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Northern Arizona University, Department of Geology:
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"Northern Arizona University's Geology Department is an undergraduate and graduate educational
program focusing on applied and fundamental research on the Colorado Plateau and in the Grand
Canyon, and extending broadly throughout North America and internationally to South America,
Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. We generally averaged 150- 200 majors, over
100 being undergraduates, putting us in the upper 10% of Geology Departments in the country in
undergraduate majors enrollment. Our undergraduate field studies are highly regarded; over 50% of
our majors are transfer students who come to NAU specifically to study geology. Our selective
graduate program admits approximately one third of the students who complete applications, and
averages 40-50 students. We offer the B.S. in Geology and the M.S. in Geology for students
interested in a career as a geologist, the B.S. Ed. in Earth Science for students who wish to become
Earth Science teachers and the M.A.T. in Earth Science for Earth Science teachers who wish to
pursue a Masters of Arts in Teaching. We also offer a post-degree teacher certification for people
with Geology degrees who wish to obtain a teacher certification.
According to an alumni survey taken in 1999, 95% of our MS graduates moved into professional
career tracks or graduate programs immediately upon graduation. Over 23% (22 out of 92
respondents from this survey) of our graduates went on to Ph.D. programs such as Arizona, Kansas,
Nebraska, New Mexico, Penn State, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Our Geology degree programs produce graduates highly prized by private industry (oil and gas,
mining, environmental consulting). Our programs emphasize broad-based, field-oriented studies in
traditional geologic disciplines. Interviews with representatives from private industry, including major
oil companies and regional and national environmental consulting firms, emphasize that this type of
training is widely desired. Our Earth Science and post-degree certification programs produce
individuals who readily find jobs as teachers.
Our undergraduate Geology majors and graduate students are extensively involved in research, with
large enrollments in independent study (GLG 485 and 685) and thesis (GLG 490 and 698) projects.
A thesis project is required for MS students and recommended for undergraduate students with GPA
above 3.0. Students in the undergraduate program from underrepresented groups are identified and
encouraged to work on independent study/research projects with individual faculty. Over the past few
years, our faculty averaged over $1.1 M in new and active external grants and contracts per year.
These grants and contracts fund faculty and student research and allow the Geology Department to
be a leader in undergraduate research at NAU. These research programs also fund laboratories
within the Geology Department:
The Amino Acid Stratigraphy Laboratory, The Arizona Earthquake Information Center, The Electron
Microprobe Laboratory, The Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory Hydrogeology Laboratory,
Mineral Separation Laboratory Soil, Sediment, and Landform Analysis Laboratory, The Grand
Canyon Sandbars/Habitats Monitoring Center.
Although our focus is on the Colorado Plateau, our field studies range far beyond it. We have
engaged in funded research programs in Alaska, Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Turkey, British
Columbia, Ireland, Italy, Mars (no field trips there yet), Mexico, New Zealand, Siberia, Spain, and
throughout the Rocky Mountain West."
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