Charting a New Course for Fisheries Undergraduates in Alaska

Alaska’s fisheries resources are entering a time of rapid change, and the fisheries program offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) through the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (SFOS) must respond to meet this challenge.  To meet this need, the UAF SFOS educates and trains students who can support the sustainability of Alaska’s marine and freshwater resources and who can fill positions needed to maintain the state’s vital fishing and seafood industries.  The undergraduate program in SFOS has been revitalized to meet this goal through the revision of the Bachelor of Science in Fisheries Science degree program and the creation of a Bachelor of Arts in Fisheries degree program. This program: (1) has a robust and flexible experiential learning requirement; (2) offers a broad range of interdisciplinary courses; (3) is widely geographically available to students; and (4) develops partnerships with government agencies, the fishing and seafood industry, and other fisheries groups. Through this approach, the educational focus of these degree programs not only better prepares students for traditional agency research and management positions, but also trains students for fisheries careers in the areas of business, policy and social sciences, or community and rural development broadly throughout Alaska.