Graduate Degrees

Our faculty is actively involved in both research and teaching. You will have the opportunity to develop a specific, individualized program that complements your interests and draws upon our faculty's extensive experience and research. Our programs give special emphasis to preparing students for careers in high-latitude environments, and the courses and curriculum were developed in cooperation with groups and agencies that work professionally with resource management in Alaska. You will have plenty of opportunity to gain hands-on experience: state and federal agencies such as the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contribute significantly to the instructional program by providing guest lecturers, internships, and field work opportunities for students. Internships and field work for credit can also be arranged through nongovernmental bodies such as the Alaska Conservation Foundation.

Course descriptions

M.S. in Natural Resources Management

The M.S. in Natural Resources Management offers both thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option is designed for those intending to pursue management careers requiring thorough familiarity with research procedures and techniques in one or more of the resources fields, to proceed to doctoral programs, and/or to conduct research in management problems. The non-thesis option is designed for those planning a management career involving largely non-research responsibilities such as general planning and administration, communication and public information, and impact assessment. Thesis research in natural resources management is directed toward resource problems at high latitudes. Research by graduate students has centered on biological and physical aspects of land management in Alaska in relation to land ownership, land use planning, economic analysis and competing resources needs. Areas of emphasis have included forest management, land use planning, soil management, natural resource policy, parks and recreation management, horticulture and agronomy and animal science.

For UAF catalog details and degree requirements, click here.

Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Sustainability

Alaska and the Circumpolar North face increasingly complex challenges in use and management of natural resources. These challenges require the education and training of high-level professionals with skills for considering the interaction of social and natural systems and informing the development and implementation of practices and policies that enhance natural resource management. The Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Sustainability at the University of Alaska Fairbanks prepares future leaders as academic researchers, educators, agency and industry professionals and analysts of non-governmental organizations and communities for careers at the frontiers of science in the management of natural resources and environment. The program objectives and its curriculum center around three thematic areas of study:

1. Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
2. Resource Policy and Sustainability Science
3. Forest and Agricultural Sciences