To receive a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, from one or more disciplines, ranging from at least 60 - 109 units of graduate-level courses. Most plans require research, a dissertation, and comprehensive exams. All plans have residency requirements regarding time spent on the Flagstaff campus engaged in full-time study.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
| Minimum Units for Completion | 63 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| Dissertation | Dissertation is required. |
| Comprehensive Exam | Comprehensive Exam is required. |
| Oral Defense | Oral Defense is required. |
| Research | Individualized research is required. |
| Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching | Required |
Purpose Statement
The Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) is the terminal degree offered in the profession of Forestry. The PhD prepares students to be professional researchers and educators by extensive study of Forestry and the development of original scientific research and knowledge through the completion of the dissertation. The PhD trains students for positions such as professor, instructor, conservation specialist, postdoctoral researcher, and forest health specialist in governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations.
The PhD program is appropriate for students with a Master’s degree in Forestry or closely related disciplines. Students lacking a Master’s but having a Bachelor’s degree may be eligible for admission if they have significant research and experience beyond the Bachelor’s degree. PhD students are expected to generate original scientific ideas and knowledge, have a command of the literature, and have advanced skills in designing, analyzing, and interpreting research, scientific writing, and college teaching.
The PhD program emphasizes training in the focus areas of ecosystem, forest management, and forest social sciences; college teaching; research methods and statistics; quantitative analysis; professional presentations; emerging issues in forestry; and electives that provide advanced training in specific skills. The dissertation showcases student’s command of the literature; generation of original scientific ideas; research design, execution, analysis, and interpretation; and scientific writing.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students completing the Ph.D will have the following competencies:
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
Admission requirements include the following:
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
Ready to apply? Begin your application now.
International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
This Doctoral degree requires 63 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 63 units:
Please note that you can only count 15 units of dissertation credit toward your degree; however, you may end up taking additional units since you must enroll each term while you're working on your dissertation.
In choosing courses, please be aware that:
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.