Native American Studies (B.A.)

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34 Major Hours, 120 Degree Hours

Students in this major must also complete requirements for a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences .

The general major requires 34 hours, including 19 hours of required core courses. Beyond the required core courses, students must complete 15 hours of electives from LAKL and/or NATV, of which at least nine hours must be at the upper-division level (300-400) or students may elect a Native American Studies major with a specialization in Lakota Studies.

Departmental Requirements (19 hours)

Select 15 hours of LAKL/NATV electives or a 15 hour specialization

Major electives (15 hours)

In addition to the core requirements, students select at least 15 hours of NATV or LAKL courses.

At least 9 hours must be at the upper-division level (300-400).

Lakota Studies Specialization (Optional) 15 hours

Native American Studies Major with a Lakota Studies Specialization (34 hours)

For this specialization, in addition to the core requirements, students must take the following Native American Studies courses:

Native American Studies Double Major (28 hours)

See Native Studies Double Major for program requirements.

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan.

Location Matters for Non-Licensure Track Programs

This program is not designed or advertised to lead to a professional license or certification required for employment.

USD is permitted to operate under the terms of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) policies and standards in offering online courses/degree programs to residents in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Online courses/programs may also be offered to residents of California (a non-SARA state) because it does not regulate out-of-state public institutions.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. Please contact a program representative if you have questions regarding supervised field study.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.

For more information, please visit USD’s State Authorization page or contact your admissions counselor.