Rural Development

College of Rural and Community Development
Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development
Fairbanks Campus (907) 474-6528
Statewide toll-free number (800) 770-9531
Anchorage office (907) 279-2700
Bristol Bay Campus (907) 842-4687
Chukchi Campus (907) 442-3400
Interior-Aleutians Campus (907) 474-6433
Kuskokwim Campus (907) 543-4582
Northwest Campus (907) 443-2201
www.uaf.edu/danrd/

B.A., M.A. Degree

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 30 credits

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The Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development (DANRD) M.A. program is designed to educate leaders who understand the dynamic relationship of rural Alaska with the global economy and who have professional skills in areas of leadership, business development, administration and conflict management. Graduates typically take positions with tribal and municipal governments, fisheries, tourism, Native corporations, regional health corporations or non-profits, state/federal agencies, or other private businesses.

Graduate degree students gain a broader theoretical understanding of development processes in Alaska and the circumpolar North. Graduate students complete a thesis or applied community development project, and have opportunities for international study and research.

Students can earn the M.A. degree either on the Fairbanks campus or through distance delivery. Special application requirements and deadlines apply for distance M.A. degree programs. For more information contact the department toll-free 1-800-770-9531 or visit our website at www.uaf.edu/danrd/.

Graduate Program--M.A. Degree

1. Complete the general university requirements.
2. Complete the master's degree requirements.
3. Complete the following core courses:
   RD 600--Circumpolar Indigenous Leadership Symposium--3 credits
   RD 601--Political Economy of the Circumpolar North--3 credits
   RD 625--Community Development Strategies: Principles and Practices--3 credits
   RD 650--Community-Based Research Methods--3 credits
   RD 651--Management Strategies for Rural Development--3 credits
4. Complete 9-12 elective credits at the 600-level (up to 6 credits may be at the 400-level with approval from the graduate committee):
   RD 425--Cultural Impact Analysis--3 credits
   RD 652--Indigenous Organization Management--3 credits
   RD 655--Circumpolar Health Issues--3 credits
   ANTH 610--Northern Indigenous Peoples and Contemporary Issues--3 credits
   CCS 608--Indigenous Knowledge Systems--3 credits
5. Complete one of the following:
   Research Project--6 credits
   Thesis----6-9 credits
6. Minimum credits required--30 credits