The only prerequisite for JIRP is motivation.
The ideal JIRP student is strongly motivated to improve their skills and knowledge across the JIRP curriculum.
Field work is intellectual, technical, and physical. We expect you to arrive ready to learn and use skills from the classroom and from the mountains.
We seek applicants who are not already glaciologists.
This may seem obvious, but we’re always surprised when applicants tell us “I can’t do that, I’ve never done anything like it before!” The JIRP curriculum assumes you’ve never done anything quite like this before - that’s why you’re applying to be a student. We teach our students to observe and analyze the natural world. We train our students to live and work as safely as possible in the alpine environment. We inspire our students to pursue work that builds on their experiences. We do not expect our students to arrive on Day 1 with these skills already fully developed.
JIRP is both an academic experience and an athletic adventure.
If you’re looking for a traditional geology field camp, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a mountaineering trip with only superficial scientific inquiry, this is not the program for you. If you want to learn use ski mountaineering skills to access research objectives and apply your knowledge of physical ice flow to find safe routes for your team, JIRP is the place for you.
Statement on Diversity
The Juneau Icefield Research Program embraces a notion of intellectual community enriched and enhanced by diversity along a number of dimensions, including race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class and religion. We are especially committed to increasing the representation of those communities that have been historically underrepresented in Earth science generally, and in cryosphere science specifically.
Academics
There are no specific academic prerequisites to enroll in JIRP, although we expect all students to be excited to learn the academic material.
Our curriculum assumes no prior knowledge and begins with introductory lectures covering a wide range of Earth science topics related to glaciology, climate science, geochemistry, geomatics, ecology, local petrology and tectonic history. The curriculum is aimed at an undergraduate student body. We accept a few advanced high school students who demonstrate they are ready to progress academically, though participants must be 18 by the first day of the program. We also welcome early-stage graduate students who wish to build up their background in glacier science and related fields. In general, JIRP is not advanced enough and thus not well-suited for graduate students in glaciology.
As a JIRP student receive academic credits through the University of Colorado Boulder (most students), University of Maine (international students), or the University of Alaska Southeast (Alaska students only). These credits will be on your transcript as upper-division credits, which reflects the overall academic program of JIRP. For more information, please check the Academics page.
Athletic and Technical Skills
No specific prior experience is required, but JIRP is an intrinsically athletic and technical program. All applicants must be motivated to learn and use the backcountry skills we rely on every day.
During Safety Training we teach all the technical backpacking, skiing, and mountaineering skills students need to complete the traverse. The physical and athletic demands of the Icefield traverse, however, are strenuous. We travel exclusively by foot and by ski and we regularly carry backpacks up to 35% of body weight. We will offer guidance for pre-season fitness training, and we expect you to take it seriously. Challenging hikes begin the second day of the program, so participants must arrive ready to hike 8-10 miles/12-16 km with 4500 ft./1500 m of elevation gain and pack weighing 35% of their body weight.
Equipment
Crossing the Juneau Icefield requires specialized outdoor equipment including skis, ice axes, crampons, backpacks and appropriate outdoor clothing. JIRP requires that students, staff, and faculty all come prepared with specific gear appropriate for the conditions they will encounter on the Icefield. All personal gear is the financial responsibility of the student, although limited gear rentals are available.
The Gear List outlines, in great detail, what will be acceptable for use on the Icefield.
Passports
Orientation Week will take place in Canada. We will then cross into the United States to begin the hike up to the Icefield from Juneau. All students will ski across the US-Canada border again towards the end of the program.
All participants must have a valid passport with an expiration date no earlier than December 31 of the year of their participation. If you do not yet have a passport, or if your current passport expires before December 31, you must get a new passport or renew your current passport. Students must have their valid passport with them upon arrival in Juneau at the start of the program.
No Current Enrollment Requirement
We do not require students to be currently enrolled in school. JIRP has a long history of being a stepping stone for home-school students, gap-year students, post-baccalaureate students, non-traditional students, and students of the school of hard knocks. There’s absolutely no reason you need to be taking classes the spring before, or the fall after, JIRP.
Students are expected to enroll with one of our university partners to receive credit for JIRP. This requirement can been waived, so please contact JIRP’s Director of Academics, Dr. Brad Markle, if you would like to seek an exception.
You may direct any questions to our staff at office@juneauicefield.org or 907-500-8913.