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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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