PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE | FULLY ONLINE
TRIBAL COURTS & JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION (TCJA)
looks_4 469 FDRL - Native American Family and Domestic Relations Law
Starting Wed, June 10, 2026
Application closes Friday May 29, 2026*
| Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses run: | January | March | June | August | October |
The Professional Development Certificate in Tribal Courts and Justice Administration is designed to provide a strong foundation in the workings of tribal courts and justice systems for working professionals wishing to expand their knowledge of tribal court systems. This program prepares you for a wide range of tribal-justice related careers and teaches you the foundations of Native American law and policy. The curriculum covers topics ranging from federal Indian law, tribal courts, tribal criminal law, and tribal family law, all taught by industry leading faculty.
task_alt Application Submission Checklist
| assignment STEP 1 | payments STEP 2 | find_in_page STEP 3 | email STEP 4 | school STEP 5 | paid STEP 6 | login STEP 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit Application Form | Pay Application Fee | Application Review | Receive Admission Email | Scholarship Decision (if requested) | Pay Remaining Tuition (if required) | Receive Course Login & Access |
| Complete the online course application form. | Pay the non-refundable application fee to activate your application for review. | The admissions team reviews your application. | You will receive an admission confirmation email with next steps. | Scholarship decisions are communicated after the application fee is received (STEP 2). | Pay the remaining tuition fee by the deadline listed in your admission email. | You will receive instructions to access the Brightspace Community course platform before the course start date. |
Important: Submitting the application form alone does not complete your application. Your application will only be reviewed after the application fee payment is received.
filter_4 Course Choices
The Professional Development Certificate in Tribal Courts and Justice Administration is available both to University of Arizona students and to members of the community interested in administering justice in Indian country.
Students pursuing this 9-credit certificate must complete three of the following four courses:
| looks_one | 450A NALP | Native American Law and Policy (3 credits): Explores the place and status of Tribal Governments in our federal system, focusing in particular on federal policy decisions underlying various laws and statutes. The course examines ways to interpret and apply the relevant laws and explores the impact that would be result from changing the policy behind those laws. |
| looks_two | 467 CTPP | Tribal Courts Practice and Procedure (3 credits): This course provides students with an in overview of the applicable tribal, state and federal laws and procedures governing native nations, with an in-depth examination of Indian tribal courts, their history, procedures along with the roles of their participants. This course will also focus on the organization of the judicial structure within tribal nations. |
| looks_3 | 468 CRLP | Tribal Criminal Law and Procedure (3 credits): This course will cover the basics of criminal law and procedure that apply in tribal courts in the United States. Students will gain an appreciation of the complexities of the maze of criminal jurisdiction in this area of law, and the unique problems that face native populations. |
| looks_4 | 469 FDRL | Native American Family and Domestic Relations Law (3 credits): This course concentrates on the role tribal courts and tribal jurisprudence play in regulating family relations impacting indigenous cultural values. Students will learn how the law protects native children and regulates parental rights, guardians, custodians, and the rights of traditional extended families. |
calendar_month FULLY ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS CLASSES
wifi Offering Flexible Learning to Fit Your Schedule
The courses are available fully online, offered over 7.5 weeks with flexible, asynchronous content. This means lectures are pre-recorded and accessible at your convenience, allowing you to balance work and study effectively.
There's no requirement to be online at specific times, ensuring minimal disruption to your work schedule and family time. Weekly tasks are part of the curriculum, but with the self-paced nature of the course, you can manage these alongside work commitments. You will have an instructor who will be facilitating online content and available if you have questions or concerns.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Michael Harralson
Associate Justice for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Supreme Court
Michael Harralson is the owner of Lakes Legal PLLC, based in Minneapolis, MN, where he provides judicial services for Tribal Nations. He currently serves as Associate Justice for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Supreme Court. Previously, he served as Chief Judge for the Lower Sioux Indian Community. Michael has also served on the benches of the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Additionally, he sits on the Board of Directors of the National American Indian Court Judges Association.
school TUITION COST & SCHOLARSHIP
paid TUITION FEE
| looks_one | Each Course | Each 3 credit course costs $500. |
| looks_3 | All three Courses | The total tuition cost to complete the certificate is $1,500 for 9 credits. |
| check_box | Completion Requirement | You must complete 3 of the 4 courses to complete the certificate. |
| flip_camera_android | Enrollment Flexibility | Each of the courses run on a rolling basis, so you can complete the certificate at your own pace. |
article APPLICATION FEE
The application fee is non-refundable and required to complete your application. A payment link will be sent via email after the initial review of your application.
- New applicants (starting May 2026): A one-time $100 application fee is required. This fee covers all three required courses in the TCJA certificate program.
- Continuing students (enrolled prior to May 2026): A $25 application fee per course applies under the previous structure.
| Pascua Yaqui enrolled members and employees who receive a 100% scholarship will have tuition fully covered. |
| Students awarded a 50% scholarship are responsible for 50% of the tuition ($250). |
| Students awarded a 25% scholarship are responsible for 75% of the tuition ($350). |
(Application fee applies as per applicant category above and are reduced from tuition $25 per course)
IMPORTANT
- Your application will not be processed for admission or scholarship review until the application fee is received.
star SCHOLARSHIP
All PYT-UA Microcampus students are eligible for scholarships. Scholarship awards are tiered based on applicant category and are evaluated separately for each course offering.
| PYT members and employees are eligible for up to 100% tuition scholarship |
| Non-PYT applicants are eligible for partial scholarships |
If you would like to be considered for a scholarship as part of this application form for each course, the application form will ask Non-PYT applicants to write a short statement (no more than 250 words).
- PYT applicants include enrolled members of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and employees currently working for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in any department.
- Non-PYT applicants include members of other tribes as well as non-tribal applicants.
- Scholarship decisions are made after the application fee payment is received and once the Microcampus admissions team completes its review.
Please note: Scholarship decisions are final for each course offering and cannot be increased after they are issued.
login COURSE ACCESS & INSTRUCTIONS
ARIZONA LAW ONLINE
Community D2L Website
Upon your admission confirmation, you will receive an email from Community D2L platform containing the login link. Follow the link provided in the email.and proceed with the following steps to login to your course dashboard.
Instructions to Set Up Password
Go to Community D2L: https://community.d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/loginh/
Click the Public Participants option
Click Set your password (as shown below)
Enter email address you shared with us to enroll in this class (this is also your username)
Enter your new password and confirm it, then click Submit
If you are having technical issues logging into your account, please contact law-disted@arizona.edu
If you already have a Community D2L account from prior workshops at the Microcampus or online – please go to the log-in page, click the Public Participants option, and enter your existing log-in credentials to access your account. If you have UA NetID, you can use it to log in only if you were enrolled in the course using your UArizona NetID. If you can’t remember your password, select "Reset a Forgotten Password".
ballot CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT & TIMELINE
Key Points
- The official program certificate is awarded only after all three courses are successfully completed.
- The completion certificate is delivered digitally (signed PDF).
| escalator Stage | star_half Milestone | article What You Receive |
|---|---|---|
| During Each Course | Successfully complete all required modules and assessments | No certificate is issued. |
| After Completing All 3 Courses | Finish all three courses. | You will receive the Official Certificate of Completion: Tribal Courts & Justice Administration by email after your final grade posting. |
help FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
start GETTING STARTED
The program is offered through the Microcampus and accommodates both tribal-community members and other applicants.
The courses are offered fully online over 7.5 weeks with flexible asynchronous content. Lectures are pre-recorded and accessible at your convenience, so you don’t need to be online at specific times—making it easier to balance work and family commitments. Weekly tasks are part of the curriculum, but you can manage these alongside your work schedule. An instructor facilitates the online course content and is available for any questions or concerns.
The Professional Development Certificate in Tribal Courts & Justice Administration is offered through the Pascua Yaqui Tribe‑University of Arizona Microcampus as a professional development certificate. These credits are separate from UArizona degree programs. The credits earned through this certificate do not count toward UArizona degrees or programs.
The certificate does not include your final grades or list the names of the courses you enrolled in. It only includes your full name, the issue date, and a unique verification code.
The Professional Development Certificate in Tribal Courts and Justice Administration is designed to provide a strong foundation in the workings of tribal courts and justice systems for working professionals wishing to expand their knowledge of tribal court systems. This program prepares you for a wide range of tribal-justice related careers and teaches you the foundations of Native American law and policy. The curriculum covers topics ranging from federal Indian law, tribal courts, tribal criminal law, and tribal family law, all taught by industry leading faculty.
- 3 courses (9 credits)
- fully online
- professional development (not a degree)
article Application and Enrollment
The application fee helps ensure that committed applicants reserve their seats and supports administrative processing of applications.
- New applicants (starting May 2026): A one-time $100 non-refundable application fee is required. This fee covers all three required courses in the TCJA certificate program.
- Continuing students (enrolled prior to May 2026): A $25 application fee per course continues under the previous structure.
The application fee is required for all applicants, including members and employees of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and is processed after the initial review of your application.
- New applicants (starting May 2026): No. The one-time $100 application fee covers all three required courses in the TCJA program.
- Continuing students (enrolled prior to May 2026): Yes. A $25 application fee per course applies under the previous structure.
The application fee is not paid at submission.
After your application is reviewed, you will receive an email with:
- Your application fee amount
- Payment instructions
- Next steps
Your application will not move forward until the fee is received.
Yes. The application fee is reduced from tuition and is required to process your application.
However, if you choose not to enroll, the fee remains as a credit on your Microcampus account for future use.
Yes, please submit a fresh application if the email address you entered was incorrect. Alternatively, you can email us at law-pascuayaqui@arizona.edu with the correct email address and we’ll update it in our database for you.
We will review your application information to determine your status and send you series of emails to help get your admission confirm.
The $100 one-time application fee is structured to cover your participation across the full TCJA certificate program.
It includes:
- $25 application fee for each of the three required courses, and
- $25 administrative fee to support application processing and program operations
This one-time fee applies to "New Student's" entire TCJA certificate journey. Once paid, you will not be required to pay an application fee again for future course enrollments within the program as a continuing student.
paid Fees, Tuition and Scholarships
The application fee is non-refundable.
However, your payment will be retained as a credit on your Microcampus student account, which can be applied toward:
- A future TCJA course offering, or
- Another eligible Microcampus course
If you are a new applicant who paid the $100 application fee, this credit remains valid across your required courses.
If your Tribe/Nation/Organization is sponsoring your tuition:
- Submit your application as usual
- Indicate sponsorship in the application form
- We will generate and send an invoice to you and your sponsor
Important: The application fee still applies and must be paid by your sponsor along with the tuition fee before the deadline.
If you’re paying on behalf of an applicant, please email us with the applicant’s name and your name as the payee. This helps us link the payment to the correct application. You can send this information to law-pascuayaqui@arizona.edu
- Tuition per course ($500) X 3 required courses = $1500 Tuition
- Scholarships available
- $25 Administration fee is separate and included in the $100 Application Fee.
- PYT members → eligible up to 100% tuition scholarship
- Non-PYT → eligible up to 50% tuition scholarship
- Applied per course (not entire program)
ballot Course Selection and Progression
We do not enrol students automatically. Continuing students are required to submit a fresh application each time the courses open. Please select the option “Continuing Student” when you apply. Please indicate which course(s) you have already finished and which course(s) you would like to enrol in the current.
Students are encouraged to keep an eye out for when the next application batch opens. The best way to stay informed is to sign up for our newsletter. Click here to sign up.
No — we offer only one course at a time.
Yes, you are welcome to enrol and complete all four courses.
We save your course choices in our database when you first apply to our program and continue to update your choices each time you submit a new application for an upcoming batch. Please feel free to reach out via email at law-pascuayaqui@arizona.edu anytime you’d like to change your course selections and we’ll update our internal database accordingly.
- Any 3 out of 4 courses
- Not all 4 are required
Yes. Fresh application is required each term. Application Fee is waived for continuing students who already paid $100 at the time of their first application to the program.
replay_circle_filled Continuing Students
Yes. You may re-enroll. Please submit a new application for the course you would like to take. The respective non-refundable $25 and $100 application fee is required again. Please also let us know via email at law-pascuayaqui@arizona.edu when you wish to re-enroll by applying the previous tuition fee paid.
An applicant is considered to be a Continuing Student who has completed at least one TCJA course.
contact_emergency Course Experience and Support
You will have an instructor who facilitates the online content and is available to answer your questions and support you throughout the course. Email is the preferred method of communication. If you’d like to speak via Zoom or phone, please send an email to arrange a meeting. If you’d prefer a live meeting (Zoom or phone), email your instructor to schedule it.
Students should plan to spend approximately 8–10 hours per week on this course.
This includes:
- Watching pre-recorded lectures
- Completing assigned readings
- Participating in weekly discussion posts
- Taking short quizzes
The course is fully online and asynchronous, which means you can complete the work on your own schedule each week. However, consistent weekly participation is important to stay on track and successfully complete the course.
The official program certificate is awarded only after all three courses are successfully completed.
No. You can enroll courses based on it's availability and can take breaks in enrollment sequence.
You application will not be processed without the application fee payment.
Application will not be considered for that cohort and you will need to reapply in the next cohort.
Yes, if you made a payment towards your enrollment and decide to defer, your payment can be applied towards the future cohort and you will not be required to submit a fresh application.