University of Alaska Anchorage & Alaska Pacific University

Notes from the Road

College Tours + More: Anchorage Alaska

When you’re a college advisor, all family vacations include a college visit! I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska this summer to enjoy some family wedding planning activities. While there, my colleague (and sister), Susan, and I visited University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University.

University of Alaska Anchorage

Have you ever wanted to take a class in ice climbing, dog mushing, or Artic Cultures? Well….you are in the right place! UAA’s flagship campus offers these unique courses and many more. UAA prides itself on community engagement and an educational balance between the arts, sciences, and professional programs. UAA’s medical program partners with the University of Washington School of Medicine to train physicians for a rewarding career in healthcare, including rural and Native Alaskan health. In addition, UAA has the only FAA-approved collegiate flight training program in the state, with related certificates and coursework in air traffic control, aviation maintenance, and aviation management.

With over 12,000 undergraduate students, UAA is the largest university and one of three major public universities in the great state of Alaska. The other two are University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Alaska Southeast (Juneau). UAA is a highly diverse campus, with nearly half of the university’s students coming from Native American, Native Alaskan, Asian, or Hispanic heritage.

UAA students have opportunities to study Arctic issues across many disciplines from natural to social sciences, arts and humanities, and professional programs. For example, art students focus on art and design of the North, engineering students study aspects of water and wastewater utility design in Arctic and Cold Regions with a focus on small rural communities, and science students research the ecological impact of sea ice loss.

The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) Building at University of Alaska Anchorage provides a ‘home away from home” for students from all corners of Alaska. The building design was inspired by a traditional Tlingit dugout canoe. 

The most popular majors at the University of Alaska Anchorage include business, management, & marketing, health professions, engineering, and social sciences. The UAA Seawolves play thirteen NCAA sports, the most well-known being gymnastics, skiing, and basketball.

UAA is has open access admissions, meaning that students who graduate from high school with a minimum 2.5 GPA are eligible for admission. Some programs, such as engineering, have more selective admissions. In addition, UAA is a member of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) providing reduced tuition (150% of instate tuition) for western-region out-of-state students. Consideration for WUE is part of the application process; no separate form is required.

Seawolves and flowers at the University of Alaska Anchorage

Alaska Pacific University

APU is a very small, private university, rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1959 by a Peter Gordon Gould, an Alaskan Native minister in the Methodist Church, APU is currently in transition to becoming an Alaska Native-serving and Tribal University. APU offers personalized, hands-on instruction with Alaska as its primary classroom. The university encourages student development, supports community engagement, and honors Alaska’s Indigenous heritage.

Students at APU enjoy the best of urban and rural life, attending classes and enjoying hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trails on a greenbelt running through the city of Anchorage. “Green” is a theme across all aspects of campus culture. One of the most popular majors at APU is Sustainability Studies, incorporating approaches to sustainability and the environment from interdisciplinary perspectives in the humanities and social sciences.  One of APUs signature programs is the Spring Creek Farm, a 6-acre field of rich glacial silt where students investigate hands-on experiential ecological horticulture and food system resilience. Food grown at the farm is served in the dining halls, sold at the on-site Farmer’s Market, and donated to food-insecure community members. APU students embrace an education established in sustainability, earning skills which can truly make a difference in society.

APU also offers majors in such diverse fields as business, Alaska rural management, Alaska Native governance, counseling psychology, community health, nursing, creative and professional writing, education, environmental public health, marine and environmental science, and outdoor studies. APU faculty are recognized scholars in snow science, fisheries, food systems, and marine science.

Well-known for its Nordic Ski Team, APU has sent skiers to every winter Olympics since 1972. Most recently, Kikkan Randall won gold medal in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The APU Nordic Ski Center was established in 1999 as a regional Olympic training center for cross-country skiers.

APU’s acceptance rate is 90% and has recently gone test-free, meaning that the campus no longer considers standardized test scores (SAT and ACT) when determining undergraduate admissions or merit-based scholarships.

My niece, Sarah, is attending APU in the fall to earn a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, with a goal to research the effectiveness of integrating yoga into a counseling practice. She says, “Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, it was important to me to find a program that would allow me to give back to my community. Alaska Pacific University really emphasizes respect, responsibility and encompass that compassionate Alaskan spirit. I also appreciate the smaller class sizes and that attention it will allow students to have.”

The Atwood Center and fountains is at the heart of the Alaska Pacific University campus hosting student activities, residential and dining halls, and an indoor climbing wall.

While in Anchorage (some recommendations):
Moose’s Tooth Pizza, 3300 Old Seward Highway, Anchorage
Best pizza in Anchorage. Try the Forager with three different types of mushrooms or Call of the Wild with reindeer sausage.

Girdwood
Girdwood is a small Alaskan mountain town, 39 miles south of Anchorage, surrounded by lush forests, soaring mountains, and features gorgeous hiking. Ride the Aerial Tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska, elevation 2,300 feet to take in views of Turnagain Arm, glaciers, and the peaks of the Chugach Mountains.

Girdwood Brewing Company – Food Trucks, 2700 Alyeska Highway, Girdwood
The garden hosts a daily rotating selection of local food trucks, including Crepes de Paris, Izakaya, and Sadie Ramos. Minors/kids are welcome in the garden accompanied by an adult. Homemade brews + nitro cold brew coffee, root beer, and locally made kombucha.