The Certificate in Anishinaabe Language (also known as Ojibwe) at UWM is an academic program that provides students with academic inquiry into Anishinaabe Language and culture. 

The Anishinaabe language is spoken by the tribes of the Three Fires Confederacy: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi who share an origin story of migrating together to the western Great Lakes prior to European contact.  The peoples of these three related tribes today live in Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario and Wisconsin on more than 80 U.S. or Canadian recognized reservations and offer job opportunities, particularly in education, for individuals who have proficiency in Anishinaabe language. 

Anishinaabemowin is today considered an “endangered language” due to the historical implementation of federal policies on both sides of the border that attempted to promote English-only education in federal boarding schools. Children were punished for speaking their birth language. However, Anishinaabe is also one of the North American Indian languages that, due to the number of remaining speakers and intensive language programs in tribal communities is expected to survive through the 21st century.

Certificates are similar to minors in terms of credit requirements but draw on coursework from multiple fields of study rather than from a single department.

Eligibility

The program is open to all student's seeking a bachelor's degree from UWM, to students who previously earned a bachelor's degree from UWM or any other accredited college or university, and to those who do not plan to pursue a college or university degree (non-degree students), but who have a strong interest in the subject. Students currently involved in baccalaureate studies at UWM who successfully complete the requirements of the certificate program will be awarded the certificate at the time of graduation. Other students will receive the certificate upon completion of the program requirements. 

Requirements

To obtain the certificate, the student must complete 25 credits in approved courses as indicated below with a minimum grade point average of 2.500. Twelve of these credits must be earned in residence at UWM, including nine at the 300 level and above. Courses for the certificate may not be taken on a credit/no credit basis. 

Credits earned at other institutions equivalent to courses in the certificate program may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the program requirements, subject to review by the Certificate Program Advisory Committee. Students currently enrolled at UWM who have fulfilled some of the program’s requirements prior to the program’s approval may have their credits applied retroactively to the certificate program.