International opportunities
NAU students in the School of Earth & Sustainability have a wide range of opportunities to gain a global perspective. You can choose a short course led by SES faculty in Europe or Central America, study in another country for a semester, or participate in the five-year Interdisciplinary Global Programs, which combines your GLG, ENV, or ESS degree with a degree in language or culture and includes one year spent learning abroad.
SES Courses Abroad Accordion Open
Hydrogeology and Water Systems Engineering of Karst Aquifers in Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro
Nearly 25% of the Earth’s surface consists of rocks that are susceptible to dissolving to create sinkholes and other erosional features – called karst. Visit and learn about Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia where science and engineering of karst was developed.
- Unique opportunity for NAU students to learn from world experts about how Serbians have learned to live and work in karst for centuries.
- Earn NAU credits in a summer course for international students (jointly sponsored by UNESCO).
The Cataclysmic Eruption of Santorini Volcano
In the late Bronze Age, sometime between 1600 and 1626 BC, the Grecian volcano Santorini catastrophically erupted causing the island to partially sink into the Aegean Sea. The eruption is thought to be the source of the legend of Atlantis, where in 360 BC, Plato wrote of a city that sank into the sea in a “single day and night of misfortune.” This study abroad course takes you to the active volcano, where you will study the caldera-forming eruption that likely contributed to the downfall of an ancient, advanced civilization.
- Learn about the processes that generate cataclysmic volcanic eruptions and study the ancient and modern volcanic hazards associated with such eruptions.
- Study the bizarre landscapes and landforms of volcanic islands, explore ~4,000 year-old Minoan ruins buried by the last explosive volcanic eruption, walk on and study an active volcano, tour the archipelago by private boat, and visit the Acropolis (in Athens), among many other unique experiences, all while being immersed in Greek island culture.
Media coverage: NAU Students Go Greek , Living the Volcano
Tectonic and volcanological evolution of southeastern Spain
Join Geology and Earth Sciences seniors from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) in a 10-day course in southeastern Spain. Daily mapping, section-measuring, and structural-analysis exercises give students a first-hand view of the components that make up this varied and geologically complex part of the collisional zone between Africa and Europe. The first cohort of seniors returned from Spain in April, 2018. For information, contact Nancy Riggs by email – open to NAU Geology seniors.
Interdisciplinary Global Programs (IGP) Accordion Closed
This interdisciplinary five-year program provides students a way to get a degree in a science (e.g. Geology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Sustainability) and a language (Spanish, French, German) or culture (Comparative Cultural Studies, with an emphasis on Japan and China).
- Study the language of your intended country every semester to prepare for a fourth year abroad
- Take courses in science, culture, and language in your new language abroad and complete a semester-long internship
- In the fifth year, consolidate your learning and graduate with two degrees and an ability to work cross-culturally
Meet IGP students and alumni from the School of Earth & Sustainability:
Tamika Wright
NAU degrees: BS Environmental Studies, emphasis in Global Sustainability, BA Modern Languages, French IGP Emphasis
Destination abroad: Université de Bordeaux, France
Research topic: Pollen representation of the main vegetation communities in South Korea based on different modern surface samples
Post-graduation goal: MS Botany, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Bradlee Cotton
NAU degrees: BS Environmental Sciences, emphasis in Applied Geology; BA Spanish, IGP emphasis
Destination abroad: National University of Tucumán, Argentina
Research topic: Gravitational and alluvial processes in Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Now: MS student in Geology and Water Resources, University of Wyoming
Ray Eckland
NAU degrees: BS Geology; BA Modern Languages, French IGP Emphasis
Destination abroad: University of Bordeaux, France
Research topic: Geologic mapping with the French Geological Survey (BRGM)
School of Earth & Sustainability
More Study Abroad programs
For a full range of NAU international and exchange opportunities, visit the study abroad website.