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Program details
The Faculty of Arts offers three-year and four-year undergraduate degrees in Indigenous studies. Students may specialize in either Indigenous studies or Indigenous languages, Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) or Cree.
BA degrees at a glance
BA General: 90 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all courses in the chosen major. This program is particularly suited to students who wish to seek employment or enter a professional academic program following graduation from Arts.
BA Advanced: 120 credit hours of study with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all faculty-required courses. Students select a major and minor program of study or a double major in lieu of a minor.
Bachelor of Arts (General)
Expected duration: 3 years
The general program offers general exposure to the humanities and social sciences and an opportunity to concentrate studies in at least two subject areas. This program is particularly suited to students who wish to seek employment or enter a professional academic program following graduation from Arts.
A student must complete 90 credit hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all courses that comprise the major.
You can complete the BA General degree on a part-time basis.
Bachelor of Arts (Advanced)
Expected duration: 4 years
The advanced program offers a general education along with a reasonable degree of specialization in one area of study through the major.
Graduates of the advanced major program who demonstrate high academic performance may be eligible for entrance to graduate studies. The advanced degree is also well suited to students seeking to build an academic term or year of studies abroad into their undergraduate degree.
To earn a BA Advanced degree, a student must successfully complete 120 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all faculty-required courses. The program requires at least 48 credit hours in a major subject area, as well as a minor field of study that includes a minimum of 18 credit hours in a subject area. In lieu of a minor, students may complete a double advanced major program.
Students should apply to enter the advanced program only after successfully completing a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework.
You can complete this degree on a part-time basis.
Earning a minor in Arts
A minor is comprised of 18 credit hours which are in a subject field that is different from a declared major. To earn a minor in a subject field as part of a Bachelor of Arts degree, a student must successfully complete 18 credit hours in a subject field approved by the Faculty of Arts as a minor.
Minors offered by the Faculty of Arts are listed under each area of study’s section of the Academic Calendar. Arts students may complete minor programs offered by other Faculties/Schools providing the minor program consists of a minimum of 18 credit hours and all other degree requirements are satisfied.
Degree requirements for all BA degrees
Students in the BA General, BA Advanced and BA Honours degree must complete the following requirements as part of their degree:
- 6 credit hours of humanities
- 6 credit hours of social sciences
- 6 credit hours of sciences
- 3 credit hours of written English (W)
- 3 credit hours of mathematics (M)
- 3 credit hours of Indigenous course content (students entering as of fall 2021)
- 6 credit hours in each of 5 different subject fields
The 3 credit hours of written English and 3 credit hours of mathematics are to satisfy the written English and mathematics requirement.
For full details on these requirements, refer to the Academic Calendar.
Sample course offerings
- INDG 1220: Indigenous Peoples in Canada
- INDG 1250: Introductory Cree
- INDG 2080: Inuit Society and Culture
- INDG 2274: Intermediate Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) 2
- INDG 2450: Images of the "Indian" in North American Society
- INDG 3150: Residential School Literature
- INDG 3270: The Métis Nation: The Modern Era
- INDG 3300: Indigenous Language Planning and Development
- INDG 3360: Indigenous Women of Canada
- INDG 4290: Urban Indigenous History
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Admission requirements
The following are minimum requirements for entry into the Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Direct entry means you are applying to the program directly out of high school.
Advanced entry option is open to students who have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours of university level study and have attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
How to apply
Domestic student application fee: $100
International student application fee: $130
Applications to the University of Manitoba are completed online.
The online application includes several parts, and you may be required to submit transcripts, proof of English Language proficiency, and other documents.
You apply to the Bachelor of Arts program without selecting your major and minor areas of study (e.g., anthropology, political science, etc.). You make these choices after you are in the BA program.
Learn more
Contact us
Admission and application inquiries
Mailing address
Undergraduate Admissions
424 UMSU University Centre
University of Manitoba
65 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
Office location
Room 424 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Submit a question
Phone: 204-474-8808
Toll-free: 1-800-224-7713 ext 8808
Program inquiries
Department of Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Arts
Room 215 Isbister Building
183 Dafoe Road
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
indigenous.studies@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9266
Fax: 204-474-7657