Fisheries
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
Fisheries Program
(907) 474-7289
www.sfos.uaf.edu/academics/
Minimum Requirements for Degree: 130 credits
The fisheries undergraduate program offers broad basic education and training, preparing graduates to work in management, law enforcement, public information and education. The program provides a solid foundation for graduate study for students contemplating careers in research, administration, advanced management or teaching. The undergraduate program is offered only on the UAF main campus.
Graduate students in fisheries attend classes and work with faculty in Juneau and/or Fairbanks. Students can develop academic programs in one of three subject areas: fisheries management (Juneau and Fairbanks), fish/invertebrate biology (Juneau and Fairbanks), and aquaculture (Juneau). Research assistantships are available. Applicants should contact the fisheries program for further information and application forms.
With a number of subarctic streams and lakes within easy reach, Fairbanks offers an excellent location for the study of interior Alaska aquatic habitats. Access to the marine environment from the Fairbanks campus is in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet.
The Juneau Center, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, houses the UAF fisheries science program near the Auke Bay National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory north of Juneau. The Juneau Center has freshwater and seawater wet labs, computer labs and ready access to marine and freshwater habitats. The Fishery Industrial Technology Center, located in Kodiak, has new facilities for work in harvest technology, seafood technology, seafood biochemistry and microbiology.
Fisheries students in Fairbanks and Juneau have an opportunity to associate with personnel of federal and state conservation agencies and these agencies hire students for summer fieldwork. Bachelor of science candidates are strongly urged to obtain work experience in fisheries with public resource agencies or private firms. Faculty members can help students contact potential employers. Fisheries undergraduate students are asked each fall to describe their work experience of the previous year.
- Complete the general university requirements (As part of the core curriculum requirements, complete MATH 200X or 272X.)
- Complete the B.S. degree requirements (As part of the B.S. degree requirements, complete MATH 201X or STAT 401.)
- Complete the following fisheries core requirements:*
BIOL 105X—Fundamentals of Biology I** 4 credits
BIOL 106X—Fundamentals of Biology II** 4 credits
BIOL 271—Principles of Ecology 4 credits
BIOL 310—Animal Physiology 4 credits
BIOL 362—Principles of Genetics 4 credits
BIOL 473W—Limnology (4)
or MSL 411—Current Topics in Oceanographic Research (3) 3-4 credits
CHEM 105X—General Chemistry** 4 credits
CHEM 106X—General Chemistry** 4 credits
CS or CIOS elective 3 credits
ECON 200—Principles of Economics (4)
or ECON 235—Introduction to Natural Resource Economics (3)
or ECON 201—Principles of Economics I: Microeconomics (3)
and ECON 202—Principles of Economics II: Macroeconomics (3) 3-6 credits
ENGL 314W,O/2—Technical Writing (3)
or ENGL 414W—Research Writing (3) 3 credits
FISH 336-J—Introduction to Aquaculture (3)
FISH 400W—Fisheries Science 3 credits
FISH 401W,O/2—Fisheries Management 3 credits
FISH 427W,O—Ichthyology (4)
or BIOL 305—Invertebrate Zoology (5) 4-5 credits
MSL 111X—The Oceans** 4 credits
NRM 101—Natural Resources Conservation and Policy 3 credits
PHYS 103X—College Physics** 4 credits
PHYS 104X—College Physics** 4 credits
STAT 200—Elementary Probability and Statistics (3)
or STAT 300—Statistics (3) 3 credits
- Complete electives* from the
following:****
ANTH 242—Native Cultures of Alaska 3 credits
BA 307—Personnel Management 3 credits
BIOL 305—Invertebrate Zoology 5 credits
BIOL 317—Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates 4 credits
BIOL 328O—Biology of Marine Organisms 3 credits
BIOL 342—Microbiology 4 credits
BIOL 407—Aquatic Entomology 3 credits
BIOL 418W—Developmental Biology 3 credits
BIOL 442W,O/2—Bacteriology and Immunology 5 credits
BIOL 471W—Population Ecology 3 credits
BIOL 472—Community Ecology 3 credits
BIOL 480—Water Pollution Biology 3 credits
CHEM 212—Chemical Equilibrium and Analysis 3 credits
CHEM 321—Organic Chemistry (3)
and CHEM 322—Organic Chemistry (3)
and CHEM 324—Organic Laboratory (4) 10 credits
CHEM 451—General Biochemistry 3 credits
CHEM 452W—Biochemistry Laboratory 3 credits
GEOG 205—Elements of Physical Geography 3 credits
GEOG 302—Geography of Alaska 3 credits
GEOG 338—Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3 credits
GEOG 402—Resources and Environment 3 credits
GEOS 304—Geomorphology 3 credits
JRN 101—Introduction to Mass Communications 3 credits
JRN 311W—Magazine Article Writing 3 credits
NRM 204—Public Lands Law and Policy 3 credits
NRM 277—Introduction to Conservation Biology 3 credits
NRM 303X—Environmental Ethics and Actions 3 credits
NRM 370—Introduction to Watershed Management 3 credits
NRM 407—Environmental Law 3 credits
PS 201—Comparative Politics 3 credits
PS 212—Introduction to Public Administration 3 credits
PS 263—Alaska Native Politics 3 credits
PS 302—Congress and Public Policy 3 credits
SOC 309—Urban Sociology 3 credits
STAT 402—Scientific Sampling 3 credits
WLF 303W—Wildlife Management Techniques 3 credits
WLF 419O/2—Waterfowl and Wetlands Ecology and Management 4 credits
- Minimum credits required 130
* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course.
** Courses completed in the fisheries core may be used to meet the core natural
sciences or B.S. degree natural science requirements but not both.
*** Courses completed in the fisheries core may be used to meet the core mathematics
or B.S. degree mathematics requirements, but not both.
**** Recommended electives. Other courses may be substituted.
Note: Fisheries majors are encouraged to reinforce their fisheries qualifications
by earning a minor in a program related to fisheries. Some examples are biology,
business management, chemistry, economics, mathematics, natural resources management
(animal science), northern studies, statistics and wildlife.