Overview

The American Indian Studies programme from The University of Arizona will:

Conduct advanced and applied scholarly research from an Indigenous and cross-cultural perspective;

Develop theoretical and innovative theories, methodologies, and research tools appropriate for and useful to sovereign tribes; and

Educate students to assume leadership and policy-making roles in higher education, tribal communities, the state and nation.

The PhD programme is based in a commitment to three interrelated concepts:

Centering Native peoples – The American Indian Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Programme (AIS GIDP) at UA centers Native peoples – their knowledges, worldviews, perspectives, values, histories, experiences, lifeways, and futures – within research, education, and service. The AIS GIDP seeks understanding from an Indigenous perspective, placing Native ontologies, epistemologies, axiologies, methodologies, and pedagogies at the center of the intellectual effort to understand, teach about, and serve Indigenous communities. AIS GIDP seeks to examine the world through an Indigenous perspective, utilizing Peoplehood as a primary disciplinary lens.

Peoplehood – Conceptions of Peoplehood serve as a primary lens for understanding the commonalities and diversity of American Indian and Indigenous communities. Originally proposed by faculty and students in the UA Department of American Indian Studies in 2003, the concept of Peoplehood has become a critical lens for “rearticulating indigenous identity,” one that “offers the most promise in terms of its non-Western approach to identity, its flexibility, comprehensiveness, and allowance for cultural continuity and change” (Corntassel, 2003). The “Peoplehood” model represents their understanding of the interrelated components of indigeneity broadly, as well as the specificity and diversity of Indigenous communities in the U.S. and beyond.

Community engagement and services – "Relational accountability” sits at the heart of Indigenous research and scholarship. This places an obligation on AIS as a discipline – and the AIS GIDP – to not just center Indigenous knowledges in our research and teaching, but to build relationships with Indigenous communities, to be accountable to those relationships and communities, and to contribute in tangible ways to the continued thriving of Native peoples. What this engagement, accountability, and service will look like will vary greatly as each member of the faculty and each graduate student has a different area of focus and specialization. The diversity of engagement and service only serves to underscore our collective commitment to supporting the many elements of Indigenous Peoplehood.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Tribal Colleges

Native American Curriculum Development

History of Indian Education

Contemporary Education & Research

American Indian Higher Education

Seminar in American Indian Education

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-23 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-15 00:00:00

Language

English

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Credits

54 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Tucson, United States

Disciplines

Modern History American and Australasian studies View 24 other PhDs in American and Australasian studies in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

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Other requirements

General requirements

On-line application and fee.

A Personal Statement (3 to 5 pages) including your educational goals, professional plans, your interest in our Ph.D. programme and your background in American Indian Studies or with American Indian communities.

A Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae.

One Writing Sample (between 15 and 20 pages double spaced) of original work that is academic, technical, professional or artistic in nature.

One Critical Essay (no more than 5 pages double spaced) which analyzes three American Indian Studies books or monographs of your choice.

Electronic copies of Official Transcripts from all institutions attended, undergraduate and graduate. On acceptance into the programme students will need to submit original transcripts.

Three Letters of Recommendation from faculty or supervisors who can attest to your achievements and academic potential. Letters from faculty are preferred for applicants currently or recently working in academia.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23400 USD / year

≈ 23400 USD / year
Out-of-State

23400 USD / year

≈ 23400 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12700 USD / year

≈ 12700 USD / year

Living costs

Tucson

United States

830 - 1140 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

About

Overview

The PhD programme is based in a commitment to three interrelated concepts:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Tucson

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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