Fisheries

School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
Fisheries Program
(907) 474-7289
www.uaf.edu/cfos/academics/

B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Degree

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 130 credits

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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 Fairbanks campus.

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.

Major--B.S. Degree

1. Complete the general university requirements. (As part of the core curriculum requirements, complete MATH 200X or 272X.)
2. Complete the B.S. degree requirements. (As part of the B.S. degree requirements, complete MATH 201X or STAT 401.)
3. 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 388--Marine and Freshwater Fishes of Alaska--3 credits
   FISH 400W--Fisheries Science--3 credits
   FISH 401W,O/2--Fisheries Management--3 credits
   FISH 427--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)
        or FISH 101--Introduction to Fisheries (3)--3 credits
   PHYS 103X--College Physics**--4 credits
   PHYS 104X--College Physics**--4 credits
   STAT 200X--Elementary Probability and Statistics (3)
        or STAT 300--Statistics (3)--3 credits
4. 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
   CHEM 212--Chemical Equilibrium and Analysis--3 credits
   CHEM 321--Organic Chemistry (3)
        and CHEM 322--Organic Chemistry (3)
        and CHEM 324W--Organic Laboratory (4)--10 credits
   CHEM 451--General Biochemistry--Metabolism--3 credits
   CHEM 452--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
5. Minimum credits required--130 credits

* 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.
*** 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 or wildlife.