Native American Studies

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Native American Studies Program exists to broaden the understanding of students interested in the history, culture, and contemporary situations of Native Americans in the United States. The curriculum has been structured to provide courses that deal with both historical and cultural analysis of Native American cultures and contemporary legal and social institutions that affect Native American life. The program not only stresses sound academic preparation in the classroom but also allows students the flexibility to take part in community-oriented education through field work or studies directed towards community situations and problems. 

Honors Program

The Native American Studies Program provides a program leading to the A.B. degree with honors. A student must have senior standing; a 3.5 GPA overall; and 3.5 GPA in the major. To complete the degree with honors the student will be required to undertake a 6-unit research project (NATAMST H195A and NATAMST H195B). Students must also have been approved specifically for honors by the Ethnic Studies Department Honors Committee. 

Minor Program

The department offers a minor in Native American Studies. For further information regarding declaring the minor, please contact the department.

Other Majors and Minors Offered by the Department of Ethnic Studies

Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies (Major and Minor)
Chicanx Latinx Studies (Major and Minor)
Ethnic Studies (Major and Minor)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower Division Major Requirements (3 courses)

ETH STD 11ACIntroduction to Ethnic Studies4
NATAMST 20AIntroduction to Native American Studies4
NATAMST 20BIntroduction to Native American Studies II: Cultural Practice, Art, and Identity4

Upper Division Major Requirements (9 courses) 

ETH STD 101ASocial Science Methods in Ethnic Studies4
or ETH STD 101B Humanities Methods in Ethnic Studies
Completion of one course from another program: Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, Chicanx Latinx Studies or Ethnic Studies
Completion of six elective courses from Native American Studies
(Note: One approved Native American Studies related elective course maybe taken from another department)
NATAMST 100
Native American Law [4]
NATAMST 101
Native American Tribal Governments [4]
NATAMST 102
Critical Native American Legal and Policy Studies [4]
NATAMST 105
Indigenous Issues Across the Americas [4]
NATAMST 120
Topics in Native American Arts [4]
NATAMST 120AC
Photography and the American Indian: Manifest Destiny, American Frontier, and Images of American Indians [4]
NATAMST 145
Images of Native Americans in American History [4]
NATAMST 149
Gender in Native American Society [4]
NATAMST 150
Native American Narratives [4]
NATAMST 151
Native American Philosophy [4]
NATAMST C152
Native American Literature [4]
NATAMST 158
Native Americans and the Cinema [4]
NATAMST 173AC
Indigenous Peoples in Global Inequality [4]
NATAMST 175
History of Native Americans in California [4]
NATAMST 176
History of Native Americans in the Southwest [4]
NATAMST 178
Topics in Native American History [4]
NATAMST 178AC
Africans in Indian Country [4]
NATAMST 179
Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Change in the North American West [4]
NATAMST 190
Seminar on Advanced Topics in Native American Studies [1-4]
Field Study
NATAMST 197
Field Study in Native American Studies [1-3] (3 Units)
ETH STD 197ALove, Study, Struggle: An Ethnic Studies Community Grounded Learning Lab (1 unit)1

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.

General Guidelines

  1. All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A. 

  2. To declare the minor, please contact an undergraduate major advisor after you have completed at least one course for the minor. 

  3. All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

  4. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.

  5. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.

  6. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.

  7. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

  8. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.

  9. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Upper Division
NATAMST 110
Theories and Methods in Native American Studies [4]
Select four from the following:
NATAMST 100
Native American Law [4]
NATAMST 101
Native American Tribal Governments [4]
NATAMST 102
Critical Native American Legal and Policy Studies [4]
NATAMST 105
Indigenous Issues Across the Americas [4]
NATAMST 120
Topics in Native American Arts [4]
NATAMST 120AC
Photography and the American Indian: Manifest Destiny, American Frontier, and Images of American Indians [4]
NATAMST 145
Images of Native Americans in American History [4]
NATAMST 149
Gender in Native American Society [4]
NATAMST 150
Native American Narratives [4]
NATAMST 151
Native American Philosophy [4]
NATAMST 158
Native Americans and the Cinema [4]
NATAMST 173AC
Indigenous Peoples in Global Inequality [4]
NATAMST 175
History of Native Americans in California [4]
NATAMST 176
History of Native Americans in the Southwest [4]
NATAMST 178
Topics in Native American History [4]
NATAMST 178AC
Africans in Indian Country [4]
NATAMST 179
Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Change in the North American West [4]
NATAMST 190
Seminar on Advanced Topics in Native American Studies [1-4]

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

Undergraduates are expected to obtain the following skills by the time they graduate. These skills belong to five different general areas: historical knowledge, empirical knowledge and quantitative methods, interpretation and qualitative analysis, theory and critique, and community service.

  1. Historical Knowledge
    • Familiarity with the history of modern Western civilization including European expansion, conquest, and enslavement.
    • Specific knowledge of the modern history of at least three different ethno-racial groups.
    • Acquaintance with debates in historiography, particularly as they relate to the use of history in relation to the understanding of people of color.
    • For students who specialize in history, proper use of primary and secondary historical sources as well as the writing of scholarly historical work.
  2. Empirical Knowledge and Quantitative Methods
    • Familiarity with different methods of gathering empirical data about human communities (e.g., anthropological and sociological).
    • Knowledge of critical debates about the use and implications of traditional methods of gathering empirical data to obtain knowledge about communities of color.
    • Identification of proper methods to conduct research and awareness of the limits and possibilities of such methods.
    • Creative use, delimitation, and expansion of methods of empirical and quantitative study based on the nature of the problems and questions addressed in the research as well as the object of study.
  3. Interpretation and Qualitative Analysis
    • Acquaintance with major methods and debates in the humanities.
    • Familiarity with the art, film, literature, or music of at least three different ethno-racial groups.
    • Identification of proper methods to conduct research about the creative products of human communities and ethno-racial communities in particular.
    • Creative use, delimitation, and expansion of methods of qualitative analysis based on the nature of the problems and questions addressed in the research as well as the object of study.
  4. Theory and Critique
    • Familiarity with major theories of race and ethnicity, and their intersections and constitutive relations with class, gender, and sexuality.
    • Acquaintance with theories of space and place, including indigeneity, Diaspora, migration, and nation as well as their use in determining the unit of analysis.
    • Use of comparison and contrast for evaluating and producing theory as well as for critical analysis.
    • Creative use of philosophies and theories that are relevant to the understanding and critical analysis of the social contexts, interpersonal dynamics, and multiple creative productions of ethno-racial communities.
  5. Service Learning
    • Further refinement and enrichment of the above listed skills in settings where the students interact with communities of color and/or their productions.

Major Map

Major maps are experience maps that help undergraduates plan their Berkeley journey based on intended major or field of interest. Featuring student opportunities and resources from your college and department as well as across campus, each map includes curated suggestions for planning your studies, engaging outside the classroom, and pursuing your career goals in a timeline format.

Use the major map below to explore potential paths and design your own unique undergraduate experience:

View the Native American Studies Major Map.

Advising

Departmental Major Advising

Our mission is to provide holistic and comprehensive advising of the highest quality to assist students in obtaining the best education and experience possible.

Undergraduate Major Advisors

Dewey St. Germaine
deweystg@berkeley.edu
530 Social Sciences Building
510-643-6420

Laura Jimenez-Olvera
lauraj@berkeley.edu
532 Social Sciences Building
510-642-0243

Mailing Address

Department of Ethnic Studies
506 Social Sciences Building
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-2570

Academic Opportunities

Berkeley Connect in Ethnic Studies

Berkeley Connect in Ethnic Studies matches interested students with Ethnic Studies graduate student mentors in a semester-long, 1-unit program that includes individual advising, small-group discussions, special events and excursions. Through this program, students will become part of a community of like-minded faculty, mentors, and students that will provide a supportive environment in which to exchange and discuss ideas and goals. Berkeley Connect will help students make the most of their time at the University as they learn more about the majors offered through the Department of Ethnic Studies. For further information, please see the Berkeley Connect website.

Study Abroad

The Department of Ethnic Studies encourages all undergraduate majors to consider study abroad opportunities. Whether students are interested in fulfilling major and/or general education requirements, taking courses related to a future career, improving or learning language skills, or simply living and studying in a country that is of interest to them, the department will work with students to make it happen. For information about study abroad programs, please see the Berkeley Study Abroad website.

Prizes and Awards

The Department of Ethnic Studies offers the Dr. Carlos Munoz Jr. Scholar/Activist Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded every spring and recognizes a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership and activism in their community on and off campus.

Courses

Native American Studies

Contact Information

Department of Ethnic Studies

506 Social Sciences Building

Phone: 510-643-0796

Fax: 510-642-6456

ethnicst@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Keith P. Feldman

506 Social Sciences Building

kpfeldman@berkeley.edu

Academic Advisor

Laura Jimenez-Olvera

532 Social Sciences Building

Phone: 510-642-0243

lauraj@berkeley.edu

Academic Advisor

Dewey St. Germaine

530 Social Sciences Building

Phone: 510-643-6420

deweystg@berkeley.edu

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