Forest Science, Doctor of Philosophy

In addition to University Requirements:

• Attend the seminar series in the School of Forestry and present two seminars
• Complete some teaching experience, regardless of the type of your financial support
• Pass the oral exam on your dissertation (Dissertation Defense)
• Complete Coursework

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
Emphasis or Coursework Required	An emphasis or coursework is required for this degree.

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.

Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology (EECB) Emphasis
The PhD includes an optional multi-disciplinary emphasis in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EECB).  The EECB emphasis provides a structured curriculum for students wanting to focus on ecology and conservation biology within the context of forest science.  The course requirements of the EECB are designed to be taken as elective hours within the PhD degree. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Core Forestry Outcomes

• Demonstrate the ability to apply graduate level critical thinking skills to identify, explain, synthesize and solve complex professional forestry problems through acquisition and application of fundamental knowledge of forest ecosystems and human management of forests.
• Demonstrate mastery about a specific research topic in forest science (dissertation topic).
• Apply an understanding of professional ethics to forest research and professional activities.
• Design a forestry research study including planning, organizing, scheduling and executing the project.
• Design and execute a forest science research project that seeks to generate new knowledge and advance the scientific understanding of forests.
• Select, implement and interpret appropriate methods and statistical analyses for research projects.
• Effectively communicate through written, oral and visual means, a forest science research project, demonstrating the ability to communicate forest science research to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Design and implement a college-level course in the forest sciences or related fields, using innovative and learner-centered teaching approaches.

• Demonstrate the ability to synthesize and discuss the history and conceptual and theoretical foundations of ecology.
• Demonstrate the ability to discuss current and emerging topics in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology with peers and experts.
• Demonstrate the ability to use quantitative research approaches in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ecology, evolution, and conservation biology at physiological, population, and community scales.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ecology, evolution, and conservation biology at ecosystem and global scales

Graduate Admission Information

• 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 Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.
  
  Admission requirements include the following:

  • Transcripts.
  • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.

  
  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.

Additional Admission Requirements

• Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• • All applicants should contact and receive confirmation from a School of Forestry faculty member who will advise the applicant’s professional paper BEFORE APPLYING.

• • Demonstrated competence in scientific research usually through completion of a Master of Science - Thesis Option.

• • Prerequisite(s) that may be completed concurrently with the program:

• • • 15 hours of Forestry coursework

• • Resume or Curriculum Vitae

• For those applying for fall 2025 and beyond, the following will also be required:

• • Letter(s) of Recommendation or Reference(s)

• • • Contact information for three professional and/or academic references.
      • Professors, supervisors, co-workers, research collaborators, or mentors.

• • Personal Statement or Essay

• • • A personal statement or essay that clearly states research interests.

• Recommended

• • GRE® Revised General Test

Doctoral Requirements

• This Doctoral degree requires 63 units distributed as follows:

  • Forestry Common Requirements: 23 units
  • Concentration Requirement: 15 units
    • Ecosystem Science Concentration
    • Forest Management Sciences Concentration
    • Forest Social Sciences Concentration
  • Emphasis or Coursework Requirement - Select one: 10 units
    • Forest Science Elective Coursework Option
    • Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Emphasis Option
  • Dissertation: 15 units

  
  Take the following 63 units:

• Forestry Common Requirements (23 units)

  • FOR 505, FOR 690, FOR 692, FOR 693 (8 units)
  • Select from the following (6 units):
    • CCJ 614
    • SOC 655
    • STA 570, STA 571, STA 572, STA 574, STA 676
    • Other graduate-level courses with significant content in statistics
  • Forest Science coursework and/or electives, with the recommendation of your research committee (9 units)

• Concentration Requirement - Select One (15 units)

• You must take at least two of the concentration courses at Northern Arizona University and get your dissertation committee's approval for any courses taken elsewhere.
  
  Additionally, you can use FOR 506 and FOR 695, as well as special topics courses offered by other departments, in any of these concentrations, with approval by your dissertation committee.

• • Ecosystem Science Concentration (15 units)

    • Select from the following:
      • FOR 500, FOR 504, FOR 515, FOR 520, FOR 544, FOR 545, FOR 550, FOR 551, FOR 552, FOR 553, FOR 554, FOR 560, FOR 563, FOR 580, FOR 582, FOR 604

• • Forest Management Sciences Concentration (15 units)

    • Select from the following:
      • FOR 500, FOR 525, FOR 542, FOR 545, FOR 551, FOR 565, FOR 573, FOR 593, FOR 633

• • Forest Social Science Concentration (15 units)

    • Select from the following:
      • FOR 515, FOR 573, FOR 590, FOR 605
      • GSP 698 - Planning for Small Communities and Rural Areas
      • POS 658, POS 659

• Emphasis or Coursework Requirement - Select one (10 units)

• • Forest Science Elective Coursework Option (10 units)

    • Additional Forest Science electives completed with the recommendation of your research committee. 

• • Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology Emphasis Option (10 units):

    • BIO 577 or ENV 577 or FOR 577 (3 units)
    • Select from the following (1 unit):
      • FOR 505, BIO 698
    • Breadth Courses (6 units): Select one course from each of the following groups:
      • Quantitative:
        • BIO 523, BIO 580, BIO 676, FOR 606
        • EES 529 or GSP 529
        • Other graduate-level coursework in quantitative ecology at NAU, guided and approved by advisor input. 
      • Physiological/Population/Community:
        • BIO 570, BIO 571, BIO 573, BIO 663, BIO 673, ENV 540, FOR 504, FOR 517, FOR 520, FOR 543, FOR 545, FOR 550, FOR 551, FOR 552, FOR 553, FOR 560, FOR 580, FOR 582, FOR 604
        • Other graduate-level coursework in physiological, population, or community ecology at NAU, guided and approved by advisor input. 
      • Ecosystem/Global
        • BIO 507 or FOR 507
        • BIO 578, ENV 571, FOR 515, FOR 544
        • Other graduate-level coursework in ecosystem/global ecology at NAU, guided and approved by advisor input.

• Dissertation (15 units)

  • FOR 799, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved dissertation (15 units)

• 15 units of dissertation credit may be applied to your degree; however, you may end up taking additional units since you must enroll each term while you're working on your dissertation.

• Research Requirements
  
  In addition to completing 48 units of coursework, you must demonstrate your independence, research skill, and experience in a discipline within forestry by choosing a problem and research area in consultation with your dissertation committee and then satisfactorily completing a dissertation.
  
  Your dissertation research meets our standards when it is soundly based in the theoretical context of the subject, proceeds with a sound design that gives due attention to statistical adequacy, and concludes with findings and inferences set forth within an appropriate theoretical context. Your dissertation must demonstrate that you have mastered your field of specialization, carried out independent scholarly work, and contributed significant new knowledge. You must successfully pass an oral defense of your dissertation.
  
  Comprehensive Exams
  
  We also require that you demonstrate written and oral communication skills in English at a level that will allow you to effectively communicate your ideas and knowledge to a wide range of audiences. Part of this demonstration involves comprehensive written and oral exams designed to establish your competence in a breadth and depth of subjects within the larger field of forestry.
  
  Research Competency Requirement
  
  Northern Arizona University policy for PhD programs includes a Research Competency requirement that must be satisfied before a student can be admitted to candidacy. In most departments, this is enforced as a requirement to demonstrate an ability to translate disciplinary literature from a foreign language into English. The School of Forestry has chosen to recognize FOR 690, STA 570 (or equivalent), plus one graduate-level course with significant content in statistics, as meeting this requirement.

Additional Information

• 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.

• In choosing courses, please be aware that:

  • At least 39 units must be 500- and 600-level courses.
  • No more than 24 units from a master's plan can be credited toward degree requirements.
  • Your dissertation committee must approve all of your courses.

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