Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

The American Indian Program offers American Indian Studies as a minor field in graduate studies. Graduate students select a faculty member from the field of American Indian Studies to serve as minor member on their special committee.

They must also take two courses to qualify for the minor: a one-credit colloquium offered once a year in which students and faculty present their research; and a three-credit course in critical approaches to American Indian Studies, also offered once a year. Faculty expertise spans multiple fields, including anthropology, archeology, art history, history, literature, law, sociology, horticulture, and natural resources, enabling students to develop programs that address their specific interests. Faculty with specific research expertise in Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) studies and indigenous issues globally within diverse disciplines further broaden opportunities for study.

Application for admission is made only to the major fields. After matriculation, a student may select minor subjects from the major or minor fields.

Graduate Minor Requirements

The American Indian and Indigenous Studies (AIIS) graduate minor is available to graduate students in any field of graduate or professional study at Cornell. The minor is earned upon completion of the following:

• Two required graduate-level courses, AIIS 6010 American Indian and Indigenous Studies Speaker Series and AIIS 6000 Critical Approaches to American Indian and Indigenous Studies: Intellectual History
• Selection of an AIIS Graduate Field faculty member to serve on the applicant's graduate committee

Connect with an AIIS staff member with any questions about the minor or application process.