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 | 60 |
| 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. |
| Emphasis Required | An emphasis is required for this degree. |
Purpose Statement
The Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Earth Sciences & Environmental Sustainability (ESES) brings together students and faculty from across the University. Many ESES topics address questions that can inform decisions and solutions related to environmental issues made by governments, business and society.
ESES students produce discipline-specific science and engineering of the highest quality. They strive to integrate different disciplines from the natural sciences, social sciences and engineering to build, connect and communicate knowledge to increase the broader impacts of their research.
ESES students study how planet Earth is changing due to natural phenomena and human activities over spatial and temporal scales. They observe, explain, understand, and project trends in earth, environmental, and societal systems, and investigate the drivers and processes that shape natural and social worlds and the interactions between them.
Student Learning Outcomes
ESES students will select one of the following three emphasis areas, based upon their background and the work they will complete toward their dissertation:
Earth Systems
This emphasis will prepare you to pursue research and educational opportunities that:
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 60 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 60 units, with a minimum GPA of 3.0:
Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology Emphasis:
You may have no more than 6 units of 400-level courses. These 400-level courses cannot have been used to satisfy the requirements for any previous degree program(s). You must get your dissertation committee's approval for any courses taken outside of NAU.
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 addition: