The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in American Indian Studies provides a multi-disciplinary academic approach to studying Indigenous Peoples, their cultures, struggles, and maintaining sovereignty and self-determination. This degree empowers students to effectively work in urban and rural environments, and government agencies, and help Native Nations. Coursework focuses on historic relations with non-Indian societies, the development of federal Indian law, tribal governments, treaty rights, environmental issues, public policy, economic development, cultural preservation, and contemporary social issues. This degree provides students with the foundational coursework needed to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in the field.
Details
Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in American Indian Studies (DEG)
Total credits required
60-64
Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
Federal Indian policy stipulates tribal preference in hiring, which should be considered in seeking employment with tribal nations and selected federal agencies. Seek advice of the tribal agency for available employment opportunities.
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
What You'll Learn
- Analyze tribal, federal, state, and municipal governmental policy and legal interactions related to inherent sovereignty.
- Collaborate effectively to identify and examine issues at the tribal, state, and national levels that affect the holistic well-being of Indigenous Peoples.
- Examine the Indigenous concept of interconnectedness with respect to the Sacred, which is holistically and organically inclusive of culture, homeland, worldview, identity, nature, and sustainability.
- Analyze the various ways in which Indigenous Peoples identify and organize themselves in relation to pre- and post-colonial contact.
- Analyze the impacts of sovereign powers at the tribal, state, and federal levels in relation to the international governmental forum.
- Examine the laws, codes, and statutes at the tribal, federal, and state levels.
- Examine the impact of political diversity and historic, socio-economic, contemporary, and cultural contexts on Indigenous Peoples and their respective cultures.
- Perform academic research and writing in accordance with ethical standards and scholarly practices.
- Effectively communicate orally, visually, digitally, and in writing in a manner that demonstrates cross-cultural empathy, self-awareness, open mindedness, and responsiveness.
- Illustrate the ways in which the influences of past and current social and political institutions promote inequalities, privileges, stereotypes, mistrust, and biases that continue to extrinsically shape the identity of Indigenous Peoples.
- Value Indigenous knowledge as it relates to multi-generational cultural education, including elderhood, oral traditions, and aesthetics.
- Examine the endangerment of Indigenous language extinction and the acceleration of Indigenous culture loss as well as the efforts to revitalize and restore them.
- Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career statistics
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.
Entry Level Salary
$37,780
Expert Level Salary
$90,400
Average Hourly Wage
$29.52
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$18.16
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$28.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$43.46
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Projected Job Openings
510
Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Entry Level Salary
$48,740
Expert Level Salary
$123,630
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Projected Job Openings
450
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
Entry Level Salary
$30,410
Expert Level Salary
$77,050
Average Hourly Wage
$26.21
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$14.62
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$23.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$37.04
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Projected Job Openings
320
Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Entry Level Salary
$38,170
Expert Level Salary
$101,760
Average Hourly Wage
$32.54
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$18.35
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$30.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$48.92
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
9,340
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers in assigned gambling areas. May circulate among tables, observe operations, and ensure that stations and games are covered for each shift. May verify and pay off jackpots. May reset slot machines after payoffs and make repairs or adjustments to slot machines or recommend removal of slot machines for repair. May plan and organize activities and services for guests in hotels/casinos.
Entry Level Salary
$30,590
Expert Level Salary
$64,790
Average Hourly Wage
$24.66
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$14.71
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$23.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$31.15
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Projected Job Openings
870
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
Entry Level Salary
$36,900
Expert Level Salary
$81,340
Average Hourly Wage
$28.46
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$17.74
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$28.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$39.11
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
37,110
Under supervision, perform manual labor necessary to develop, maintain, or protect areas such as forests, forested areas, woodlands, wetlands, and rangelands through such activities as raising and transporting seedlings; combating insects, pests, and diseases harmful to plant life; and building structures to control water, erosion, and leaching of soil. Includes forester aides, seedling pullers, tree planters, and gatherers of nontimber forestry products such as pine straw.
Average National Salary
$33,520
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Average National Salary
$68,400
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests' accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
Entry Level Salary
$27,360
Expert Level Salary
$34,660
Average Hourly Wage
$14.24
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$13.15
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$14.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$16.66
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Projected Job Openings
6,450
Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.
Entry Level Salary
$47,230
Expert Level Salary
$97,920
Average Hourly Wage
$32.78
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$22.71
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$29.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$47.08
Typical Education Level
Some College Courses
Projected Job Openings
1,770
Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.
Entry Level Salary
$27,730
Expert Level Salary
$61,020
Average Hourly Wage
$18.19
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$13.33
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$14.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$29.34
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
4,820
Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
Entry Level Salary
$37,980
Expert Level Salary
$63,670
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
12,690
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Entry Level Salary
$28,900
Expert Level Salary
$37,980
Average Hourly Wage
$16.64
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$13.89
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$17.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$18.26
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Projected Job Openings
23,220
Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
Entry Level Salary
$37,700
Expert Level Salary
$76,490
Average Hourly Wage
$26.98
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$18.12
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$27.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$36.78
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
1,510
Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Entry Level Salary
$60,580
Expert Level Salary
$99,150
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Conduct recreation activities with groups in public, private, or volunteer agencies or recreation facilities. Organize and promote activities, such as arts and crafts, sports, games, music, dramatics, social recreation, camping, and hobbies, taking into account the needs and interests of individual members.
Entry Level Salary
$25,450
Expert Level Salary
$46,570
Average Hourly Wage
$16.14
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$12.23
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$14.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$22.39
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
8,970
Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.
Entry Level Salary
$38,050
Expert Level Salary
$77,800
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
17,030
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Entry Level Salary
$29,000
Expert Level Salary
$56,780
Average Hourly Wage
$18.97
Entry Level Hourly Wage
$13.94
Mid Level Hourly Wage
$17.00
Expert Level Hourly Wage
$27.30
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Projected Job Openings
10,670
Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Entry Level Salary
$38,640
Expert Level Salary
$123,630
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
- Teaching Assistants, All Other
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.
Course Sequence by Term
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas |
- In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
- Cultural [C] and
- Global [G] or Historical [H]
- Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.
|
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
Critical course Gateway course |
C |
3 |
or
|
or |
Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). |
|
FYC or FYC |
3 |
|
|
|
|
MA |
3–6 |
|
|
|
|
CS |
3 |
or
|
or |
|
|
|
1–3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or
|
or |
Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . |
|
FYC or FYC |
3 |
|
|
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor. |
OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment |
L |
0–3 |
or or or
|
or or or |
No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites |
Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements |
SB or SB or L or SB |
0–3 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / |
L |
3 |
|
|
|
AIS/ satisfies a required course for AC in American Indian Studies |
C, H |
3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / OR American Indian Literature |
HU |
3 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR AIS/ OR AIS/ |
SB |
3 |
|
|
|
|
SQ |
4 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Recommended: OR OR OR OR OR OR |
|
0–3 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR OR OR OR OR OR OR |
|
0–3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or
|
or |
|
|
SG or SQ |
4 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / OR American Indian Literature |
HU |
3 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR AIS/ OR AIS/ |
SB |
3 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
|
|
0–3 |
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas |
- In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
- Cultural [C] and
- Global [G] or Historical [H]
- Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.
|
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
Critical course Gateway course |
C |
3 |
or
|
or |
Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). |
|
FYC or FYC |
3 |
or
|
or |
|
|
|
1–3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or
|
or |
Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . |
|
FYC or FYC |
3 |
|
|
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor. |
OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment |
L |
0–3 |
|
|
|
AIS/ satisfies a required course for AC in American Indian Studies |
C, H |
3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
|
|
3–6 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / |
L |
3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or
|
or |
|
|
CS or CS |
3 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR AIS/ OR AIS/ |
SB |
3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or or or
|
or or or |
No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites |
Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements |
SB or SB or L or SB |
0–3 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / OR American Indian Literature |
HU |
3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR AIS/ OR AIS/ |
SB |
3 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Recommended: OR OR OR OR OR OR |
|
0–3 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: OR OR OR OR OR OR OR |
|
0–3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
|
|
|
|
SQ |
4 |
Elective |
Elective |
|
|
|
0–3 |
A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number |
Course Name |
Requisites |
Notes |
Area |
Credits |
or
|
or |
|
|
SG or SQ |
4 |
|
|
|
Recommended for students intending to earn the Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies: / OR American Indian Literature |
HU |
3 |
Course Area Key
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
- C = Cultural Diversity in the US
- CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
- FYC = First Year Composition
- G = Global Awareness
- H = Historical Awareness
- HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
- L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
- MA = Mathematics
- SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
- SG = Natural Sciences General
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
Previous Catalog Years
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.