Natural Resources Technician

  • Natural Resources Technician

    The Occupational Endorsement Certificate (OEC) in Natural Resource Technician provides Alaskan students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful employment at the technician level in natural resources through hands-on training and coursework.

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Students can complete this program in one semester 

The Occupational Endorsement Certificate (OEC) in Natural Resources Technician provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful employment at the technician level in natural resources through hands-on training and coursework. Students will learn technical skills from content experts, as well as communicative and social skills required for success in this growing field. They will also interact directly with natural resource management organizations that are in need of skilled technician level employees, facilitating a transition from the program to employment.

Requirements

  • 16 Credit Hours
  • Minimum 2.0 GPA

Core courses:

  • Biota of Alaska
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Small Group Communication*
  • Earth Systems: Elements of Physical Geography*

*Fulfills a University of Alaska General Education Requirement

Industry recommended and elective courses, including:

  • First Aid/CPR
  • Workplace Safety
  • Wilderness First Aid
  • University Studies
  • Backpacking
  • Internship

 

Please view the current catalog for a list of all required classes for this program.

PWSC's residential housing is available for students.

Tuition

Students (16 years or older) can attend this program for free* for the fall semesters through 2026 thanks to grant funding! *Tuition, academic fees, and housing are free for a limited amount of students per semester.

Questions?

For more information about this program and to enroll you can contact PWSC admissions:

email: pwsc.admissions@alaska.edu

call: 907-834-1600 (Mondays-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. AKST)

Ready to apply? Visit UAA's Applicant Portal.

Request More Information Form

 

How to Apply for Grant Funding:

  1. Apply for admission to the Natural Resources Technician, OEC, for the fall 2024 semester. You will need to send your official transcripts to our pwsc.admissions@alaska.edu email.
  2. Write an essay response to the prompt below:
    1. In approximately 750 to 1000 words, describe why you want to participate in this program, why you are interested in the program, what interests you about natural resources and/or environmental science, and how you see this program helping you in the future.
  3. Upload your essay response and your most recent unofficial transcripts in our Google Form below.
  4. The deadline for submitting all documents (application for admissions, transcripts, and grant application) is March 1, 2024. 
  5. Students will be notified of their grant application status on March 15, 2024. Students will be notified on March 20, 2024.

Important Grant Information:

  • The Natural Resources Technician OEC requires either a 100-level writing level course or a communication course. Students may need to complete placement testing before the grant application deadline if they do not have any prior college-level writing or communication courses.
  • Grant funding is available through 2026 and is limited per semester. Students may have additional opportunities to apply again if denied or waitlisted.
  • Grant funding will only pay for grades C or higher in the program. Failing grades (F), Ds, withdrawals (W), incompletes (I), or remedial courses will not be covered by the grant. Students will be responsible for the cost of these courses.
  • Students must be in at least 12 PWSC credits (full-time student status) to receive funding for PWSC on-campus housing.
  • Students must receive a C or higher in all courses to receive the Natural Resources Technician Occupational Endorsement Certificate at the end of the semester.
  • Please be aware that you must be admitted into either PWSC’s Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science in Technology program to receive federal financial aid. Our Natural Resources Technician OEC is not eligible for federal financial aid. Federal financial aid includes the Pell Grant and federal student loans.

 

Grant Application

The application process for the Fall 2024 grant is now closed. All students who applied will receive notification regarding their grant funding status on March 15, 2024. There are limited grant-funded spots available.

 

Career Connections:

This program has been designed to prepare students for seasonal positions as:

  • Entry-level technician with the Bureau of Land Management
  • Entry-level technician with the National Forest Service
  • Entry-level technician with the National Park Service
  • Entry-level technician with Ahtna or other Alaska Native Corporations

Educational Pathways:

Students enrolled in this program may want to continue their studies to advance their career. Possible pathways for majors to transfer into upon completion include:

  • Associate of Arts in General Studies at Prince William Sound College
  • Associate of Applied Scince in Technology at Prince William Sound College
  • Bachelor's degree in biological sciences or natural sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage
  • Bachelor's degree in natural resources and environment or wildlife biology and conservation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Bachelor's degree in marine biology or environmental resources at the University of Alaska Southeast

For specific guidance on a transfer path it is best to make an advising appointment with an academic advisor. Contact PWSC's academic advisor to set up an appointment.

 

Meet The Professor

Dr. Amanda Glazier

image of Dr. Amanda GlazierAmanda came to PWSC from Haverford College outside of Philadelphia. There she was a visiting assistant professor, teaching marine ecology, population genetics, advanced genetic analyses, and superlab. Prior to that she was a research assistant professor and postdoctoral Fellow at Temple University in Philadelphia. Her research has focused on population genetics, phylogenetics, and transcriptomics of deep-sea invertebrates, and she is broadly interested in using genetic tools to address evolutionary and ecological questions. Her research has spanned lab work, field work with five deep-sea research cruises, and bioinformatics and computational work. While all of these are important aspects of research and learning, in teaching, she deeply believes that experiential and field-based techniques are the best way for students to learn and develop a passion for environmental sciences and ecology. Her courses are developed as much in this context as possible, getting students outside and physically working with the topics instead of just sitting in a classroom. This may include part of the day in the field and part in the lab or working with an online database to experience different aspects of the subject. She is very excited to be in Alaska, developing courses in this context in such a unique, incredible environment.

Follow her Instagram account where she posts about teaching environmental studies at PWSC! @environ_sciences_pwsc

 
 
 

Partners

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