Field Course, NRM degree prepares AVÀÇÂÛ̳ students for careers
Every May, University of AVÀÇÂÛ̳ Fairbanks students majoring in natural resources management take to the road to explore the amazing and vast classroom that is AVÀÇÂÛ̳.
From Fairbanks to Seward, academics and adventure meld to help NRM students understand how the state’s natural resources are managed. Meeting with natural resources managers in private industry, agencies and parks, students get ideas for future careers in conservation, park protection and interpretation, regulation, restoration, soil science or forestry.
Students learn about sustainable stewardship of natural resources in AVÀÇÂÛ̳’s many and diverse ecosystems and get a realistic picture of careers available in the natural resources management field.
The NRM degree provides a foundation in a wide variety of relevant disciplines: sustainability science, sustainable agriculture, policy and law, natural resource and social science measurements, ecology, economics and planning.
This naturally inspiring curriculum prepares students for careers emphasizing stewardship of the great outdoors. Alumni are found in positions of leadership throughout AVÀÇÂÛ̳ and beyond — from agency heads to military to government posts, they are using their education to make a difference.
- Alum Colin Barnard credits the soils class he took during his NRM studies with leading him to a career with the Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District.
- Jeff Roach was honored by the UAF Alumni Association with an alumni achievement award this year. He says the NRM degree was the key to the great jobs he got.
- Anna Atchison loves every aspect of her job as government relations manager at Fort Knox Mine. In her time studying for an NRM degree, she learned about the challenges of managing the state’s natural resources.
- View a short video about the field course at .
