Rural Development
College of Rural Alaska
Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development
(907) 474-6663
Bristol Bay Campus (907) 842-5109
Chukchi Campus (907) 442-3400
Interior-Aleutians Campus (907) 474-5439
Kuskokwim Campus (907) 543-4500
Northwest Campus (907) 443-2201
Degree: B.A.
Minimum Requirements for Degree: 120 credits
The Rural Development (RD) degree is designed for those committed to the empowerment of Alaska Native and other rural communities. A Bachelor of Arts Degree in Rural Development provides a broad understanding of development processes in Alaska and the global community. It also provides specific tools essential for rural leadership, including grant writing, business planning, resources co-management, and project management and evaluation.
RD students work with a faculty advisor to develop program emphasis in one of five areas: Land/Renewable Resources, Tribal and Local Government Administration, Small Business Management, Community Research and Cultural Documentation, Community Organization and Service.
The RD program is available to students away from the Fairbanks campus through the RD Applied Field-Based Program. Special admission requirements apply to this program. Contact the Department or an RD faculty member for further information.
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
Rural Development -- B.A. Degree
- Complete the general university requirements and the B.A. degree requirements.
- Complete the following program (integrated major/minor) requirements:
Rural Development Core (30 credits):
RD 300 -- Rural Development in a Global Perspective (3 credits)
RD 325 -- Community Development Strategies (3 credits)
RD 350 -- Community Research Techniques (3 credits)
RD 351 -- Community Planning and Grant Writing Techniques (3 credits)
RD 400 -- Rural Development Internship (3 credits)
RD 450 -- Managing Community Development Projects (3 credits)
RD 475 -- Senior Project (3 credits)
RD Elective (6 credits)
RD or ED Elective (3 credits)
Applied Emphasis (24 credits):
Complete a minimum of 24 elective credits (in addition to any required prerequisites) in one of the following groupings. (These elective credits can also be used to fulfill the humanities, social science, mathematics general requirements for the B.A. degree.)
Land/Renewable Resources Emphasis
Designed for individuals interested in becoming involved in the management of village corporation lands.
ABUS 223 -- Real Estate Law (3 credits)
ANS 310 -- Alaska Native Land Settlement* (3 credits)
ANS 425 -- Federal Indian Law and Alaska Natives* (3 credits)
BIOL 104 -- Natural History of Alaska (3 credits)
BIOL 150 -- Introduction to Marine Biology (3 credits)
BIOL 271 -- Principles of Ecology* (4 credits)
BIOL 277 -- Introduction to Conservation Biology* (3 credits)
CIOS 111 -- Computer Software for Beginners (2 credits)
CE 112 -- Elementary Surveying* (3 credits)
CS 101 -- Computers and Society (3 credits)
ECON 235 -- Intro. to Natural Resource Economics (3 credits)
ENGL 314 -- Technical Writing* (3 credits)
EQS 201 -- Environmental Management (3 credits)
FISH 101 -- Introduction to Fisheries (3 credits)
FISH 401 -- Fisheries Management* (3 credits)
GEOG 338 -- Intro. to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
GEOS 101X -- The Dynamic Earth (4 credits)
MIN 101 -- Minerals, Man and the Environment (3 credits)
MSL 111X -- The Oceans (3 credits)
NRM 101 -- Conservation of Natural Resources* (3 credits)
NRM 204 -- Natural Resources Legislation and Policy* (3 credits)
NRM 340 -- Natural Resources Measurements and Inventory* (3 credits)
NRM 404 -- Processes of Natural Resources Decision Making* (3 credits)
NRM 430 -- Resource Management Planning* (3 credits)
PS 420 -- Environmental Politics (3 credits)
RD 255 -- Rural Alaska Land Issues (3 credits)
RD 256 -- Co-management of Renewable Resources* (3 credits)
RD 265 -- Perspectives on Subsistence in Alaska (3 credits)
RD 280 -- Resource Management Research Techniques* (3 credits)
WLF 201 -- Wildlife Management Principles* (3 credits)
WLF 303 -- Wildlife Management Techniques* (3 credits)
Approved electives 3 or more
Tribal and Local Government Administration Emphasis
Designed for individuals interested in becoming involved in the administration of municipal cities or tribal governments.
ABUS 154 -- Human Relations (3 credits)
ABUS 179 -- Fundamentals of Supervision (3 credits)
ABUS 232 -- Contemporary Management Issues (3 credits)
ACCT 101 -- Elementary Accounting I (3 credits)
ACCT 102 -- Elementary Accounting II* (3 credits)
ACCT 303 -- Governmental Accounting* (3 credits)
ANS 220 -- Cross Cultural Communication (3 credits)
ANS 310 -- Alaska Native Land Settlement* (3 credits)
ANS 425 -- Federal Indian Law and Alaska Natives* (3 credits)
ANS 450 -- Comparative Aboriginal Rights and Policies* (3 credits)
ANTH 305 -- Comparative Political and Legal Systems* (3 credits)
BA 330 -- Legal Environment of Business* (3 credits)
CIOS 111 -- Computer Software for Beginners (2 credits)
CS 101 -- Computers and Society (3 credits)
ECON 351 -- Public Finance* (3 credits)
ENGL 212 -- Business, Grant and Report Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 314 -- Technical Writing* (3 credits)
JUST 340 -- Rural Justice in Alaska (3 credits)
NRM 204 -- Natural Resources Legislation and Policy* (3 credits)
NRM 430 -- Resource Management Planning* (3 credits)
PS 101 -- Intro. to American Government and Politics (3 credits)
PS 212 -- Introduction to Public Administration (3 credits)
PS 263 -- Alaska Native Politics (3 credits)
PS 325 -- Native Self Government* (3 credits)
PS 403 -- Public Policy* (3 credits)
PS 462 -- Alaska Government and Politics (3 credits)
SOC 250 -- Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Sciences* (3 credits)
SOC 407 -- Formal Organizations (3 credits)
COMM 330 -- Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
COMM 335 -- Organizational Communication (3 credits)
Approved electives 3 or more
Small Business Management Emphasis
Designed for individuals interested in becoming involved in the management of ANCSA village corporations and related community-based enterprises.
ABUS 151 -- Village-Based Entrepreneurship (2 credits)
ABUS 179 -- Fundamentals of Supervision (3 credits)
ABUS 211 -- Tax for Business Entities (2 credits)
ABUS 232 -- Contemporary Management Issues (3 credits)
ABUS 233 -- Financial Management* (3 credits)
ABUS 241 -- Applied Business Law I (3 credits)
ABUS 272 -- Small Business Planning* (3 credits)
ABUS 273 -- Managing a Small Business (3 credits)
ACCT 101 -- Elementary Accounting I (3 credits)
ACCT 102 -- Elementary Accounting II (3 credits)
ANS 310 -- The Alaska Native Land Settlement* (3 credits)
ANS 425 -- Federal Indian Law and Alaska Natives* (3 credits)
BA 151 -- Introduction to Business (3 credits)
CIOS 111 -- Computer Software for Beginners (2 credits)
CS 101 -- Computers and Society (3 credits)
ECON 111 -- Economics of Rural Alaska (offered only through off-campus program) (3 credits)
ECON 137 -- The Alaskan Economy (3 credits)
ECON 200 -- Principles of Economics (4 credits)
ENGL 212 -- Business, Grant and Report Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 314 -- Technical Writing* (3 credits)
CIOS 264 -- Records Management (3 credits)
SOC 407 -- Formal Organizations* (3 credits)
Approved electives 6 or more
Community Research and Cultural Documentation
Designed for individuals interested in becoming involved in accessing, organizing and disseminating information at the community level, particularly through community information centers.
ANL 215 -- Alaska Native Languages: Eskimo-Aleut (3 credits)
ANL 216 -- Alaska Native Languages: Indian Languages (3 credits)
ANS 220 -- Cross Cultural Communication (3 credits)
ANS 320 -- Language & Culture: Application of Alaska* (3 credits)
ANS 351 -- Practicum in Native Cultural Expression 1-3
ANS 401 -- Knowledge of Native Elders* (3 credits)
ANTH 230 -- The Oral Tradition: Folklore and Oral History* (3 credits)
ANTH 320 -- Language and Culture: Applications of Alaska* (3 credits)
ANTH 421 -- Analytical Techniques* (3 credits)
APAR 100 -- Basic Video Workshop (1 credit)
APAR 103 -- Editing Videotape (1 credit)
CIOS 111 -- Computer Software for Beginners (2 credits)
CS 101 -- Computers and Society (3 credits)
ED 311 -- Intro to Instructional Techniques* (3 credits)
ENGL 313 -- Writing Non-Fiction Prose* (3 credits)
ENGL 314 -- Technical Writing* (3 credits)
ENGL 349 -- Narrative Art of Alaska Native Peoples* (3 credits)
HIST 250 -- Alaska History for Local Historians (3 credits)
HIST 470 -- Researching and Writing Alaska History* (3 credits)
JB 215 -- Audio Production (3 credits)
JB 311 -- Magazine Article Writing* (3 credits)
JB 404 -- Photojournalism* (3 credits)
JB 452 -- Radio & TV Newswriting* (3 credits)
LS 309 -- Information Resources* (1 credit)
LS 482 -- History of Circumpolar Research* (3 credits)
MSM 211 -- Fundamentals of Museum Studies I* (3 credits)
MSM 212 -- Fundamentals of Museum Studies II* (3 credits)
MSM 311 -- Museum Administration* (3 credits)
MSM 312 -- Museum Collection Management* (3 credits)
RD 425 -- Cultural Impact Analysis* (3 credits)
SOC 250 -- Intro. Statistics for Behavioral Sciences (3 credits)
SOC 473 -- Social Science Research Methods* (3 credits)
COMM 330 -- Intercultural Communication* (3 credits)
Approved Electives 3 or More
Community Organization and Service Emphasis
Designed for individuals who are interested in becoming involved with community level service organizations and programs.
ABUS 154 -- Human Relations (3 credits)
ABUS 179 -- Fundamentals of Supervision (3 credits)
ABUS 231 -- Introduction to Personnel (3 credits)
ABUS 232 -- Contemporary Management Issues (3 credits)
ANS 220 -- Cross Cultural Communications (3 credits)
ANS 425 -- Federal Indian Law and Alaska Natives* (3 credits)
ENGL 314 -- Technical Writing* (3 credits)
HMSV 201 -- Introduction to Human Services (3 credits)
HMSV 230 -- Alcoholism: Causes and Consequences* (3 credits)
HMSV 410 -- Management of Human Services Programs* (3 credits)
PSY 101 -- Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 240 -- Lifespan Developmental Psychology* (3 credits)
PSY 255 -- Foundations of Counseling* (3 credits)
PSY 310 -- Cross-Cultural Psychology* (3 credits)
PSY 445 -- Community Psychology* (3 credits)
SOC 101 -- Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
SOC 201 -- Social Problems (3 credits)
SOC 242 -- The Family: A Cross-Cultural Perspective (3 credits)
SOC 310 -- Sociology of Later Life* (3 credits)
SOC 370 -- Drugs and Drug Dependence* (3 credits)
COMM 330 -- Intercultural Communication* (3 credits)
SWK 103 -- Social Work in the Human Services (3 credits)
SWK 225 -- Case Management* (3 credits)
SWK 306 -- Social Welfare: Policies & Issues* (3 credits)
SWK 320 -- Rural Social Work* (3 credits)
Approved electives 3 or more
Minimum credits required (120 credits)
*prerequisites required
MINOR in Rural Development:
A minor in Rural Development requires the completion of 15 Rural Development credits at the 200 or above level, including RD 300.