Program Overview

Graduate students in the biological sciences program at UAF conduct independent research in a part of the world changing rapidly due to climate warming. The emphasis of a student’s research is tailored to the student’s academic and career goals. Students are encouraged to make connections with potential mentors on the faculty before applying to the program. A list of faculty with the disciplinary focus of their research appears on the Biology and Wildlife website.

A variety of facilities are available for graduate research. The department has close connections with the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research program - focused on the boreal forest - and the Toolik Field Station - focused on the Arctic. Facilities available to graduate students on the Troth Yeddha' Campus in Fairbanks include IAB Genomics Core Laboratory, IAB Research Greenhouse, Molecular Imaging Facility, Biological Research and Diagnostics Facility and the Large Animal Research Station. Students and faculty work on systematic collections in the UA Museum of the North using a variety of approaches from traditional morphology to molecular biology.

Most students in the graduate degree programs are funded through research or teaching assistantships. Research assistantships are funded by grants to individual faculty members. Applicants interested in graduate research assistantships should contact individual faculty members for availability. Teaching assistants typically lead laboratory sections of undergraduate courses. Additionally, competitive fellowships and grants are available through the Institute of Arctic Biology, the University of Alaska Foundation, the UAF Graduate School and extramural sources. Graduates of biological sciences M.S. and Ph.D. programs often go on to positions at state and federal resource agencies, research institutions and universities.