Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
Students carry bags and packs during Move-In day at NAU Flagstaff campus.
  1. NAU
  2. Admissions
  3. Freshman students
  4. Admission requirements

Admission requirements

Requirements for first-year students

Students walk by the University Union on N A U Flagstaff campus.

Current high school students and high school graduates with fewer than 12 college credits should apply as a first-year student.

You will be offered admission to Northern Arizona University if you have a 2.75 or higher core GPA (based on a 4.0 scale and calculated using only the 14 required core courses below).

You will be considered for NAU admission if you have a 2.5 core GPA and you have no more than one deficiency in any two areas of the required courses below. If you have a combination of a math and lab science deficiency, you are not admissible.

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Course requirements for undergraduate admission

First-year applicants must satisfactorily complete the following Arizona Board of Regents coursework competencies:

English

Four years of high school English (composition/literacy-based)

OR meet one of the following:

  • ACT: 21+ English score
  • SAT: 580+ Critical Reading score (530+ if taken before March 2016)
  • One transferable three-credit college English Composition course

Mathematics

Four years of high school math

OR meet one of the following:

  • ACT: 24+ math score
  • SAT: 570+ math score (540+ if taken before March 2016)
  • One transferable three-credit college math course for which at least intermediate algebra is a prerequisite

Laboratory Science

Three years of high school laboratory science

OR meet one of the following:

  • ACT: 20+ science score
  • SAT: 600+ chemistry score, 590+ biology score, or 620+ physics score
  • Three transferable four-credit college lab sciences courses

Social Science

Meet one of the following from each section:

  • History/Social Studies
    • One year high school American History
    • SAT II: 560+ American History/Social Studies score
    • One transferable three-credit college American History course
  • Social Science
    • One year of high school social science (such as European history, world history, economics, sociology, geography, government, psychology or anthropology)
    • SAT II: 580+ world history score
    • One transferable three-credit college social science course

Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education

Meet one of the following:

  • One year or a two-semester combination of high school fine arts or Career and Technical Education (CTE)
  • One transferable three-credit college fine arts course

 

Second Language

(Note: Second Language is not required for, but may be used toward, admission to NAU.)

Meet one of the following:

  • Attain a minimum score on national standardized second/foreign language test (AP 3+, CLEP 50+, IB 4+)
  • One year of transferable college study in the same second language

Exceptions

You might be exempt from the course requirements if you meet one of the following:

  • You are 22 years of age or older
    • We will evaluate using an overall high school GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • You’ve earned a GED with a minimum score of:
    • 500+ (2002 – 2014)
    • 680+ with minimum 170 in each content area (post-2014)
  • You were home-schooled
    • Provide a transcript of high school coursework.

Deficiencies

Applicants are allowed no more than two deficiencies in the above criteria. If the two deficiencies are a combination of math and lab science, the applicant is not admissible. Deficiencies are caused by the following:

  • Not taking the required number of courses in a competency area
  • Receiving a grade of “F” in a core competency course
  • Receiving an unweighted subject GPA of below 2.0