Arctic Nature Guide - one year programme

Overview

Program description

Safe Guiding in the Arctic, Value-based Guiding and Teaching Arctic Nature and Arctic safety and field leadership are courses taught throughout the whole of the academic year. They are mainly practically oriented, but also includes a theoretical approach. Safe Guiding in the Arctic and Value-based Guiding and Teaching Arctic Nature includes field trips of longer and shorter durations in the varied Arctic nature throughout the year. Arctic safety and field leadership comprises concentrated courses in arctic safety as Polarbear safety, Arctic First aid, sea ice navigation, navigation and communication, using a Zodiac and a snow scooter. Planning risk analysis, HSE, quality assurance and situational leadership.

The History of Svalbard taught during two weeks in the beginning of the second semester. The point of departure of the course is the gradual colonization and exploration of the circumpolar Arctic from pre-historic times until the modern period.

Job prospectives

Future employment opportunities may be found primarily in guiding activities in the Arctic region. After completing the Arctic Nature Guide - one year programme of UIT the Arctic University of Norway, students will have gained expertise that will be relevant for employment on the mainland in outdoor recreation, tourism, education, culture and environmental stewardship, as well as in voluntary organizations. The tourism industry in Svalbard is unique in both national and international contexts; amongst other things, by having a strong concentration of nature-based tourism enterprises in which the guide has a central role in value creation, and where activities take place in a vulnerable and extreme environment.