Fisheries

Conduct cutting-edge research on some of the world’s largest sustainable fisheries under the mentorship of world-renowned fisheries scientists. 

The master’s in fisheries degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers unparalleled opportunities for field- and laboratory-based research in both fresh and marine waters throughout Alaska. Working at facilities in Juneau, Seward, Kodiak and Fairbanks, our students tackle a wide range of biological challenges, from quantitative stock assessment, to biology and ecology of marine and freshwater species, to human dimensions.

You can earn your fisheries degree at UAF from wherever you have an internet connection, as a full- or part-time student. You’ll graduate qualified, experienced and ready to pursue your career: 100% of our fisheries degree alumni find employment in their chosen fields after graduation.

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Quick Facts

Degree type:

  • Master of Science (M.S.)
  • Average of three years to complete

Availability:

  • Available at UAF’s main campus in Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Why Earn Your Fisheries Degree at UAF?

Alaskans rely on sound science to sustain their rich fisheries and carefully manage the harvest of fish and shellfish. Our fisheries management degree faculty educate the scientists who work in Alaska’s industry and conservation agencies, and are at the forefront of cutting-edge research in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. For our students, this means opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge of biology, ecology, and human dimensions of the field, working at facilities adjacent to some of the largest sustainable fisheries in the world.  

Earn your fisheries degree on a schedule that works for you

  • Complete your fisheries management degree at UAF from wherever you have an internet connection, working full- or part-time. Courses are offered synchronously and asynchronously, depending on your needs. Classes are small, allowing for meaningful, one-on-one interaction with your professors. You’ll also work closely with faculty advisors and research partners from state, federal and tribal agencies.

Get financial support for your master’s in fisheries

  • Nearly all of our graduate students receive financial support from fellowships, research grants and internships awarded by companies and public and private agencies. There are also several smaller private scholarships available through UAF Financial Aid to supplement basic research and incidental costs.

Engage in cutting-edge fisheries research at facilities across Alaska

  • Participate in faculty supervised research in laboratories that specialize in quantitative stock assessment, biology and ecology of marine and freshwater species, molecular genetics, behavioral ecology, and more. These university facilities are located across Alaska at Juneau, Seward, Kodiak, and Fairbanks. Our students also work in laboratories and facilities of public and private agencies such as NOAA Fisheries’ Auke Bay Laboratory, USGS’s Glacier Bay Field Station, Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Mark Tag and Age Lab, and the Salmon Broodstock Lab at DIPAC’s Macaulay Hatchery.

Work on a broad range of biological issues in Alaska

  • Our students’ theses and dissertations have addressed problems of fisheries science in the Arctic, the interior Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Copper Rivers, the Bering Sea, Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and the Inside Passage of southeast Alaska. They have ranged in topic from the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill to the evolution of salmon or rockfish to the submarine movements of deep-sea crabs.

Learn hands-on techniques for fisheries science

  • At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, you’ll learn techniques ranging from wintertime scuba diving to DNA fingerprinting to the classical methods of fisheries science — boats, ships, nets and hip boots. Quantitative techniques (statistical analysis, sampling, stock assessment, GIS) are a part of every student’s program and are the particular focus of many.

 

 

What Can You Do With a Fisheries Science Degree?

UAF's master’s in fisheries degree has a proven track record of success: 75% of our students publish their research in peer reviewed professional journals and 100% find jobs in their chosen field after graduation. Most of our graduates pursue Alaska fisheries jobs with federal, state and tribal agencies. Many also go on to work with private environmental and biological consulting firms.

 

Wildlife and fisheries degree jobs

Our graduates find employment in Alaska and across the country, with a variety of conservation agencies and organizations such as:

  • Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)
  • S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

 

Wildlife and fisheries degree salary

According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fisheries professionals and biologists in Alaska earn an average salary of $76,640. 

 

Requirements for a Fisheries Management Degree

Fisheries degree students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks take classes and engage in research on a variety of fisheries-related topics. Program strengths include quantitative science, fisheries management and human dimensions, biology and ecology, and seafood technology.

View all classes for the fisheries degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Graduate Programs Related to Fisheries

 

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