The Indigenous studies M.A. degree program emphasizes Indigenous knowledge systems. The program is designed to provide graduate students from various fields of interest an opportunity to pursue in-depth study of the role and contributions of Indigenous knowledge in the contemporary world. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to work effectively with Indigenous people in their studies. Indigenous studies doctoral candidates will participate in research activities across a variety of UAF academic disciplines and applied fields. Students are encouraged to engage in comparative studies with other Indigenous peoples around the world and to focus their dissertation research on issues of relevance to Alaska and the Arctic. Using the interdisciplinary Ph.D. model of academic assignment, the student's home base will be in the school or college of the student's major advisor, who also serves as an affiliate faculty member for the program.