Arctic and Northern Studies
Arctic and Northern Studies Program
B.A., Climate and Arctic Sustainability
The B.A. in Climate and Arctic Sustainability is an interdisciplinary and innovative program that educates students on climate dynamics, as well as issues, opportunities and challenges specific to Alaska, the circumpolar North and the Arctic from a sustainability perspective. Program themes include climate change, environmental issues, Indigenous issues, subsistence, politics and history, national and international security, geography, energy resources, art and music, and literature. The degree prepares students to think critically about environmental change and the circumpolar North as a region in order to develop solutions to minimize the adverse impacts of change and work towards the sustainability of the region. The geographic location of UAF is outstanding for the study of the climate, environment and Northern issues, but students can pursue the major online as well.
Minimum Requirements for Climate and Arctic Sustainability Bachelor's Degree: 120 credits
Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in climate and Arctic sustainability, including an overview of the program, career opportunities and more.
M.A., Arctic and Northern Studies
Arctic and Northern Studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of problems and policy issues related to the Arctic and circumpolar North.
Topics addressed by the program include:
- Alaskan history and politics
- Arctic politics and policy
- Arts and humanities in the North
- Climate change
- Northern Indigenous issues
- History of the circumpolar North
- Security studies in the North
At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Arctic and Northern Studies students benefit from the extensive Northern expertise and research activities of UAF faculty, the rich Alaska and circumpolar collections of the UAF library and museum, and, of course, being surrounded by the North itself. Arctic and Northern Studies faculty have won major awards for excellence in teaching, research, and public service. Students have gone on to careers in academia, advocacy, higher education administration, the military, policy, and research.
Graduate Certificate, Arctic and Northern Studies
The graduate certificate in Arctic and Northern Studies provides working professionals and others with graduate-level educational training and skills development related to understanding, living, and working in the circumpolar North. In this certificate program, students will gain proficiency in environmental, political, historical, geographical, cultural, anthropological and other aspects of the North as well as knowledge of circumpolar Northern peoples, including Indigenous peoples and their unique challenges and opportunities.
Minimum Requirements for Arctic and Northern Studies Graduate Certificate: 15 credits
Courses
Arctic and Northern Studies (ACNS)
ACNS F125 Our Changing Climate: Past, Present, Future (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring
Examines how the biophysical impacts of climate change define and intersect with social, ecological, economic, political and cultural dimensions of our lives. Provides a foundation in both Indigenous and Western science perspectives of the causes, impacts and feedbacks of a changing climate. Includes theoretical and project-based experience in climate change.
Prerequisites: Placement in WRTG F111X.
Cross-listed with HONR F125; NRM F125; RD F125.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F201 The Circumpolar North: An Introductory Overview
3 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
This course introduces students to the circumpolar North as a region by exploring themes related to the environment and climate change; politics and international relations; history; geography; nonrenewable and renewable energy; literature; and Indigenous cultures, customs, and issues.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F205 Leadership, Citizenship and Choice
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
History of democratic principles in America and how people can contribute to political and community life in the local, state and national arenas, as leaders and citizens. Examines ethical dilemmas of leadership, and political and social issues facing Alaska and American societies. Course includes an experiential learning component.
Cross-listed with PS F205.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F223X Alaska Native Music (an, h)
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Introductory course devoted to the study of Indigenous musical cultures throughout Alaska and neighboring regions. Emphasis on musical systems in terms of their respective sounds and their relationship to culture and society, cross-cultural comparisons and a focus on both past and present musical styles.
Cross-listed with ANS F223X; MUS F223X.
Attributes: UAF GER Arts Req
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F424 Field Artists of the North (h)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Study of field artists and their work, from explorer artists of yesteryear to today's field artists using varieties of traditional and contemporary media in their creations. Students will conceive and conduct their own study projects, producing a body of work that will demonstrate the principles and practice of field artists.
Prerequisites: ART F105X; a studio art course (ART F161, ART F162, ART F163, ART F205, ART F211, ART F213 or ART F283); COM F131X or COM F141X.
Cross-listed with ART F424.
Stacked with ART F624; ACNS F624.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F425 Visual Images of the North
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course examines the images of the peoples and landscapes of the Circumpolar North. It centers on documentary and artistic goals, translations from original sketches to published images, the relationship between Arctic imagery and prevailing historical styles, and the influences of changing worldviews on modes of Northern representation and expressions.
Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.
Cross-listed with ART F425.
Stacked with ART F625; ACNS F625.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F426 Environmental Psychology and Human Well-being (s)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course explores the effects of the environment on human behavior, health and well-being. Critical evaluation of human interactions with nature and consideration of arctic environments are emphasized. Students will explore the unique relationships between humans and nature while examining the role of nature on health, mental health and behavior.
Prerequisites: PSY F111X; WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X or WRTG F213X.
Crosslisted with PSY F426.
Stacked with ACNS F626; PSY F626.
Special Notes: Research Methods such as PSY F275 is recommended prior to taking this course.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F429 Geography of the Arctic and Circumpolar North (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
An in-depth examination of the physical, cultural, social, political and economic geographies of the Circumpolar North. Special emphasis on the patterns and processes of contemporary environmental change, human adaptations to high latitude environments, Arctic geopolitics and security, and the spatial patterns of northern economic development.
Stacked with ACNS F629.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F449 Northern and Environmental Literature (h)
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Intensive study of particular aspects of Alaska and circumpolar writing, ecocritical theory and the literature of environmental studies.
Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; sophomore standing.
Cross-listed with ENGL F449; JOUR F449.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F453 Fire, Ice, and the Fate of Humanity: A History of Energy and Climate Change (s)
3 Credits
Offered Spring
This course examines how energy regimes and climatic changes have structured the history of the world, with a focus on North America. From the Little Ice Age to the Atomic Age and the Anthropocene, energy and climate have contoured the fate of humanity.
Crosslisted with HIST F453; HONR F453.
Stacked with ACNS F653.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F466 The Russian Arctic (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Through readings, discussion and writing this course will explore topics such as: the Russian Empire’s and the Soviet Union’s exploration and colonization of the Arctic, Indigenous peoples, and the ways in which the Arctic was imagined in Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet Russian culture.
Cross-listed with HIST F466.
Stacked with ACNS F666.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F470 Oral Sources: Issues in Documentation (h)
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Preparation for recording and use of oral resources. Examines how meaning is conveyed through oral traditions, personal narratives, the issues involved with recording and reproducing narratives. Includes management of oral recordings, ethical and legal considerations, issues of interpretation and censorship, and the use of new technologies to deliver recordings.
Prerequisites: At least one undergraduate ANTH course and one undergraduate HIST course.
Cross-listed with ANTH F470.
Stacked with ANTH F670; ACNS F670.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F476 Russian Culture and Society in the 21st Century (h)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Study of contemporary Russian culture and society through selected literary texts and media representations; examination of the idea of the "Russian North" and its place in Russian culture; consideration of Russian politics and current events. Students will gain knowledge about present-day Russia and its peoples from perspectives, sources and media. Russian Studies majors must complete RUSS F202 and Arctic and Northern Studies majors must complete two ACNS courses.
Prerequisite: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; COM F131X or COM F141X; junior standing.
Cross-listed with RUSS F476.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F484 Perspectives on the North (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Explores topics of interest and concern throughout the circumpolar north, including social, historical, environmental, ethnocultural, economic, political and geographic issues in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. Readings represent a variety of perspectives on the topics, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous, as well as insider and outsider, geographic/national and gender.
Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; junior standing.
Stacked with ACNS F600; HIST F600.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F492 Seminar
1-6 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
ACNS F492P Seminar
1-6 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
ACNS F600 Perspectives on the North (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Explores topics of interest and concern throughout the circumpolar north, including social, historical, environmental, ethnocultural, economic, political and geographic issues in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. Readings represent a variety of perspectives on the topics, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous, as well as insider and outsider, geographic/national and gender.
Cross-listed with HIST F600.
Stacked with ACNS F484.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F601 Research Methods and Sources in the North
3 Credits
Offered Spring and Summer
Development of students' research skills so they can engage in their own research on northern issues. Includes techniques of interviewing, conducting surveys, and sampling; qualitative and quantitative methods of research design; and familiarity with library sources and archival records. Each student will develop a research project. Course is available online.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F603 Public Policy
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
The processes of policy development, implementation and change are analyzed with major policy frameworks and models used in contemporary political science. These frameworks and models will be applied to environmental sustainability and other social policy issues. Students develop expertise in specific policy area, completing oral presentations related their policy interests.
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing.
Cross-listed with PS F603.
Stacked with PS F403.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F604 Modern Scandinavia
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Examines geographical, political, economic, cultural and social forces, as well as the impact of individuals, on the transformation of Scandinavian states from autocratic monarchies to some of the most democratic and egalitarian states in the world.
Cross-listed with HIST F604.
Stacked with HIST F404.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F610 Northern Indigenous Peoples and Contemporary Issues
3 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Applications of contemporary analytical perspectives in anthropology and related fields of humanities and social sciences to examine cultural vitality, social change, and local, regional, and global processes that are affecting and being addressed by northern Indigenous societies in Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Japan.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or upper-division standing.
Cross-listed with ANTH F610.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F611 Environmental History
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Discussion of significant works of environmental history. Cultural history of the landscape in world civilization with emphasis on Western Europe and North America. Discussion of interdisciplinary approaches to the history of environment and cooperative work across disciplines.
Cross-listed with HIST F611.
Stacked with HIST F411.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F613 Wilderness and Environmental Psychology
3 Credits
Examines the relationships between people and the natural and built environments. Topics include the effects of arctic environments on physical and psychological health; preferences for different types of natural settings; the design of residential and community environments in northern climates; and the symbolism of settings and effects on political controversies.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F620 Images of the North
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Interdisciplinary approaches to the variety of images created about and by the people and environment of the circumpolar North. The course will analyze conceptualizations of the North as expressed in a number of media, employing methodologies from many disciplines. Course may be repeated once for credit when content varies.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with ENGL F620.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F624 Field Artists of the North (h)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Study of field artists and their work, from explorer artists of yesteryear to today's field artists using varieties of traditional and contemporary media in their creations. Students will conceive and conduct their own study projects, producing a body of work that will demonstrate the principles and practice of field artists.
Prerequisites: ART F105X; a studio art course (ART F161, ART F162, ART F163, ART F205, ART F211, ART F213 or ART F283).
Cross-listed with ART F624.
Stacked with ART F424.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F625 Visual Images of the North
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course examines the images of the peoples and landscapes of the Circumpolar North. It centers on documentary and artistic goals, translations from original sketches to published images, the relationship between Arctic imagery and prevailing historical styles, and the influences of changing worldviews on modes of Northern representation and expressions.
Cross-listed with ART F625.
Stacked with ART F425; ACNS F425.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F626 Environmental Psychology and Human Well-being (s)
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course explores the effects of the environment on human behavior, health and well-being. Critical evaluation of human interactions with nature and consideration of arctic environments are emphasized. Students will explore the unique relationships between humans and nature while examining the role of nature on health, mental health and behavior.
Prerequisites: PSY F111X; WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X or WRTG F213X; graduate standing.
Crosslisted with PSY F626.
Stacked with ACNS F426; PSY F426.
Special Notes: Research Methods such as PSY F275 is recommended prior to taking this course.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F629 Geography of the Arctic and Circumpolar North (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
An in-depth examination of the physical, cultural, social, political and economic geographies of the Circumpolar North. Special emphasis on the patterns and processes of contemporary environmental change, human adaptations to high latitude environments, Arctic geopolitics and security, and the spatial patterns of northern economic development.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Stacked with ACNS F429.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F630 Rural and Alaska Native Psychology (an, s)
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Introduces rural psychology, including diversity of rural communities, with emphasis on Alaska Native populations and the rural circumpolar North. Introduces rural research collaborations, health promotion, prevention and behavioral health, including cultural and contextual considerations affecting research and services, and the significance of Alaska Native values, knowledge and ways of life.
Prerequisites: ACNS F601 (may be taken concurrently).
Stacked with PSY F430.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F647 U.S. Environmental Politics
3 Credits
Offered Spring
U.S. political institutions as they relate to making policies for protecting the quality of the natural environment. The politics of nuclear waste, endangered species, air and water pollution, and wilderness preservation. Analysis of the National Environmental Policy Act, sustainable development, limits to growth and other topics.
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing.
Cross-listed with PS F647.
Stacked with PS F447.
Special Notes: Course is also available online.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F652 International Relations of the North
3 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
This course examines the international relations of Arctic states and topics related to the circumpolar north. It covers environmental changes and their effects on human security and Indigenous lives, energy exploration and development, northern security and emerging shipping routes. It also addresses national Arctic strategies and the Arctic Council.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F652.
Stacked with PS F452.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F653 Fire, Ice, and the Fate of Humanity: A History of Energy and Climate Change (s)
3 Credits
Offered Spring
This course examines how energy regimes and climatic changes have structured the history of the world, with a focus on North America. From the Little Ice Age to the Atomic Age and the Anthropocene, energy and climate have contoured the fate of humanity.
Stacked with ACNS F453; HIST F453; HONR F453.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F654 International Law and the Environment
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course addresses international case law regulating the sea, airspace, outer space and the polar regions; comprehensive international regulatory and legal instruments to protect the environment; and the doctrines, principles, and rules of international law that are basic to an understanding of international legal regimes and the environment.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Recommended: Undergraduate course in international law, organization or politics.
Cross-listed with PS F654.
Stacked with PS F454.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F655 Political Economy of the Global Environment
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Interactions between basic aspects of the global economy (international trade, investment and development) and the natural environment. Topics include the economic impact of global environmental agreements and the environmental impact of global markets, transnational corporations and development assistance by organizations such as the World Bank.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F655.
Stacked with PS F455.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F656 Science, Technology and Politics
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Relationship of science, technology and politics. Connections among scientific knowledge, technology, technological innovations, politics and power. Gender roles and the influence of Western science. Both historical and comparative aspects are included. Course is also available online.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Recommended: PS F101X.
Cross-listed with PS F656.
Stacked with PS F456.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F657 Comparative Indigenous Rights and Policies
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Comparative approach to analyzing Indigenous rights and policies in different nation-state systems. Multiple countries and specific policy developments examined for factors promoting or limiting self-determination.
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing.
Cross-listed with PS F650.
Stacked with ANS F450; PS F450.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F658 Comparative Environmental Politics
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Enduring issues of the field of comparative politics and their relation to global environmental problems. Biodiversity, transboundary pollution capacity, political processes and organizations, and international commitments all potentially shape the nature and dynamics of global environmental politics and vice versa. Course is also available online.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Recommended: PS F201X.
Cross-listed with PS F658.
Stacked with PS F458.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F660 Government and Politics of Canada
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
The Canadian political system, covering the Canadian constitution, federal structure, parliamentary government and public policy, as well as contemporary issues concerning Native rights and the Canadian North. Students will complete a major research paper on specific policy areas (language, education, health care, environment, natural resources, foreign relations).
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F660.
Stacked with PS F460.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F661 History of Alaska
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Alaska from prehistoric times to the present, including major themes such as Native Alaska, colonial and military Alaska, statehood, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 and the Alaska National Interest Lands Act of 1980.
Cross-listed with HIST F662.
Stacked with HIST F461.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F662 Alaska Government and Politics
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
This course examines Alaska's government and politics, as a case of American state and local government, and governance in the circumpolar North. It covers topics such as the state’s political history, constitution, political parties, interest groups, elections, governorship, legislature, judiciary, bureaucracy and local governments.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F662.
Stacked with PS F462.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F663 Imperial Russia, 1700-1917
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course covers Russian history from the reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725) until the collapse of the Tsarist regime in February 1917. Topics will include Russia's complex relationship with Western Europe, the challenges posed by modernization, the Russian Empire as a multi-national state, and the emergence of revolutionary movement.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with HIST F663.
Stacked with HIST F463.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F664 Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Russia from the 1917 Revolution to the present. This course examines the attempts to build a socialist utopia in the former Russian empire and its impact on the peoples of that region and the modern world. We will consider the political, economic, social and cultural nature of the Soviet state.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with HIST F664.
Stacked with HIST F464.
Special Notes: Major themes include cultural transformation, industrialization, Stalinism, the Soviet Union as a multi-national empire, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet state, and the new Russia of Yeltsin and Putin.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F666 The Russian Arctic (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Through readings, discussion and writing this course will explore topics such as: the Russian Empire’s and the Soviet Union’s exploration and colonization of the Arctic, Indigenous peoples, and the ways in which the Arctic was imagined in Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet Russian culture.
Stacked with HIST F466; ACNS F466.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F668 Government and Politics of Russia
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This course examines the history, politics, economics and geography of Russia, with focus on changes in Russian government, society, and domestic and foreign policy over time. Students will learn the nature of the evolving Russian regime, leadership, economic forces and the political struggles in governance and democracy.
Prerequisites: PS F201X; graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F668.
Stacked with PS F468.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F669 Arctic Politics and Governance
3 Credits
Offered Fall
This course traces current developments in Arctic politics and governance from multiple perspectives, including exploring interests, processes, and behaviors of Arctic governments and non-state actors, individually and collectively. The course surveys the formal and informal institutions that govern resource development, pollution, shipping, state-indigenous relations and security. A background in comparative politics and/or international relations is also recommended.
Prerequisites: PS F450, PS F452 or PS F454; graduate standing.
Cross-listed with PS F669.
Stacked with PS F469.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F670 Oral Sources: Issues in Documentation (h)
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Preparation for recording and use of oral resources. Examines how meaning is conveyed through oral traditions, personal narratives, the issues involved with recording and reproducing narratives. Includes management of oral recordings, ethical and legal considerations, issues of interpretation and censorship, and the use of new technologies to deliver recordings.
Prerequisites: At least one undergraduate ANTH course and one undergraduate HIST course.
Cross-listed with ANTH F670.
Stacked with ANTH F470; ACNS F470.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F672 Culture and History in the North Atlantic (s)
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Ancient Norse culture and society. Includes readings of Old Norse poetry and Icelandic sagas in translation, with secondary analyses and archaeological background. Includes Greenlandic myths and contemporary ethnographic accounts of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with ANTH F672.
Stacked with ANTH F472.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F675 Historiography Capstone (s)
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Seminar discussions and lectures introduce philosophical approaches to history. Examines various methodological approaches to historical inquiry. Includes the nature of historical evidence, questioning of the role of truth and objectivity in history, an examination of the role of the historian in interpreting historical evidence, and different interpretations of historical events and actions. Designed for history majors and minors, and graduate students seeking to conduct historical research.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Stacked with HIST F475.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F681 Polar Exploration and Its Literature
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
A survey of polar exploration efforts of all Western nations from A.D. 870 to the present and a consideration of the historical sources of this effort.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with HIST F681.
Stacked with HIST F481.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F683 20th-century Circumpolar History
3 Credits
Offered Spring
A comparative history of the circumpolar North, including Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia, Greenland and Canada. Focus on social, economic, political and environmental issues of the 20th century, such as exploration, aboriginal land claims, subsistence, military strategy, transportation, oil development, Arctic haze and scientific research in the Arctic.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with HIST F683.
Stacked with HIST F483.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ACNS F685 Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Seminar
1 Credit
Offered Fall and Spring
Seminar provides guidance to INDS Ph.D. students, creating a cohort experience as they explore various approaches to interdisciplinary research. Seminar sessions will alternate among guidance offered by the instructor, guest lectures by researchers and other experts, student presentations of their research, and less-formal student sharing of academic experiences.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 6 times for up to 6 credits
ACNS F689 Thesis Writing Workshop
3 Credits
Offered Fall
This course provides an opportunity for graduate students to develop their research, writing, and communication skills in a workshop context. Throughout the course, students will read academic work and submit their own academic work related to their thesis or dissertation that has been re-drafted and re-submitted multiple times.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 4 times for up to 12 credits
ACNS F690 Researching and Writing Northern History
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Exploration of the craft and methodology of historical research in the North. Course may be repeated for credit when content varies.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Stacked with HIST F490.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 4 times for up to 12 credits
ACNS F692 Seminar
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 98 credits
ACNS F698 Non-thesis Research/Project
1-12 Credits
Fall and Spring and Summer
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
ACNS F699 Thesis
1-12 Credits
Offered Fall and Spring and Summer
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
Faculty
Brandon Boylan, Ph.D.
Director of Arctic and Northern Studies
Professor of Political Sciencebmboylan@alaska.edu
907-474-6503
GRUE 613 B
Troth Yeddha' Campus
Philip Wight, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Arctic and Northern Studies
Assistant Professor of HistoryResearch specialties and interests:
History of Alaska, energy and environmental history, political economy of resource extraction, social movements, infrastructure and mobility.pawight@alaska.edu
GRUE 613 A
Troth Yeddha' CampusDr. Wight advises the B.A. and Graduate Certificate programs.
Affiliated Faculty
Walkie Charles, Ph.D.
Director of Alaska Native Language Center
Associate Professor of Yup'ikResearch specialties and interests:
Dynamic Assessment, Sociocultural Theory, Vygotskian Approaches to Second Language Pedagogy, Second/Foreign Language Assessment (Classroom-based assessment), Theories of Second Language Acquisition, Indigenous Knowledges
Daryl Farmer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
Research specialties and interests:
Nonfiction and fiction writing and Literature of the US West.
John Heaton, Ph.D.
Professor of History
Research specialties and interests:
Native American economics and culture, Native American history
Eric Heyne, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Research specialities and interests:
Alaskan and northern Canadian literature, American literature and critical theory
Alexander Hirsch, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Research specialties and interests:
Indigenous decolonization in Western Settler States, critical theory, transitional justice
Zoë Marie Jones, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Art
Research specialties:
20th Century art, immigrant artistic communities, art created in times of conflict
Tyler Kirk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History
tckirk@alaska.edu
907-474-5874
GRUE 606 B
Troth Yeddha' Campus
Michael Koskey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Cross-Cultural Studies
Research specialties and interests:
Oral history, traditional knowledge, ethnohistory, culture change, decolonization, resource use and allocation, community-based participatory research, cultural and intellectual property rights, and indigenous cosmology/mythology.
Amy Lovecraft, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
Research specialties and interests:
Policy research: wildland fire, sea ice, marine mammals, freshwater systems & transnational environmental regimes; Environmental political theory addressing rapid change and the far North.
Leslie McCartney, M.A.
Associate Professor Library Science, Curator of Oral History
Chanda Meek, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Research specialties and interests:
Resilience of Northern social-ecological systems, natural resource & environmental policy & politics, human dimensions of wildlife management, indigenous-state power-sharing arrangements, cross-scale policy implementation
Jennifer Schell, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Research specialties and interests:
Circumpolar literature and film, ecogothic and ecohorror, critical animal studies, extinction studies, climate writing, and environmental justice.
Walter Skya, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Research specialties and interests:
Modern Japanese Intellectual History, Political Economy of Modern East Asia, East Asian Nationalisms
Jeremy Speight, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Research specialties and interests:
Comparative politics, resource governance, political violence, research methods.