News

SPOKANE, Wash. - Eastern Washington University's urban planning programs will launch a new online graduate level Tribal Planning Executive Certificate this quarter, and recruit nationally for a cohort of students to enter the program in January 2012.

"The certificate will provide executive-level education on tribal planning to address the specific issues for American Indian reservations," said Niel Zimmerman, interim dean of EWU's College of Business and Public Administration. "Emphasis will be placed on knowledge and understanding of the unique structures of American Indian tribal governments as sovereign nations and the role of planning, community and economic development to address all aspects of reservation life."

Through the unique relations between EWU's urban planning programs and American Indian tribal governments in the region - along with the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) and the operation of the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program - the university has developed a curriculum in American Indian tribal planning at the graduate level to serve tribal government leaders and staff, American Indian students and anyone interested in understanding tribal planning.

The Tribal Planning Executive Certificate is a 23-credit curriculum that can be part of the masters in urban and regional planning (MURP), or other graduate programs at EWU, or a stand-alone certificate. It will serve American Indian tribal governments, tribal elected leaders and staff, and any graduate students interested in the practice of American Indian tribal planning.

The certificate may be completed online in one or two years through regular classes at EWU Spokane and other campus locations, and/or as part of a two-week Summer Institute in Tribal Planning, offered each June. For complete details about the Tribal Planning Certificate visit:
http://outreach.ewu.edu/online/degrees-and-minors/tribal-planning-certificate.html.

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