← American Indian Studies (AMERIND)

Hardest courses in American Indian Studies

Plan ahead for courses where students have earned lower grades.

Lowest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.

Find your fit

7 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Only courses with at least 100 letter grades are ranked.

AMERIND/CSCS 330 explores contemporary Native communities and their historical trajectory from colonization to self-determination and tribal sovereignty.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Carolee Francis: Assignments are described as easy and manageable, involving group drawing, discussions, and papers.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Examines American Indian perspectives, conservation practices, and policy environments to clarify indigeneity and resource sustainability.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Workload varies by review, citing weekly readings, discussion participation, and essays. Some note minimal work, while others report extensive papers, pop quizzes, and heavy reading loads.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

A broad survey of American Indian history centering Indigenous peoples and nations within U.S. policy and culture.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The workload is light, involving minimal reading of only two monographs and a small amount of reading overall, with lenient grading.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Fall 2025

Introduction to the oral and written literatures of Native North America, examining forms across historical periods and tribal groups.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Susan Dominguez: Assignments are low-stakes, often worth only 3-4 points, with severe penalties for minor errors like citation formatting or grammar.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of American Indian Studies covering history, social organization, political experience, and artistic expression of North American Indians.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Leah Horowitz, Matt Villeneuve, Sasha Suarez, Shannon Sparks: The course involves substantial weekly reading, often 65-80 pages, and multiple essay assignments. Workload difficulty is heavily influenced by teaching assistants, with some students reporting that TA participation grading or grading strictness drastically impacts final grades.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

AMERIND 450 explores American Indian thought and perspectives applied to subjects in the arts and sciences.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Denise Wiyaka: Denise Wiyaka used the Socratic method, requiring students to come prepared to avoid being grilled mercilessly during class discussions.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2025

Introduction to comparative ethnic studies examining race, ethnicity, and indigeneity in the US.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Christy Clark-Pujara, Timothy YU: Workload includes readings and essays that some found easy to understand and grade. One reviewer noted completing only textbook readings for an A, while another mentioned three essays and a final exam.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026