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Northern Arizona University
School of Earth and Sustainability
We are dedicated to understanding Earth's complex systems and fostering sustainable solutions for our planet's future. Through innovative research, hands-on education, and community engagement, we prepare the next generation of Earth scientists and sustainability leaders.
Future Students
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Degrees and certificates in geology, environmental sciences, climate, and sustainability, from bachelor's to PhD. Meet our students on video and see where our alumni land.
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Current Students
Grad student resources
Handbooks, course planning, thesis and defense procedures, the events calendar, scholarships, and the people who can help.
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Our Research
Research that matters
Explore a decade and a half of SES science: every publication, citation trends, and the themes that organize our work, updated weekly.
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Academic Programs
Undergraduate Degrees
Comprehensive programs in Geology, Environmental Sciences, and Sustainability Studies preparing students for professional careers.
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Graduate Degrees
Advanced research programs including Master's and PhD options in cutting-edge Earth and environmental sciences.
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Certificate Programs
Specialized training for career advancement in high-demand environmental and sustainability fields.
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Research Themes
Ecology & Conservation
SES faculty lead research programs investigating biodiversity, ecosystem function, the ecological impacts of human activities, and strategies for ecosystem conservation and management.
Environment & Society
Social science and interdisciplinary research on natural resource management and socio-economic policies combining natural and social sciences to improve ecological and social well-being.
Past & Present Climate Change
Understanding climate system changes and interactions between atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and frozen Earth to improve earth-system models and assess climate impacts.
Sedimentary Geology and Geomorphology
Studying Earth's marine and terrestrial surfaces using field surveys, remote sensing, lab analyses, and numerical modeling in diverse environments including deserts, mountains, rivers, and coastal areas.
Tectonics & Earth's Interior
Study of Earth's internal and surface processes, plate boundaries, crustal processes, and landscape evolution to understand plate boundary processes and tectonic evolution of the American Cordillera.
Water Management Policy & Science
Human impact on Earth's surface processes with research on hydrologic systems in arid/semi-arid Western North America, including springs ecohydrology and environmental flow needs assessment.
Our Commitment
We believe that understanding Earth's systems is essential for building a sustainable future. Our students work alongside faculty on research that matters, in the field, in the lab, and in the communities of the Colorado Plateau and beyond.
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