Program: Certificate in Native American Studies - Southern Oregon University

May 17, 2025

2023-24 Catalog

The Certificate in Native American Studies prepares students to work effectively in Indian Country. The certificate equips students of all backgrounds with the requisite knowledge and experience for any number of career paths, in addition to fostering personal growth and enrichment.

Requirements for the Certificate

A minimum of 36 credits, 12 of which must be upper division, and at least 4 of which must be practicum.

Core Courses (12 credits)

NAS 201 - Introduction to Native American Studies 4 credits
NAS 301 - Tribal Critical Race Theory 4 credits
NAS 410 - Native, Ethnic, and Racial Studies in Action 4 credits

Native Knowledge and Perspectives (16–20 credits)

Choose from the following courses, 12 credits of which must be upper division:

NAS 270 - Intertribal Dance Traditions 4 credits
NAS 275 - Native American Cinema(s) 4 credits
NAS 318 - Native North America 4 credits
NAS 330 - Learning Native American Languages 4 credits
NAS 331 - Language Revitalization 4 credits
NAS 350 - Native America in the Theatre Arts 4 credits
NAS 360 - Boarding School Legacies 4 credits
NAS 368 - Native American Topics 4 credits
NAS 368A - Queer Indigenous Studies 4 credits
NAS 368B - Indigenous Masculinities 4 credits
NAS 368C - Decolonizing Transgender 4 credits
NAS 368D - Indigenous Solidarities 4 credits
NAS 375 - Representing “el indio” in Latin American Anthropology, Literature, and Culture 4 credits
NAS 380 - Native American Ecological Knowledge 4 credits
NAS 390 - The Nine Tribes of Oregon 4 credits
NAS 399 - Special Studies 1 to 6 credits
NAS 401 - Research 1-8 credits
NAS 405 - Reading and Conference 1 to 8 credits
NAS 407 - Seminar 1 to 4 credits
NAS 440 - American Indian Identities 4 credits
ENG 239 - Native American Myth and Culture 4 credits
ENG 240 - Native American Narratives, Fiction, and Poetry 4 credits
ENG 447 - Major Forces in Literature 4 credits *
ENG 448 - Major Figures in Literature 4 credits *
HST 466 - Indigenous Elites of the Americas, 15th-19th Century 4 credits
PSY 489 - Native American Psychology 4 credits
SOAN 319 - Cultures of the World 4 credits *
SOAN 334 - Anthropological Perspectives on the Native American Frontier 4 credits
SOAN 375 - Archaeological Field School 4 credits
SOAN 462 - Cultural Resource Management 4 credits
SOAN 464 - Cultural Rights 4 credits *
*Applicable to the certificate when Native American authors are featured.

Practicum (4-8 credits)

Minimum 4 accumulated credits. Choose from a combination of:

NAS 209 - Practicum 1 to 4 credits
NAS 309 - Practicum 1 to 8 credits
NAS 409 - Practicum 2 to 8 credits
Note: An NAS-focused practicum taken as 409 in the student’s major may substitute for the NAS practicum requirement with the Native American Studies advisor’s consent.