Seven individuals stand in front of a reflective white panel smiling at the camera.

Future Indigenous Graduate Students

Your future starts with Cornell University

Your future starts with Cornell University 

The American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP) welcomes your interest in Cornell University’s graduate programs. With almost 100 graduate fields and various degrees to choose from, our faculty and staff offer personalized mentorship, create relevant networking opportunities, and facilitate your application process.

After matriculation at Cornell, we will continue to support your academic journey and, eventually, help to launch your career as an Indigenous scholar, leading researcher, cutting-edge scientist or entrepreneur, and more importantly, a role model in your community and nation.

Ready to take the next step?

Let us know if you are considering to apply to Cornell.

"Academia needs you. Our ancestors were some of the world's first scientists and often their solutions and approaches are forgotten. But it's in our DNA."

Michael Charles (Diné/Navajo) - Undergraduate Class of 2016, B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, M.S. & PhD - Now Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell

Join the ranks of distinguished Indigenous scholars

Our Alumni number in the thousands, and can be found at the highest levels of tribal governments, U.S. government, academic research, justice system, higher education, medicine, and more. Follow in the Indigenous graduate footsteps of U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk) J.D. 2010, Dr. Roberta Duhaime (Mohawk) D.V.M. 1989, Dr. Grace Bulltail (Crow, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara) PhD. 2017, Gail Anagick Schubert (Alaskan Native) M.B.A. 1984, Dr. Solomon Cook (Mohawk) PhD. 1950 and many others. 

Regardless of which field you are pursuing, you can immerse yourself in Indigenous scholarship and engage in critical intellectual conversations through a graduate minor in the field of American Indian and Indigenous Studies. 

The AIIS Graduate Minor is inherently interdisciplinary, bringing together unique expertise from across Cornell’s various colleges, schools, and disciplines, including history, anthropology, literature, art, material culture, performance and media studies, law, natural resources, linguistics and fiber and apparel design to ensure a richer and more comprehensive learning experience. These cross-disciplinary courses and conversations examine emergent issues in local and global Indigenous communities, allowing you to gain a unique perspective on your research projects and a competitive edge in a job market.

A young woman with long black hair, stands in front of library stacks. She is wearing red law school graduate robes, a black graduation cap, and a purple stole with the Hiawatha belt imagery.
Carolyn Click (Mvskoke/Muscogee) '24

J.D. Degree, Cornell Law School

Carolyn Click (Mvskoke/Muscogee) '24
A smiling woman with black hair and glasses stands in below a garden arch. She is wearing a black shirt, circular mirror earrings, and a black ribbon skirt with black, red, orange, and yellow ribbon in a color gradient.
Merritt Khaipho-Burch (Thai-Oglala Lakota)

Graduate Student (Buckler Lab)

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Merritt Khaipho-Burch (Thai-Oglala Lakota)
  • mbb262 [at] cornell.edu
Standing beside an elevator door in red and black Native regalia, River poses alongside a photograph of their applique bandolier bag work now installed in Olin Library.
River Webb (Nimíipuu/Sac and Fox, they/she)

Graduate Student

River Webb (Nimíipuu/Sac and Fox, they/she)

Contact us to receive personalized guidance

Director of Graduate Studies
Prof. Eric Cheyfitz
etc7 [at] cornell.edu (etc7[at]cornell[dot]edu)

Senior Director of Recruitment
Anitra Douglas-McCarthy
anitra [at] cornell.edu (anitra[at]cornell[dot]edu)

AIISP Staff - Contact Info

Photo of a group of men and women standing on stairs looking at the camera.

Indigenous Graduate Student Association (IGSA)

IGSA serves as a forum for graduate students to discuss cultural, social, political, and educational concerns. Additionally, IGSA is a professional networking opportunity for North American and other Indigenous scholars at Cornell, across the country, and globally.

Native American Law Student Association (NALSA)

NALSA serves as a forum for Indigenous and allied law students at Cornell Law School to raise awareness about the legal issues affecting North American Indigenous Nations, and to bring scholars to campus to share their expertise on these issues.

AIIS Graduate Minor

The American Indian and Indigenous Studies Graduate Minor is open to graduate and professional students in any field of study at Cornell. It provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the complex histories of North American and global Indigenous communities, as well as contemporary issues affecting them today. Learn more.

Relevant Resources from the Cornell Graduate School

Stay Connected!