American Indian Studies
Program Description
Arizona Western College is no longer accepting new students to this program.
American Indian Studies provides an educational experience that will develop appreciation, understanding, and protection of Native American cultures and their histories. It introduces students to the diversity and uniqueness of Native American cultures, their sovereignty as independent nations, and the challenges they face in our contemporary society.
An Associate in Arts degree in American Indian Studies provides an opportunity for Arizona Western College to support the local Native American heritage and to acquaint both Native Americans and the Non-Native American community with Pan-Indian experience.
Graduates of these programs will successfully complete the following learning outcomes:
- Analyze Native Americans from an ethnohistorical approach
- Explain the diversity and complexity of native North American cultures and review a variety of cultural adaptations utilized by Native Americans
- Identify the historical influences and adaptations of Native Americans to the arrival of Europeans
- Demonstrate knowledge of historical periods in Native American colonial interactions and Native Americans as active participants in American history
- Analyze the impact of ethnocentrism, imperialism, colonialism, racism, and gender inequality of indigenous communities
- Explain contemporary issues facing Native Americans and understand cultural differences among Tribes and other cultures
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Schedule NowDegree(s) / Certificates(s)
| Title | Local Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| American Indian Studies - A.A. Transfer Degree | - |
Career Outlook
Successful completion of this program may lead to a variety of employment opportunities, most of which require continued higher education at the university level. Below are examples of related occupations and annual mean wages in Arizona according to a May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Museum Technicians and Conservators Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators. |
$41,790 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education. |
$42,650 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers. |
$43,720 |
| Counselors Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. May help individuals deal with issues associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. |
$44,480 |
| Archivists Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials. |
$46,010 |
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment. |
$53,990 |
| Curators 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. |
$55,540 |
| Historians 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. |
$59,160 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists 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. |
$61,340 |
| Postsecondary Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers 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. |
$78,210 |
| Postsecondary Anthropology and Archeology Teachers Teach courses in anthropology or archeology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. |
Contact Information
Department Contact(s)
Faculty/Staff Contact(s)
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Gibson | Associate Dean of Business, Social and Behavioral Sciences | (928) 317-6417 | Stuart.Gibson@azwestern.edu |
| Daniel Marron | Professor of Psychology | (928) 317-6052 | Daniel.Marron@azwestern.edu |