Program Description Course of Study Structure
In keeping with the policy of Trent’s Graduate Studies, the Ph.D. program has a two-year residency requirement. Students will enrol in three and one-half courses in year one and three courses in year two as follows:
First Year
INDS 600 Indigenous Knowledge
INDS 601 Indigenous Studies Theory and Research Methods
INDS 603H Indigenous Thought (all students – First Term)
INDS 605H Issues in Aboriginal History and Politics (Second Term)
or
INDS 610H Social and Cultural Issues in Native Studies (Second Term)
INDS 620H Indigenous Studies Reading Course Jump to First Year Course Descriptions
Second Year
INDS 700 Practicum Field Placement
INDS 701 Dissertation Research Course
INDS 705H Readings in Indigenous Studies History and Politics Comprehensive Examination
or
INDS 710H Readings in Social and Cultural Issues Comprehensive Examination
or
INDS 715H Bimaadiziwin /Atonhetseri:io
INDS 720H Readings in Indigenous Studies Core Comprehensive Examination
A typical student time-line for completion of the program would be:
First Year
September - April: course work
Summer
Normally, Reading Course (INDS 620H);
Practicum (INDS 700)
Second Year
September - April: course work
June or January: comprehensive exams
Dissertation Proposal Defense and Ethics Review
Third Year
Dissertation Research and Writing
Dissertation Defense
Fourth and Fifth Year
Dissertation research, writing and defense may extend beyond the third year but the expectation is to complete in four years.
There are three major elements of the program, course work, comprehensive examinations and a dissertation. Students will select one of two fields:
- History and Politics, or
- Social and Cultural Issues.
Upon successful completion of the courses, students write two comprehensive examinations;
- a Core Comprehensive Exam, and
- a Stream Comprehensive Exam their field of specialization (history/politics or social/cultural)
The examinations are normally written after course work is completed in the second year of study. Exams must be successfully completed before a Dissertation Proposal can be defended.
Early in the second year of study the Program Director appoints for each student a Dissertation Supervisor in accordance with the Supervision and Supervisory Committee Policy, as described in the Ph.D. Student Handbook. During the second term of the second year, students begin to prepare a dissertation proposal under the supervision of a Dissertation Supervisor. Upon completion, the student presents the proposal to a Dissertation Proposal Defence Examining Committee for formal approval to proceed to the dissertation phase. Ethics reviews must be completed by the Trent Ethics Review Board and the Ph.D. Ethics Review Committee. Students will write a dissertation entailing original research under the supervision of their Committee.
Program Standards
Students must attain a minimum of B+ in each course. If this standard is not attained, the student will normally be asked to leave the program.
Two Fields of Research
In contrast with a single discipline graduate program, the "fields of research" cannot be easily proscribed in an interdisciplinary program such as the IS Ph.D. program. Indigenous Studies is an eclectic discipline drawing on faculty from a number of fields as diverse as history, sociology, anthropology, social work, linguistics, environmental studies, law, education and management studies. Two general fields of the Ph.D. program are:
- History and Politics and,
- Social and Cultural Issues.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
FIRST YEAR COURSES
INDS 600 - Indigenous Knowledge
INDS 600 is taken by all students. This course examines theories of Indigenous Studies from interdisciplinary and experiential perspectives focusing on the nature of Aboriginal thought as expressed through oral tradition, written texts and other sources, Aboriginal Elders/Traditional people will participate extensively in the course. Topics include traditional and contemporary Aboriginal peoples, the nature of Aboriginal communities and contemporary social, political and economic issues.
INDS 601- Indigenous Studies Theory and Research Methods
INDS 601 is taken by all students. This course presents students with a range of theoretical and methodological issues related to conducting research in Aboriginal/Indigenous communities. A number of Indigenous and western approaches to the construction of knowledge are examined, with a view to developing distinctive Indigenous Studies theories, approaches and methods. The course focuses on community-based research methods and include topics such as research design, community rapport, community based data collection and analysis.
All students enrol in INDS 603H in first term. In second term, students enrol in either INDS 605H or INDS 610H.
INDS 603H – Graduate Seminar in Indigenous Thought – First Term
INDS 603H is taken by all students. Indigenous scholars have become an important aspect of the intellectual landscape in Indigenous Studies and a few other disciplines. Over the last few decades, Indigenous scholarly writing has emerged in a number of field, politics, social theory, philosophy, history to name a few. This course examines this emerging literature.
INDS 605H - Issues in Aboriginal History and Politics – Second Term
This second term course will examine the history of inter-cultural relations between Aboriginal peoples and the larger society. It will focus on topics such as early contact, the fur trade, the development of colonial policy, treaties, the reserve system, Indigenous decolonialization movements, modern political dialogue for constitutional renewal and issues of land claim and self government. Required of students in the history and politics specialization.
INDS 610H - Social and Cultural Contemporary Issues in Indigenous Studies – Second Term
This second term course will examine a wide range of social and contemporary issues as they affect Aboriginal peoples in Canada including: contemporary revitalization of Traditional Indigenous culture, models of Aboriginal community development, development of Indigenous institutions in the areas of education, health and social services, economic development, law, urbanization and cross-cultural relations. Required of students in the social and cultural specialization.
INDS 620H - Indigenous Studies Reading Course
Options for independent study include: developing an annotated bibliography in a particular area of study; carrying out an extensive review of the literature in particular topics; conducting a research project in an Indigenous community or organization; or conducting an independent study. Students will work under the supervision of a faculty member and/or designated members of the Indigenous community. The course is a self-developed, broad-based review of issues from fields which may be collateral to the student's dissertation, and may not necessarily be covered by existing courses. The student will work with their supervisor(s) to develop a detailed course syllabus or research proposal. This experience, in a practical structuring of curriculum or research proposal, aids in developing skills for future use. Required of all students.
SECOND YEAR COURSES
INDS 700 - Practicum Field Placement
Students will be required to work full-time or carry out research with an Indigenous Nation community or Aboriginal organization, with a focus on community or organizational needs. The community-based project will be approximately three months in duration and will normally be carried out in the first term of the second year of study or during the summer between first and second year. A key objective is to immerse the student in the culture and the community. Students will be supervised by a faculty member and a designated member of an Aboriginal community or organization. This field placement is undertaken on an unpaid basis.
INDS 701- Dissertation Research Course
INDS 701 is designed to allow students to work with their dissertation supervisor and committee through periodic meetings and consultations to develop an appropriate research plan to carry out research for their dissertation. A fortnightly colloquium will be held to discuss aspects of conducting research in Aboriginal communities and topics related to preparing a dissertation proposal. This course leads to the preparation of dissertation proposal which will be examined by a Dissertation Proposal Examining Committee.
Students will enrol in either INDS 705H or 710H or 715H:
INDS 705H -Readings in Native Studies History and Politics for Comprehensive Examination
INDS 710H -Readings in Social and Cultural Issues for Comprehensive Examination
These courses are designed to help students prepare for the comprehensive exam in their area of specialization..
INDS 715 H-Bimaadiziwin /Atonhetseri:io Experiential Option A full explanation of this course is outlined in the Ph.D. Student Handbook.
INDS 720H -Readings in Indigenous Studies for Core Comprehensive Examination
Students enrolled in the above courses will work with a variety of faculty in their specialized fields to prepare for comprehensive examinations. Students will be required to write two comprehensive examinations: 1) a Core Indigenous Studies Examination; and 2) an examination in Indigenous Studies History and Politics or Social and Cultural Contemporary Issues in Indigenous Studies.
Comprehensive exams are scheduled twice a year. All course work must be completed before writing comprehensive exams. Students are required to write to the Ph.D. Program Director at least one month prior to the exam date requesting permission to write. Dates will be announced each year.
Students who are judged not satisfactory in the comprehensive examination will be permitted to re-take the examination within the next six months or at the next sitting. If the student fails the examination a second time, they will be required to withdraw from the program.
THIRD YEAR COURSE AND POST-COURSE
Comprehensive Examinations
After course work is completed, students are expected to write their comprehensive exams. Regulations related to the examinations are contained in the Ph.D. Student Handbook.
The Core Comprehensive Exam is a five hour sit down examination. Students are asked to demonstrate a broad knowledge of Indigenous Studies, including Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous Studies issues. The INDS 720 course is designed to assist the student in preparing for this examination. A bibliography of recommended texts is provided to the student to facilitate preparation for this exam.
The Stream Comprehensive Exam is a one week take-home examination. Students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge related to the History and Politics stream or the Social and Cultural Issues stream. INDS 705H or INDS 710H prepares the student to write this exam.
Dissertation Proposal
Following the successful completion of comprehensive exams, students are required to write a dissertation proposal and have it examined and approved by a Dissertation Proposal Defense Examining Committee. A Dissertation Proposal Defense Examining Committee will be established which will include three faculty, at least two of whom are not members of the student's supervisory committee and one member of the committee will be external to the Indigenous Studies Program. The Examining Committee will determine whether the student has an effective grasp of her/his area of study, a viable research proposal and potential for the completion of the degree.
The Graduate Studies Committee will consider a proposal to write a dissertation in an Indigenous language, but only if there is a Trent faculty member who is able and willing to supervise the dissertation in the Indigenous language.
INDS 800 - Dissertation
Students who have successfully defended a dissertation proposal are required to conduct original research and complete a Ph.D. dissertation: a research project judged to be a mature and original contribution to knowledge. A Ph.D. student must successfully defend the dissertation in an oral examination before a Dissertation Examining Committee consisting of a chair plus three to five members, of whom at least one must be from outside the university.
ETHICS CODE AND REVIEW PROCESS
Ethics Review
All Ph.D. dissertation proposals must be reviewed through the Ph.D. Program’s own ethics review process. A Ph.D. Ethics Code has been adopted by the program’s Ph.D. Council*. Research applications are reviewed by the Ph.D. Ethics Review Committee which consists of an Elder, a community member and a faculty member. This committee meets regularly to review dissertation proposals. The review may take place concurrently with the Dissertation Proposal Examination and the Trent Ethics Review Board review.
The dissertation proposal will require review by the Trent Ethics Review Board (ERB) for compliance with Tri-Council ethics policies if the research involves "human subjects". The Tri-Council has articulated a code of "good practice" with respect to Aboriginal research (Chapter 6). Students should check with the program or Trent’s Research Office to obtain current information about ethics review scheduling. Ethics forms can be found at Trent’s research web site.
Link to Ph.D. Ethics Code (PDF)
