Indigenous Studies

Weave the rich cultures and principles of Indigenous Worldviews into an array of career possibilities.

  • Enjoy a more personalized learning environment with our small classes
  • Benefit from supportive and experienced faculty who are active in their industry
  • Gain the latest and best industry-specific knowledge and skills to be career-ready upon graduation

Program Availability and Schedule

Availability

Open

Closed

Waitlisted

Start Term

Availability

International
Availability

Competitive?

Fall 2025

No

Schedule

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Program Summary

Credential

Ontario College Diploma (2 Years)

Program Delivery

Program Code

Area of Interest

Community and Social Services

School

Academic Access Centre

Campus

Ottawa
No

This two-year Ontario College Diploma cultivates knowledge of Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities, cultures, practices, and perspectives, and introduces global Indigenous perspectives and realities to Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners.

Expand your circle of awareness and relationship through ethical and culturally informed approaches to Indigenous community and knowledges while developing a skillset and mindset to help advance reconciliation and Indigenous cultural resurgence. Explore Indigenous community development, activism, leadership, and governance, using strengths-based approaches to challenge systemic oppression. Build skills to promote sustainable and positive relationships with Indigenous lands and peoples....(read more)

Overview

Weave the rich cultures and principles of Indigenous Worldviews into an array of career possibilities.

This two-year Ontario College Diploma cultivates knowledge of Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities, cultures, practices, and perspectives, and introduces global Indigenous perspectives and realities to Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners.

Expand your circle of awareness and relationship through ethical and culturally informed approaches to Indigenous community and knowledges while developing a skillset and mindset to help advance reconciliation and Indigenous cultural resurgence. Explore Indigenous community development, activism, leadership, and governance, using strengths-based approaches to challenge systemic oppression. Build skills to promote sustainable and positive relationships with Indigenous lands and peoples.

Through land and place-based learning experiences you develop a deeper understanding of local community models, cultural protocols, ethical engagement, and best practices. Exploring diverse Indigenous perspectives and topics, build your knowledge base on a range of subjects including:

  • climate action and science
  • activism and resurgence
  • global Indigenous perspectives and relations
  • business and entrepreneurship
  • research and ethical engagement with community
  • governance and legal traditions
  • personal and community well-being
  • language revitalization
  • communication and cultural expression through creative arts

This program prepares the ground for your academic and career journey, offering pathways into other academic programs at Algonquin College, bridging opportunities to degree programs at Ontario universities, and building transferable skills that support an array of businesses and organizations implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission`s Calls to Action.

Graduates of this program will be positioned to enter a range of employment fields such as:

  • business
  • language
  • arts
  • science
  • health
  • education
  • environmental sustainability
  • social work
  • community services and development

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

  • Are interested in knowing more about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being.
  • Are passionate about promoting inclusivity and relationship-building with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
  • Are open to looking at issues from multiple perspectives.
  • Value personal qualities such as responsibility, initiative, organization and self-regulation.
  • Seek to build relationships through allyship and advocacy.
  • Learn in an environment that nurtures creative expression and innovative thinking.

Courses

Programs at Algonquin College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities. Upon registration, each full-time student is provided an Algonquin email account which is used to communicate important information about program or course events.

Careers & Pathways

Careers

Graduates may find employment in Social Services/Advocacy, Policy and Governance, Education, Outreach, Community Development, International Development, Cultural Liaison, Administration/Management, and Creative Industries/Business.

Pathways

Please use our Pathways tool to search for pathway options.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Use Indigenous Knowledge-informed strategies to build and maintain equitable relationships in a personal and professional capacity.
  2. Adopt Two-Eyed Seeing and other approaches, leveraging opportunities to weave Indigenous Knowledges with other knowledge systems to enable transcultural, transdisciplinary, and collaborative work.
  3. Convey respect for Indigenous languages and ways of communicating to engage with community in personal and professional contexts.
  4. Develop and apply strategies to support personal wellness and work-life balance, addressing wholistic needs, towards mino-bimaadiziwin (a good life).
  5. Analyze how Indigenous values, knowledge systems, and worldviews promote ethical responsibility for land stewardship, community wellness, and self-determination, in personal and professional contexts.
  6. Employ principles of Indigenous knowledge to support personal, academic, and career paths.
  7. Promote ethical ways of interacting with Indigenous Peoples, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to facilitate engagement with community.
  8. Assess organizational, professional, political, and societal strategies to identify opportunities to advance reconciliation.
  9. Interpret the intellectual property (IP) system to protect Indigenous traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCE).
  10. Develop fundamental strategies for the creation, operation, and management of personal and community entrepreneurial ventures.
  11. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Tuition & Fees

Get an idea of how much each semester will cost with our Tuition and Fee Estimator.

2024/2025 Academic Year

Tuition and related ancillary fees for this program can be viewed by using the Tuition and Fees Estimator tool at www.algonquincollege.com/fee-estimator  

Further information on fees can be found by visiting the Registrar`s Office website at www.algonquincollege.com/ro  

Fees are subject to change.

Additional program related expenses include:

Textbook costs may range from $300 to $500 for the first year and an additional $200 for books and consumable supplies in the second year.

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must satisfy both College Eligibility and Program Eligibility requirements.

College Eligibility

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent
  • Applicants with an OSSD showing senior English and/or Mathematics courses at the Basic Level, or with Workplace or Open courses, will be tested to determine their eligibility for admission; OR
  • Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) certificate; OR
  • General Educational Development (GED) certificate; OR
  • Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and without a high school diploma at the start of the program). Eligibility may be determined by academic achievement testing for which a fee will be charged.

Program Eligibility

  • English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent)
  • Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
  • IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT) Overall 80, with a minimum of 20 in each component: Reading 20; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 20 OR Duolingo English Test (DET) Overall 110, minimum of 110 in Literacy and no score below 95.

Not sure if you meet all of the requirements? Academic Upgrading may be able to help with that: https://www.algonquincollege.com/access/

Should the number of qualified applicants exceed the number of available places, applicants will be selected on the basis of their proficiency in English.

Application Information

INDIGENOUS STUDIES
Program Code 1413X01FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro  

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