Why UND?

Accredited through UND’s regional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, this is the only Ph.D. in Indigenous Health offered in the U.S. and Canada.

The program is taught by unprecedented Indigenous Scholars assembled at UND in terms of education, years of experience, scholarship, and diversity. The curriculum is available through distance education/interactive video with two 1-week on-site sessions per year, so students can live anywhere and participate in the PhD. The program is offered as both an Academic Track and an Applied Track for students interested in either academic roles at universities or applied roles in Indigenous Communities. 

All students will complete a Dissertation. Research Assistantships will be available to students to work with Indigenous Health Scholars at UND. We anticipate that all students will have publishable products upon completion of the PhD, and we will facilitate opportunities to present their work at national and international conferences.

At degree completion students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge leading to a multitude of job opportunities including Health Researcher, Health Program Evaluator, Health Policy Analyst, University or Tribal College Faculty, Tribal Health Director, Health Program Administrator, Indigenous Health Consultant, Non-Profit Administrator, and Public Health Officer, among numerous other roles.

The demand for expert administrators to coordinate the health needs of worldwide indigenous populations is at an all-time high. In fact, the United Nations has established a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues — covering everything from health and education to social development and environment. The renowned World Health Organization also requires professionals with similar strengths.

In the United States alone, there are 573 federally recognized tribes — all with their own combination of health departments and programs that require well-trained, knowledgeable administrators, researchers, evaluators and managers. The nation’s Indian Health Service (IHS) covers epidemiology research and comprehensive health services at its headquarters and 12 more divisions spread across the country.

Together, the IHS and tribes operate more than 150 hospitals and clinics, creating a large demand for well-coordinated and culturally appropriate public health programming, research and policy development. With such an enormous scope, experts in resource development also are in high demand.