Graduate Program FAQ

Yes, our MS and Cert programs can be completed entirely online and asynchronously (i.e. not have fixed times when you have to be available). That said, many of the program courses also have in-person sections, so students who are local can do some classes in-person should they want that experience.

We consider your entire application and do not put too much weight in early undergraduate years. Especially if there was improvement and/or subsequent professional experience. Be sure to explain this in the Personal Statement component of your application.

No, GREs are no longer required for any of our graduate programs.

Questions about cost are out of our department wheelhouse, so we’ll need to refer you to the two following webpage links.  The first link is for more general information and the second link can get you to tables with a per credit hour breakdown.  Make sure you look for details specific to graduate students and for the correct campus (i.e. Flagstaff campus or Online).  The links are: https://nau.edu/paying-for-college/tuition-and-fees/ and https://in.nau.edu/sdas/tuition-fees/

Many of the traditional options for financial support do not come from our department, so you should explore options through: https://nau.edu/office-of-scholarships-and-financial-aid/

Our department can help support some on-campus students (not students who are fully online) who are accepted into our Geography MS.  Types of support include Teaching Assistants (TA includes a stipend, tuition waiver, and benefits), In-state tuition waivers (TW covers all tuition), and Out-of-state tuitions waivers (TW covers the out of state portion of tuition, i.e. you pay the lower in-state tuition rate).  There are checkboxes in the application that you can check if you wish to be considered for a TA or TW.  Sometimes faculty have funded research projects that are used to help fund graduate students, and sometimes there is some hourly work available (e.g. graders).  We cannot support all of our applicants, so these are all awarded competitively.

How long it takes to complete a program depends on the pace of class completion.  Often full-time working professionals complete coursework as a part-time student, often one class at a time. Therefore it can take a two-three years to complete a four-five class certificate program (note: we do not offer grad classes over the summer semester). Sometimes students take more than one class, but please be cautions to not overload yourself if you work full time. Students who take 9 or more credit hours of classes in one semester are classified as full time students.  Full-time students can complete a certificate in one year.

None required.  The first GIS class (531) will provide all the necessary introduction.

For the GIS with Remote Sensing MS and for the Certificates: No – There is a designated coordinator for each of those programs who advises everyone.

For the Geography MS: It is not required, but encouraged.  It can be a helpful to some for determining if they should apply and help us determine best advisor fits for those entering our program.  In the application there is a spot to list faculty that you are interested in working with, which we do like to be filled out.  For finding potential advisors to reach out to (typically by email is best), see: https://nau.edu/gpr/advisor-suggestions/

International applications are more complicated and, for visa purposes, must be processed earlier than applications submitted by US citizens. Please see the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies International Admissions website for full information on NAU policies regarding international student admissions for graduate study.

The regular NAU online application system is used to apply to all of our graduate programs. I believe the process is fairly straight forward, but do let us know if any questions come up. There are Apply Now links on many of the main NAU pages, including here: https://nau.edu/how-to-apply/graduate/

For deadlines, see: https://nau.edu/graduate-college/deadlines/

The GIS with Remote Sensing MS is intended for professionals and others looking to get into this professional field.  It can be completed in just one year, and is mostly course based (there is a capstone project or internship component too). The Geography MS is more of a traditional MS program with a major thesis or applied practicum component.  On average, it more typically takes two years to complete. This would be the option for someone interested in going on to a PhD or some other research or academic positions.

Yes, of the 30 total credits needed to complete the Geography MS, there are only the two specifically required classes: GSP 681 & GSP 687 .  That was an intentional design as we wanted this program to be super highly flexible.  Some grads choose to take enough GIS classes or planning classes in order to concurrently earn our graduate certificate in GIS or planning, respectively, within those 30 total credits.  Others take the opportunity to mix classes across other units/colleges (e.g. environmental, geology, forestry, bio, anthro, sociology, etc).

The requirement for this online program is to take the following classes for a total of 30 units: GSP 520, GSP 531, GSP 535, GSP 536, GSP 538, GSP 539 (24 units) and practicum/capstone GSP 689 (6 units).

[Fall start] To be able to complete this program in just one year, you should register for GSP 520, 531, and 535 for this fall semester.  The program can be completed in just one year for full-time students starting in the Fall semester by completing three required courses each semester and then completing their capstone/practicum over the summer.

[Spring start] The program can be completed in just one year for full-time students starting in the Fall semester by completing three required courses each semester and then completing their practicum over the summer.  Spring-start students will require at least one additional semester to complete the program, and thus can have a slower pace getting started (e.g. for first spring semester: GSP 531 & 539 “year and a half track” or only GSP 531 “one class at a time track“).

Below is an informal list that we have made over the last few years. It is not exhaustive.  We keep in touch with many of our alumni, so it is possible that we could get you in contact with folks in these various professions if you are interested. The list:

Americorps
Archaeological Field Director
Belt Collins Hawaii
City of Cottonwood, Planner
City of Flagstaff, GIS
City of Flagstaff, Stormwater
City of Flagstaff, Sustainability Coordinator
City of Flagstaff, Water intern
City of Honolulu, GIS Analyst III
City of Prescott , Community Planner
City transit agency planner
Coconino County, GIS
Coconino County, Parks
College teaching (multiple institutions)
Data Engineer at The Precisionists, Inc. (TPI)
Dept. of Ecology, Washington
Emergency Management
ESRI Redlands CA
FAA Community Planner, PHX
Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (nonprofit)
GIS Analyst, environmental consulting company (AZ)
GIS Analyst, environmental consulting company (TX)
GIS Coordinator, Sheridan County in Wyoming
GIS Specialist, State of Missouri
GIS/Recorders Office, Coconino County
Higher Ed teaching, field schools
Hydrotech
Marine Science research
Military (GIS/Weather)
Military drone pilot
Natural Res Management, permitting processes
NPS, Flagstaff Area Monuments
NPS, Grand Canyon
Outdoor recreation Planner BLM, Lewiston, MT
Park Ranger at Grand Canyon NP
PhD programs (National & International)
Pioneer Natural Resources
Regional Planner, Denver Area
Remote sensing research tech
San Isabel Land Protection Trust
Solar Energy startup
Southwest Gas Corporation, Supervisor GIS
Stillwater Sciences, Berkley
The Nature Conservancy (New Mexico)
Unisource, Flagstaff
University facilities GIS
University instructor
US Gov – CENCUS
USDA Forest Service Range Management
USFS (GIS/Fire)
USGS
Virginia Outdoors Foundation

Please feel free to contact our GIS Certificate Coordinator Dr. Huang (Ruihong.Huang@nau.edu).

Please feel free to contact our Community Planning Certificate Coordinator Dr. Hawley (D.Hawley@nau.edu).