Program Details

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Dates: Summer 2027: June 23 – August 5, 2027

Accommodations:  Primarily camping, short backpacking trip

Credits: 5 quarter credits or 3.35 semester credits

Language: English instruction

Courses: Environmental Wildlands Studies

Prerequisites: One college course in environmental studies, environmental science, ecology or similar. 18 years of age.
Minimum 2.5 GPA

Program Costs

Application Fee

Paid when you submit your application. Refundable until you are formally accepted into a program.

Program Fee

Your tuition for the program, paid directly to Wildlands Studies.

In-Country Logistics Fee

Covers most on-the-ground expenses such as transportation during the program, camping and lodging fees, park and nature reserve entrance fees, permits, study facilities and other related logistical costs. For some programs, this fee also covers a portion of meals. Fee is paid directly to Wildlands Studies.

Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance

Airfare costs are covered by the student and vary depending on your starting location and ticket prices. Travel insurance is required. Details about airfare and travel insurance will be provided in the Logistics Packet.

Estimated Food and Personal Expenses

Our estimate for the out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the program for items such as food, snacks, drinks, laundry, entry visa and personal items. This amount will vary depending on spending habits.

Essential Equipment

Students must supply their own equipment. A detailed list is provided in the Logistics Packet. Equipment varies depending on program location, climate and academic focus. Commonly required: waterproof 3-season tent, sleeping bag and pad, hiking boots, backpack, day pack and outdoor clothing. See More Details page for program specifics.

Alaska Summer 2027
$    150    Application Fee
$ 8,600 Program Fee
$   4,700    Group Logistics Fee
$    850  Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance
$  1,200    Estimated Personal Expenses

$15,500     Total Estimated Cost
Summer 2027: Program fees due by May 1, 2027

Apply Now
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The Program

Alaska is one of the most stunning places on Earth. With more than 57 million acres of designated wilderness, vast mountain ranges, glaciers, forests, tundra, and thousands of miles of coastline, Alaska provides an extraordinary setting for studying the relationship between people and the environment. These landscapes provide clean air, water, and critical habitat for grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, and thousands of other plant and animal species — yet they are also changing rapidly. Alaska is warming at more than twice the global average rate, creating environmental, economic, and social challenges that are increasingly difficult to ignore.

For six weeks, Alaska will become our classroom. We will move from mountain to coast, traveling through the Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Denali National and State Park, investigating how environmental concerns are measured, understood, and addressed. Trekking across tundra, visiting glaciers, observing wildlife and vegetation, and taking part in ecosystem monitoring and research, we will consider how communities balance environmental protection with social and economic needs.

A major focus of the program is air quality science and management. We will visit an air quality monitoring site and coastal communities to learn the principles of visible emissions monitoring, examining greenhouse gases, visibility protection, and strategies for reducing emissions and improving climate resilience. Our field studies will also extend beyond the atmosphere to Alaska's coastal and terrestrial environments, where we will take part in a marine debris research project — collecting and analyzing data and considering how local observations contribute to broader scientific monitoring efforts.

Traveling through newly dormant volcanoes and widespread hot springs in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the surrounding Chena River State Recreation Area, we will discuss Alaska's renewable energy potential — comparing energy sources directly as we tour a nearby geothermal plant and, paradoxically, observe the neighboring Trans-Alaska Pipeline. We will also explore how habitat protection and conservation policies safeguard wildlife and ecosystems while balancing competing demands for natural resources.

By the end of the program, students will have a deep understanding of Alaska's rapidly changing landscapes, the scientific and policy tools used to monitor and address environmental change, and the ways communities are working to balance conservation with economic and social needs.

More Details
 
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Academic Syllabus

Coming Soon
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Student Program Manual

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Program Photo Gallery

More from the field

Allison Price

lead instructor

MS IN RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, PRESCOTT COLLEGE, 2023

Allison is an Environmental Scientist for the Air Improvement and Planning Division at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. She brings several years of experience in the private sector teaching and monitoring air quality with a focus on nuisance emissions and control technologies. Allison has held many roles at Wildlands Studies, including Assistant Director, Marketing Manager, Field Studies Advisor and Teaching Assistant for programs in New Zealand, Alaska and Yellowstone. Allison believes that connecting undergraduates to environmental science firsthand and introducing them to experts and field professionals empowers students to rethink traditional approaches on energy demands in response to climate change and rapid environmental changes. She is excited to bring her academic expertise and experience in air quality management to our newest program in Alaska, and showcase her favorite places in America’s grandest state with a lens on air quality and protection.