Navajo Technical University (Navajo Tech) has launched its first doctoral program, granting a Ph.D. in Diné Culture and Language Sustainability, and becoming the first tribal college or university in the US to offer a doctoral degree. The program was developed with the help of Navajo elders, university professors, and linguistic experts, and aims to sustain Diné culture and language. It will be a collaboration with other academic institutions and community partners, and the curriculum will include community-based research and internships. Navajo Tech President Elmer Guy believes that the program will have a profound impact on the future of the tribe’s language and culture, and he hopes that it will inspire other tribal colleges and universities to create their own programs in the future. The launch of Navajo Tech’s doctoral program is a significant milestone for the university, which already has more than 30 degree and certificate programs in science, technology, engineering, business, and liberal arts.
Navajo Technical University (Navajo Tech) has announced its first accredited doctoral program, making it the first tribal college or university in the US to offer a doctoral degree. The program is dedicated to sustaining Diné culture and language, with the goal of providing employment opportunities and effecting change in Navajo communities on the reservation, which stretches into New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
The program, which will grant a Ph.D. in Diné Culture and Language Sustainability, will be a collaboration with other academic institutions and community partners. Navajo elders, university professors, and linguistic experts were involved in its development, and the curriculum will include community-based research and internships to provide practical experience for students.
Navajo Tech President Elmer Guy said that he believes the program will have a profound impact on the future of the tribe’s language and culture. He added that the program aims to make a connection beyond the call by tribal leaders for their people to learn the language and stay engaged with their culture.
The launch of Navajo Tech’s doctoral program is a significant milestone for the university, which already has more than 30 degree and certificate programs in science, technology, engineering, business, and liberal arts. The university has started accepting applications for the fall semester, and 20 students have applied so far for the five coveted spots in the inaugural class.
Wafa Hozien, an administrator who helped with the program’s creation, said that Navajo Tech’s program represents a paradigm shift, as learning through a Diné lens with culture and language creates leaders who can advocate for their people in the judicial system, education, land management, business, technology, and healthcare.
Navajo Tech’s work in training court reporters to document Navajo testimony and translators to help with reading ballots during election season has already addressed some of the pressing needs within Navajo communities. President Guy is hopeful that the program will inspire other tribal colleges and universities to create their own programs in the future.
A celebration is planned on the Crownpoint campus in western New Mexico in April, to commemorate the launch of Navajo Tech’s doctoral program in Diné Culture and Language Sustainability.
Navajo Technical University’s President, Elmer Guy, believes that the university’s new doctoral program will empower students to become problem-solvers. He expressed his enthusiasm for the program and its potential to provide students with the tools to effect change in Navajo communities.
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