Alaska Pacific University

www.alaskapacific.edu

Founded in 1959, Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a four-year liberal arts college on a 170-acre wooded campus right in the heart of Anchorage, connected to the coast and the nearby Chugach Mountains by 120+ miles of paved city paths. The additional 700-acre Kellogg campus in Palmer, 45 miles north of Anchorage, serves as the university’s environmental learning center and is home to a working farm and outdoor field school.

Located on the land of the Dena’ina people, APU embeds Indigenous knowledge in all its courses and programs. The university is federally recognized as an Alaska Native-serving institution and attracts students from across Alaska and around the world. The diverse on-campus community of 550 students includes student-led clubs, an active Outdoor Programs department, and a regional Olympic training center for cross-country skiers.

Intentionally small class sizes underscore APU’s commitment to a world-class, hands-on, culturally responsive educational experience. Adhering to a founding commitment to help Alaskans achieve higher education that contributes to Alaska’s well-being, APU emphasizes teaching and research that engages the region’s social, cultural, environmental and geopolitical issues and continues to add and maintain programs that serve all Alaskans.

Location

Anchorage, Alaska

Student/Faculty Ratio

7:1

MAJORS/ AREAS OF STUDY

APU offers undergraduate degrees in: marine and environmental sciences, sustainability studies, outdoor studies, environmental public health, community and place-based education, Alaska Native governance, business administration, counseling psychology, creative and professional writing, health sciences, and nursing

APU also offers graduate degrees in: environmental science, outdoor and environmental education, counseling psychology, creative writing, and business administration.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Each semester includes a four-week Block and 11-week Session. During the four-week Block, students take one intensive course, providing the opportunity for direct fieldwork, off-campus travel, and hands-on learning.

NOTABLE ACTIVITIES IN SUSTAINABILITY

  • A dedicated bachelor’s degree in sustainability studies
  • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) on an organic farm
  • Weekly on-campus, year-round farmer’s market featuring APU produce
  • Food composting program
  • Locally sourced food purchase plan for students
  • Trayless cafeteria
  • Paperless records
  • Biodiesel alternative fuel initiative
  • Energy efficient infrastructure upgrades in many buildings

SPECIAL PROGRAMS, FACILITIES & RESEARCH

  • Outdoor Programs – offer students in all majors camping, hiking, mountaineering, canoeing, river rafting, sea kayaking, skiing, ice climbing and biking trips
  • APU’s Nordic Ski Center – An elite skiing program sending APU students to the Winter Olympics since 1972.
  • The Jim Mahaffey Trail System – Groomed ski trails in winter and walking trails in summer.
  • Kellogg Farm – A working farm in Palmer, Alaska providing diverse opportunities for learning and teaching across academic programs.
  • The Consortium Library – a shared resource between APU and its neighboring institution, the University of Alaska Anchorage. The library gives students access to more than 930,000 volumes, 250 databases, 70,000 journals, and dozens of study nooks.
  • Expedition Alaska – A multi-week rafting trip down the Yukon River designed to introduce first-year students to Alaska and the university.