UMD News Releases

Duluth, MN – The University of Minnesota Duluth’s Master of Tribal Administration and Governance (MTAG) program will be offered online when the 2014 school year begins, elevating it from a regional to a national program.

MTAG is the only graduate degree program in the U.S. that trains people specifically in the best management practices for tribal governments. Forty-seven people have graduated from the first two cohorts since it started in 2011, and most of the participants have been local tribal leaders. By adding the online option, UMD is inviting a national audience to participate.

Tadd Johnson, director of MTAG, says that it’s relevant to tribes across the nation. “There are a number of common threads that run through tribal governance, topics like tribal sovereignty, federal Indian law, leadership, ethics, tribal accounting and budgets, and tribal management.” Johnson adds that MTAG offers students much-needed historical context on these subjects.

Fall 2014 classes begin on Tues., September 2 and registration is accepted through August.

MTAG was designed for tribes by tribes. Two years of extensive consultations with tribal administrators, tribal leaders, and tribal organizations at national conferences and throughout the Midwest affirmed that there is a need for partnership between tribes and a university to assist in training tribal administrators.