With 180+ undergraduate programs, 100+ online degree programs, and 90+ graduate degree programs, NAU has a program of study to complement your interests, skills, and passions.
Not sure where to begin? Consider focusing your studies in one of the six most popular fields for Indigenous students:
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Health Sciences
Demand for skilled professionals in allied health disciplines is rapidly growing, and the need is especially acute across Indian Country. NAU’s Allied Health bachelor of science degree programs are designed for working professionals and continuing students. And because it’s an all-online program, you can complete your coursework when it fits your schedule. You must have or be pursuing an associate degree in Allied Health to qualify for this program.
For working health professionals, whether you practice diagnostic imaging, medical assisting, paramedic care, physical therapy assisting, respiratory care, surgical technology, or another health discipline, our Health Sciences – Allied Health program will help you advance your career and earning opportunities.
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Engineering
NAU is #5 in the nation for awarding bachelor’s degrees in engineering to Indigenous students. At NAU, you can choose from undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, or a doctoral program in Bioengineering.
When you study Civil Engineering, you’ll learn to take on large-scale, practical problems within the infrastructure of your own community—from designing bridges and highways to implementing water and sewage systems. You’ll graduate prepared for a career in structural, transportation, and geotechnical engineering and able to oversee complicated projects like water treatment plants, high-rise buildings, bridges, light rail systems, and power plants; creating and evaluating sustainable engineering designs.
NAU’s Environmental Engineering programs focus on applying biological, chemical, and physical science to solve technical problems involving water, air pollution control, waste management, and public health. As you master the skills to develop resilient systems, you’ll learn to promote innovation and growth while implementing environmentally conscious practices.
Within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the focus is on employing the fundamentals of physics, math, chemistry, and materials science to solve some of the most challenging technical problems. With an NAU Civil and Environmental Engineering or Mechanical Engineering degree, you’ll be poised to take part in a lucrative and growing job market and build a career you’ll love.
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Education
NAU began in 1899 as a school for teachers and remains at the forefront of the education field. We are the #1 college in the nation for awarding master’s and doctoral degrees in Education for Indigenous students and #7 in the country for bachelor’s degrees.
Education is a cornerstone of individual and community growth and prosperity. NAU’s Education degree programs can prepare you to make a difference in your community as a teacher, counselor, or administrator, with program levels from bachelor’s to doctoral. Our curriculum is culturally informed to effectively train educators serving Native American students with student teaching opportunities in Indigenous communities. Once you graduate, NAU offers professional development through the Institute for Native-serving Educators/Diné Institute.
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Forestry
NAU’s School of Forestry is an international leader in forest research, with a deep commitment to protecting the environment. Our bachelor’s programs will engage you in the exploration of ecological concepts and principles, including ecosystem structure and function, plant and animal communities, competition, diversity, population flux, disturbance, and nutrient cycling. You’ll also learn to analyze the economic, environmental, and social consequences of forest resource management strategies and decisions.
Graduate students develop mastery of forest stewardship through a comprehensive study of ecosystem sciences, social science and communication, and forest management. As a forestry student, you will consider interactive ecosystem services and competing practices in forestry to inform your efforts in conservation, preservation, and restoration of forest systems.
NAU’s Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program facilitates collaboration between Tribal resource management programs with federal and state agencies to implement restorative management of Tribal forests and rangelands while affirming traditional knowledge, culture, and practices. The program hosts an annual Tribal Forestry Student Summit.
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Sustainability
NAU’s School of Earth and Sustainability prepares undergraduate and graduate students with the knowledge and experience to be leaders in the increasingly critical field of sustainability. NAU’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies bachelor’s degree program integrates humanistic disciplines with natural and social science approaches.
You’ll study the environment through interdisciplinary research and coursework, exploring the ways human societies interact with urban, rural, and wilderness ecosystems. You’ll explore global climate change, biodiversity, environmental justice, and public policy. Such diverse coursework and research opportunities will prepare you to address—and solve—local and global issues in environmental sustainability.
Please visit the NAU Academic Catalog for the most up-to-date information on programs and degrees.
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Applied Indigenous Studies (AIS)
Explore issues of concern to Indigenous peoples in the Americas and around the globe: Tribal histories and cultures, governmental policies, sustainable economic development, Indigenous entrepreneurship, and current conditions on native lands and reservations. This program emphasizes contemporary Tribal management skills and respect for Indigenous cultures. You’ll develop knowledge and tools to contribute to the sustainability of Indigenous communities in the 21st century and beyond.
We developed our online Indian Country Criminal Justice Degree, the only program of its kind in the world, with leaders of Indigenous nations and NAU’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice to address the unique needs of criminal justice in Indian Country and help fill a growing employment gap.
Choose from three AIS bachelor’s degrees, four minors, and a graduate certificate.
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