Iisaġvik College adds general science degree for North Slope students

Iisaġvik College has opened a new science pathway for North Slope students who want to train close to home. The college is now accepting students for a 60-credit Associate of Science degree in General Science, a program designed to build skills in biology, chemistry, mathematics and laboratory sciences while keeping Iñupiaq language, culture and Indigenous knowledge systems at the center of the curriculum.

The program was approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities on May 11, and college leaders said it is meant to do more than prepare students for classwork. They say the degree can lead into bachelor’s programs or into jobs in science support, environmental monitoring and research, giving students a practical route into fields that matter across the North Slope and elsewhere in Alaska.

President Justina Wilhelm, who has led Iisaġvik College since October 1, 2020, said the new degree reflects the college’s commitment to educational pathways that prepare local students for leadership roles in science and strengthen Arctic and Alaska Native workforce capacity. That emphasis matters in a region where climate change, wildlife management, marine and land research, and public health all depend on people who understand both Western science and the communities they serve.

Curriculum development was led by longtime faculty member Dr. Linda Nicholas-Figueroa and shaped with input from local Arctic communities. The college also consulted community and industry partners, including UIC Science and the North Slope Borough Wildlife Management Department, because of ongoing workforce needs in laboratory sciences, research support and Arctic and environmental science. The degree’s coursework will include general biology, chemistry, math and lab work, with electives such as microbiology, climate science, Indigenous sciences, physics, calculus and statistics.

Iisaġvik says the new program builds on its existing transfer-oriented offerings. Its 2025-2026 catalog already lists an Associate of Arts for general transfer and an Associate of Science pathway for science and health-related programs, and the college says all certificates of 30 credits or more and all degree programs include a general education component. College leaders say future articulation agreements are also being developed so students can move more easily into four-year science programs.

As the only sanctioned tribal college in Alaska, Iisaġvik has positioned the new General Science A.S. as a major expansion of local opportunity. For students in Utqiaġvik and across the North Slope, it offers a place-based start in science that can stay rooted in the region even as it opens doors far beyond it.