adviser: Professor Elissa Washuta, Department of English, 466 Denney Hall 164 Annie & John Glenn Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 washuta.2@osu.edu
American Indian Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the histories, experiences, languages, arts, and cultures of peoples indigenous to the lands that now comprise the United States of America. It seeks to broaden students’ understandings of the diversity and complexity of American Indian identities, communities, and nations; to make connections between Native peoples and cultures in the U.S. and Indigenous peoples and cultures across the Americas and around the globe; to provide comparative and intersectional approaches to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and citizenship; and to encourage linking educational and research initiatives to community and political concerns.
The minor in American Indian Studies requires 12 credit hours of coursework. Students must choose a minimum of four courses, from at least two different academic units. Three courses (9 credit hours) must be taken in American Indian Studies. The remaining elective course (3 credit hours) should be taken in either global Indigenous studies or comparative U.S. race/ethnicity studies. The elective course in global Indigenous or comparative U.S. race/ethnicity studies will be approved by the coordinating adviser in consultation with the student on a case-by-case basis.
Students may include up to three credit hours of variable credit courses in independent research/fieldwork or internship experience in either AIS or global Indigenous or comparative US race/ethnicity with the approval of the AIS coordinating adviser.
American Indian Studies courses
Anthropology
Anthropology 2202 – An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 3350 - Prehistoric Indians of the Ohio Valley
Anthropology 3420 - Indians of North America
Anthropology 3554 - Archaeology of North America
Arts Education, Administration, and Policy
Art Education 2367.01(H) – Visual Culture: Investigating Diversity & Social Justice
Art Education 5367 - Reel Injuns: Identity and Representation
Comparative Studies
Comparative Studies 2323 – Introduction to American Indian Studies (cross-listed with Ethnic Studies)
Comparative Studies 4822 - Native American Identity
English
English 2367.01 (E, H) – Language, Identity and Culture in the U.S. Experience
English 4586 - Studies in American Indian Literature and Culture
Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies 2323 – Introduction to American Indian Studies (cross-listed with Comparative Studies)
History
History 2070 - Introduction to Native American History
History 2071 - American Indian History of the US Midwest
History 2110 – Introduction to Native American Peoples from Mesoamerica
History 2111 – Introduction to Native American People of the Andes
History 2750 (E, H) - Natives and Newcomers: Immigration and Migration in U.S. History
History 3070 - Native American History from European Contact to Removal, 1560-1820
History 3071 - Native American History from Removal to the Present
Linguistics
Linguistics 3501 - Introduction to American Indigenous Languages
Religious Studies
Religious Studies 3672 - Native American Religions
Special topics courses, when the content is appropriate, may be counted toward the minor with the approval of the coordinating adviser. Independent Research/Fieldwork or Internship (3 credits maximum): students can develop an independent project in consultation with an adviser.
American Indian Studies minor program guidelines
Credit hours required: A minimum of 12. 1000 level courses shall not be counted in the minor. At least 6 credit hrs must be upper level courses as defined by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Transfer and EM credit hours allowed: A student is permitted to count up to 6 total hours of transfer credit and/or credit by examination.
Overlap with the GE: A student is permitted to overlap up to 6 credit hours between the GE and the minor.
Overlap with the major and additional minor(s):
- The minor must be in a different subject than the major.
- The minor must contain a minimum of 12 hours distinct from the major and/or additional minor(s).
Grades required:
- Minimum C- for a course to be listed on the minor.
- Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for all minor course work.
- Course work graded Pass/Non-Pass cannot count for the minor.
- No more than 3 credit hours of course work graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory may count toward the minor.
Approval required: Advising will be done by the coordinator of the minor, Arts and Sciences advisors, and by departmental advisors with courses listed on the minor.
Filing the minor program form: The minor program form must be filed at least by the time the graduation application is submitted to a college/school counselor.
Changing the minor: Once the minor program is filed in the college office, any changes must be approved by the academic unit offering the minor