Department of Geography Planning & Recreation
Graduate Coordinator
Erik Schiefer erik.schiefer@nau.edu 928-523-6535Graduate advisors
Identify a potential graduate advisorFunding options
Take advantage of these GSP graduate student assistantships and scholarships.Geography, Master of Science
This plan is no longer offered at the Online Campus. See the Campus Availability tab below for alternate plan campus options.
This masters degree is designed for students who want to pursue a career in managing land, community, and environmental spatial systems, including geographic information systems (GIS), geodesign, community planning and development, and recreation. In addition to engaging coursework this degree requires a research thesis or applied practicum project overseen by a faculty committee.
Requirements Accordion Open
To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.
You must additionally complete:- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
- All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
- All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
Read the full policy here.
Overview Accordion Closed
In addition to University Requirements:
- Complete individual plan requirements.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 30 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required. |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Optional |
| Thesis | Thesis may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option. |
| Oral Defense | Oral Defense is required. |
| Research | Individualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option. |
| Some online/blended coursework | Required |
| Progression Plan Link | View Program of Study |
| Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan | Optional |
Purpose Statement
The Masters in Geography teaches geographical science, community planning, and geospatial technologies to prepare professionals and academics for a changing world. The program seeks to educate both traditional graduate students and working professionals in distance and on campus contexts and provides opportunities for diverse populations to exchange ideas and leverage knowledge. Geographic inquiry and community development are examined with attention to spatial relationships and complexities, dynamics of place and scale, and human-environment relations. Too often, analyses and understanding is based in disciplinary tracks. Geographic inquiry is based in synthesis and interdisciplinary investigation. Critical analysis and geospatial technologies provide methods to understand communities and environments from spatial and context-driven perspectives and at geographic scales from local to global. The program supports quality research and practical application, while providing (transferable) analytic, communicative, and visual skills. Our graduates are prepared for opportunities in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors in the fields of geography, planning, and natural resource management.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the MS in Geography is to enhance student abilities:
- To apply critical analysis, including geospatial technologies, to issues of geographic inquiry and community development;
- To advance professionally in applied geospatial and community careers; and
- To understand and appreciate human-environment relations and the complexity of place.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Geographic Inquiry and Human-Environment Relations
From the beginning of the discipline, geographic inquiry has sought to understand the relationship between humans and the landscape, whether the relationship is direct or indirect. As the world continues in a path of globalization and technological advancements, the need for research and understanding about these trends at all geographic scales, from global to micro-local, has increased. Understanding Nature/Society relations requires research and inquiry into human and physical systems and interrelationships between them based on theories derived from geographical thought. Upon completion of the degree, graduates will:
- Elucidate major theories of geography; and
- Apply geographic theories to questions and inquiries related to interrelationships of human and physical systems in varying contexts and at different scales.
Place and Community Development
The concepts of place and community development are integral to geographical sciences, planning, and much spatially-based research. Graduates should possess a strong understanding of place and space, sense of place, and issues of adjacency and relational connectivity in order to identify critical issues, understand context, and create solutions. Upon completion of the degree, graduates will:
- Elucidate the major theories, techniques, and trends associated with place and/or community development; and
- Apply these concepts to analyze issues and create solutions as related to their Masters level project.
Critical Analysis
The ability to think critically about an issue, deconstruct, construct and identify biases, whether intended or unintended, and to seek a deeper understanding and solutions to issues of space, place, the environment and human landscape is central to Geographic thought and practice. This analysis derives from an understanding of the major theories, research approaches and methods in geography, as well as the ability to employ them to understand social problems and their potential solutions. Upon completion of the degree, graduate will:
- Identify, explain, and evaluate the manor research methods and modes of inquiry within geographic thought and practice; and
- Generate critical questions based on geographical theory, applying systematic research processes consistent with disciplinary norms, and present findings generated through a methodologically robust and defensible Masters level project.
Professional Development
Our graduate program provides a critical step in professional development for those entering professions or seeking to enhance their existing knowledge base and opportunities. We prepare students to make a difference in communities and agencies through effective problem-solving and communication. Upon completion of the degree, graduates will:
- Conduct oneself and create work in a way that demonstrates the level competency, skill, and ethical behavior required of professional employment;
- Present and defend a project with the purpose of generating new knowledge, or solving a problem or challenge within their profession or area of interest;
- Present your work to general and professional audiences, articulating sustained, coherent explanations summarizing your project; and
- Effectively communicate complex ideas and analysis through written, oral, and visual communication.
Details Accordion Closed
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.
- Personal Statement or Essay
Master's Requirements
This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:
- Geographic Science and Community Planning (GSP) and Parks and Recreation Management (PRM) Coursework: 8 - 9 units
- Graduate Certificate or Graduate Electives Requirement: 15 - 16 units
- Graduate Certificate Option (15 - 16 units)
- Graduate Electives Option (16 units)
- Thesis or Professional Practicum Requirement: 6 units
- Thesis Option
- Professional Practicum Option
Take the following 30 units:
Geographic Science and Community Planning (GSP) and Parks and Recreation Management (PRM) Coursework (8 - 9 units)
Graduate Certificate or Graduate Electives Requirement - Select one (15 - 16 units)
Graduate Certificate Option (15 - 16 units)
- Community Planning, Graduate Certificate (15 units)
- Geographic Information Systems, Graduate Certificate (16 units)
Graduate Electives Option (16 Units)
- Additional graduate-level courses chosen in consultation with your advisor. (16 units)
- Thesis or Professional Practicum Requirement - Select one (6 units)
Thesis Option 6 units*
- GSP 699 -Thesis is for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis. (6 units)*
*You may only count 6 units of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more than the 6 units of thesis credit you can count toward your degree, because you must register each semester while you are working on your thesis.
- Students selecting a thesis option are required to complete 18 units of formal letter-graded coursework.
Professional Practicum Option (6 units)*
- GSP 689 - Professional Practicum is for a project-based internship experience in a professional work environment, including the writing and oral presentation of an approved practicum project. (6 units)*
*You may only count 6 units of professional practicum credit toward your degree. The final practicum units will not be passed until the oral presentation and project report have been accepted by your faculty advisor.
- Students completing a non-thesis, coursework, project, or track option must complete 24 units of formal letter-graded coursework.
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program
This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.
Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Geography, Environment, and Society and start a Master of Science in Geography at NAU.
OR
Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Parks and Recreation Management and start a Master of Science in Geography at NAU.
- Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.
Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.
- Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:
Master's Requirements
This Master’s degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:
- Geographic Science and Community Planning (GSP) and Parks and Recreation Management (PRM) Coursework: 8 - 9 units
- Graduate Certificate or Graduate Electives Requirement: 15 - 16 units
- Graduate Certificate Option (15 - 16 units)
- Graduate Electives Option (16 units)
- Thesis or Professional Practicum Requirement: 6 units
- Thesis Option
- Professional Practicum Option
Take the following 30 units:
Graduate Certificate or Graduate Elective Requirement - Select one (15 - 16 units)
Graduate Certificate Option (15 - 16 units)
- Community Planning, Graduate Certificate (15 units)
- Geographic Information Systems, Graduate Certificate (16 units)
Graduate Electives Option (16 units)
- Additional graduate-level courses chosen in consultation with your advisor. (16 units)
- Up to 6 units may be at the 400-level.
- Additional graduate-level courses chosen in consultation with your advisor. (16 units)
- Thesis or Professional Practicum Requirement - Select one (6 units)
Thesis Option (6 units)*
- GSP 699 -Thesis is for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis. (6 units)*
*You may only count 6 units of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more than the 6 units of thesis credit you can count toward your degree, because you must register each semester while you are working on your thesis.
- Students selecting a thesis option are required to complete 18 units of formal letter-graded coursework.
Professional Practicum Option (6 units)*
- GSP 689 - Professional Practicum is for a project-based internship experience in a professional work environment, including the writing and oral presentation of an approved practicum project. (6 units)*
*You may only count 6 units of professional practicum credit toward your degree. The final practicum units will not be passed until the oral presentation and project report have been accepted by your faculty advisor.
- Students completing a non-thesis, coursework, project, or track option must complete 24 units of formal letter-graded coursework.
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.