Northern Arizona University - Overview
A Mountain University with a Focus on Undergraduate Education
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a state supported university with 14,000 undergraduate students. Since its founding in1899, the university has focused on undergraduate education. Its goal is to foster a friendly campus atmosphere and close student-faculty relationships through high quality classroom teaching and faculty guidance for each student.
NAU's main campus is in Flagstaff, an arts and entertainment hub nestled at the base of the San Francisco Peaks. The campus is about 140 miles north of Phoenix, a 45-minute drive from Sedona's red rocks, and 75 miles from the majestic Grand Canyon. Oak Creek Canyon, a favorite recreation area among NAU students, is nearby, as well.
Spectacular Natural Classrooms and Laboratories
The university makes extensive use of the Colorado Plateau country surrounding its campus. This varied landscape of mountains, gorges, forests, and lakes provides a natural laboratory for biology, ecology, environmental sciences, geology, geophysics, paleontology, and other sciences.
Prehistoric Indian ruins and the living cultures of the Navajo, Hopi, and other Southwest peoples provide rich resources for students of archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and linguistics.
Students also have access to the 50,000-acre Centennial Forest for environmental and forestry research. The area's 7,000-foot elevation and unusually clear, dry air have made it a major center for astronomy and the atmospheric sciences.
A Grand Canyon Semester
Each fall, Northern Arizona University co-sponsors its Grand Canyon Semester program (GCS) with the National Park Service. GCS students join research faculty in the natural sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and humanities to study the region and its past and present human cultures.
On back-country hikes, in classrooms and art galleries, and floating down the Colorado River through gorges, participants tackle questions such as: How can park managers protect the "crown jewel" of the U.S. National Park system and still make the Grand Canyon available to almost five million visitors a year? What are the rights of native peoples whose ancestors lived in the canyon for thousands of years?
National Park Service professionals serve as visiting lecturers in the program. GCS also includes presentations by guest artists, photographers, writers, political activists, and native leaders.
Traditional, Pre-professional, Interdisciplinary, and Specialized Majors
NAU offers 85 baccalaureate degrees. Traditional majors include anthropology, civil engineering, journalism, microbiology, physics/astronomy, and social work. Less traditional majors include applied indigenous studies, construction management, electronic media and film, geographic information science, and printmaking.
In addition, the university offers pre-professional programs in dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
Specialized NAU programs include criminal justice, dental hygiene, forestry, hotel and restaurant management, and parks and recreation management.
A Strong Commitment to Student Advising and Close Student-Faculty Relationships
NAU's Gateway Student Success Center offers academic advising services and career exploration assistance.
An average class size of 28 helps to ensure that students receive individual attention. Faculty members hold regular office hours, as well. The student-faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
Freshmen Learning Communities
About 50 percent of undergraduates live on campus in 20 residence halls and 226 family housing apartments. Many freshmen choose to live in residence hall Learning Communities (LCs), groups of students with common majors or interests.
For example, one LC is called SEED: Sustainable Environments and Engaged Democracy. This LC includes students majoring in environmental studies, ethnic studies, political science, and related fields. Students in SEED participate in activities such as hikes, challenge courses, faculty dinners, and community group work.
Off-Campus Scientific Research Programs
NAU actively cooperates in the work and research programs of several major scientific institutions that are located close to its campus. These include the Lowell Observatory; the U.S. Naval Observatory's Flagstaff station; various facilities of the U.S. Geological Survey, including its space-oriented Astrogeology Center; the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain and Range Experiment station; and the Museum of Northern Arizona and its multidisciplinary Colton Research Center. The specialized libraries, laboratories, and other facilities of these institutions are available to qualified NAU students.
An Honors Program that Challenges the Talented Student
NAU's long-established honors program challenges the talented student and leads to graduation with honors. The program offers students opportunities for independent study and research and provides special courses and seminars.
For example, honors courses offered in 2010 include Philosophy in Children's Literature; Murder, Madness, and Monsters in 19th Century Fiction; and Critical Communities, a class that investigates U.S. society's recent drop in community activities (including a 35 percent drop in having friends over).
Northern Arizona University also offers a 3-year bachelor's degree program for well-prepared and motivated students, allowing them to take the fast track to graduation and graduate programs.
Graduate and Online Degree Programs
While NAU focuses on undergraduate education, the university offers a variety of graduate, certificate, and online programs. The university awards master's degrees in fields such as creative writing, education, environmental sciences and policy, nursing, statistics, and sustainable communities.
Northern Arizona certificate programs include ethnic studies, musical performance, and women's studies. Online programs at NAU include career and technical education (M.Ed.); English: literacy, technology, and professional writing (M.A.); and the positive behavior support certificate program.
NAU also offers doctoral degrees in such fields as applied linguistics, educational psychology, forestry, political science, and physical therapy.
The W.A. Franke College of Business
Named for Arizona businessman William A. Franke, the college is "especially interested in recruiting and retaining Native American, Hispanic, and first-generation students."
The college offers MBA degrees, as well as bachelor's degrees in fields such as finance, hotel and restaurant management, and marketing.