American Indian Studies
Connect with:
Maggie Heier
Career Counselor
cosg002@umn.edu
612-624-7577
Major Information
You can do a lot with this major! American Indian Studies majors go on to successful careers in business, academics, advocacy, politics, government, publishing, the arts, research, and much more.
All liberal arts degrees help CLA students develop their Core Career Competencies, and American Indian Studies majors develop specific skills that are applicable to lots of different careers. These skills include:
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong analysis and critical-thinking skills
- In-depth knowledge of American Indian affairs
- Expertise in cultural diversity and differing perspectives
- Listening, clarifying, questioning and responding skills
- Broad understanding of cross-cultural and diversity issues
Internship & Job Search Websites
- GoldPASS
- HECUA internship program
- Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
- Idealist (Nonprofit positions in the US and internationally)
- USA Jobs (Find jobs with the U.S. federal government)
- Public Service Careers (Check out “Why Public Service?”)
- Go Government (Overview of public service careers from Partnership for Public Service)
- American Studies Association Employment and Fellowships
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Association job board
- National Congress of American Indians job board
- Minneapolis American Indian Center
- Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
- Native American Financial Official Association job board
Student Groups
- Circle of Indigenous Nations (COIN)
- American Indian Student Cultural Center (AISCC)
- American Indian Cultural House
- American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
Graduate School Programs related to American Indian Studies
- University of Minnesota - Ph.D. - American Studies
- University of Arizona - M.A. - American Indian Studies
- University of Arizona - Ph.D. - American Indian Studies
- University of California - Davis - Ph.D. in Native American Studies
- University of California - Davis - M.A. in Native American Studies
- University of Alberta - M.A. in Native Studies
- University of Alberta - Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies
- University of Victoria - M.A./M.Ed. in Indigenous Language Revitalization
Professional Organizations
- American Indian Business Leaders
- National Alaskan Native American Indian Nurses Association
- Native American Journalists Association
- National Native American Bar Association
- American Indian Science & Engineering Society
- Native American & Indigenous Studies Association
- Association of American Indian Affairs
- National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association
- National Indian Child Care Association
- Native American Art Council
- Native American Business Alliance
- Native American Capital
- Native American Financial Official Association
- Vision Maker Media
- Native American Rights Fund
- National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
- Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations
Career Options
Below is a small sampling of what alumni with this major have pursued, organized by the most common career fields they go into (although keep in mind that there are American Indian Studies alumni in all eight of the career fields). For more career information for American Indian Studies majors utilize these additional resources:
- What Can I Do With This Major - Find information about common career paths, employers, and strategies for how to build experience in different career fields
- LinkedIn’s Alumni Tool - Explore thousands of alumni career pathways
- GoldPASS - Explore different job, internship, and volunteer opportunities as well as career events on campus
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Entry-Level
Ojibwe Immersion Teacher - Minneapolis Public Schools
Associate Educator - Osseo Area Schools
ESL Teacher - Phichai Secondary School
Charles A. Eastman Predoctoral Fellow - Dartmouth College
College PREP Mentor - Division of Indian Work
Mentor - Rural America Initiatives
Tutor - Migizi Communications
Development Officer - Hearthstone of Minnesota
Counselor - Eastside Neighborhood Services
Experienced
Guest lecturer - Michigan State University*
Teaching Assistant - Michigan State University*
Archaeological Illustrator - University of Minnesota*
Guest Lecturer - University of Minnesota*
International Education Graduate Intern - Willamette University*
Teacher - School District 196*
Indigenous Language Specialist - Minneapolis Public Schools
Dakota Language Immersion Teacher - Wicoie Nandagikendan Early Childhood Urban Immersion Project
Director of Student Accounts, Bursar - Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Teacher, American Indian Studies - Saint Paul Public Schools*
Founder, CEO, Instructional Coach - Mathematize, Inc
Academic Advisor - Capella University*
Private EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Tutor - Self-employed Private Tutor
Community Outreach Coordinator/Lead Instructor - Sylvan Learning
President's Postdoctoral Fellow - University of California*
Laboratory Research Coordinator & Research Safety Officer - University of Minnesota Rochester
SMART Nations Program Coordinator - Division of Indian Work
Director of Development - Community of Peace Academy Charter School
Director of Advancement - Risen Christ School
Counselor - Independent Counseling (self-employed)*
Native American Outreach Liaison - ISD 197*
Counselor/consultant - Holy Spirit School*
Adjunct Professor of Sociology - San Diego Community College District*
Graduate Programs
MA, Education and Leadership
MA, Education Visual Arts - Augsburg College
MEd, Curriculum and Instruction - University of Minnesota Duluth
MA, International Education - SIT Graduate Institute
MEd, Youth Development Leadership - University of Minnesota
PhD, American Studies - University of Minnesota
University of Arizona - American Indian Studies Graduate Certificate in Higher Education
Internships
Intern - Goodnature
Entry-Level
The Glue - The Clicquot Club
Business Analyst - Ameriprise Financial
Project Specialist - Ceres Environmental Services
Associate - BlueDog, Paulson & Small P.L.L.P.
Income Verification Manager - Best Vendors
Operations Manager - Lifetime Fitness
Executive Assistant - Nutro Products
Softlines Merchandise Coordinator - Target
Art Buyer Specialist - Target
Service Staff at the Glitretind - Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley
Sales and Marketing Assistant - Independent Craft Beer and Spirits
Whitewater Guide, Customer Service - Yellowstone Raft Co
Experienced
Owner - Audrey Rose Vintage
Administrative Assistant - Minnesota Academy of Science
General Manager - The Toucan and The Lion
Business Process Analyst - Hennepin County*
Board of Directors Treasurer - Minnesota Brewer's Association
President - Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild
Co-founder and Director of Operations - Indeed Brewing Company
Founding Member - Brodeen & Paulson PLLP*
Realtor, GRI, Broker - Counselor Realty*
Registration Assistant - WeSNIP
Program Assistant - Opportunity Council
Senior Managing Consultant - Fox Advancement
Dealer Service Representative - Mystery Ranch
Associate Store Team Leader - Whole Foods Market
Graduate Programs
MBA, Nonprofit Management, Marketing & Communications - University of St. Thomas School of Business
Entry-Level
Art Director - Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project
Staff Photographer - University of St. Thomas
Experienced
Community News and Information Editor - Black Hills Knowledge Network
Owner - 2winfocus Photography
Artist - Cement Mixers
Director of Curation, Art Alley - Michigan Art Share
Creative and Research Consultant - Potter Park Zoo
Director - Michigan Native Arts Collection
Graduate Programs
MFA, Visual Studies - Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Internships
Intern at U.S. House of Representatives
Legal Intern - Milwaukee County Circuit Court Civil Division
Legal Intern - Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel
Intern - United States Department of Agriculture
Summer Law Clerk - Youth Law Project, Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance
Entry-Level
Policy Drafting Consultant - Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Guardian and Litem-ICWA Specialist - Fourth Judicial District State of Minnesota
Native American Program, Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Law Clerk, Fourth Judicial District State of Minnesota
Deputy Solicitor General - Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Deputy Field Director - Jacob Frey for City Council
Committee Page - Minnesota House of Representatives
Director - Minnesota Young DFL
Legal Assistant - Marcus Family Law Center, PLC
Experienced
Associate Attorney - Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.*
West Jury Verdicts Contractor - Thomson Reuters Westlaw
Associate - Haukaas Law Office, S.C.*
Law Clerk - The Previant Law Firm, S.C.
Research Assistant - U.S. Senate
Tribal Liaison/Staff Assistant - U.S. Senate
Associate Attorney - Best & Flanagan*
Attorney - Hogen Adams PLLC*
National Committee Representative - Minnesota Young DFL
Field Organizer - Al Franken for Senate 2014
Campaign Manager - Applebaum for State Representative
Principal Planner - Minnesota Department of Human Services
Graduate Programs
JD - University of Minnesota Law School
JD - University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
JD - Marquette University Law School
JD, American Indian Law, Construction Law, Real Estate Law - William Mitchell College of Law
Master of Tribal Administration & Governance - University of Minnesota - Duluth
University of Oklahoma - American Indian and Indigenous Peoples Law
University of Arizona - American Indian Studies Graduate Certificate in Native Nation Building
University of Hawaii - Manoa - M.A. in Indigenous Politics
University of Hawaii - Manoa - Ph.D. in Indigenous Politics
University of Victoria - M.A. in Indigenous Governance
University of Victoria - Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Nationhood
Entry-Level
AmeriCorps VISTA - Arizona Saves
Cultural Case Manager - Minneapolis American Indian Center Minneapolis
Vice President - Little Earth of United Tribes
Experienced
Zero-Waste Coordinator, Friendly Streets Initiative
Grants Contracts Monitor/Project Coordinator, Special-projects Administration - Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
OSSIII - Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights
Best Outcomes for Indian Children Project Facilitator & Western Coordinator - Ho-Chunk Nation
President/CEO - Native American Community Development Institute
Business & Development Specialist - Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition
Communications and Executive Affairs Coordinator - Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board
Graduate Programs
MS, Sociology, Community Development - South Dakota State University
MS, Sociology - The London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Victoria - Indigenous Communities Counseling Psychology
Experienced
Senior Public Health Specialist - City of Minneapolis*
Optometrist - Arizona Eye Institute*
Senior Policy and Community Engagement Liaison, Health Equity Initiative - Multnomah County Health Department
Nocturnal Supervisor - Dorothy Day Hospital House
Staff Registered Nurse - Sinai Health System*
Graduate Programs
Doctor of Optometry - Nova Southeastern University
MA, Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy - Adler Graduate School
MS, Nursing - University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Arizona - American Indian Studies Graduate Certificate in Renewable Natural Resources
University of Hawaii - Manoa - M.P.H. - Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health