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).

Information and applications

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.

Information and applications

Class blog

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

Information and applications

Meet IGP students and alumni from the School of Earth & Sustainability:

Genevieve Conley
NAU degrees: BS Environmental & Sustainability Studies, BA Spanish

NAU honors: President’s Prize, CEFNS Outstanding Senior, Gold Axe Award.

Destination abroad: Tucumán and Bariloche, Argentina

My experience in Argentina really challenged and changed me for the better. Not only did I fall in love with the food and music, but the friends I made will stay with me for the rest of my life. The year I spent abroad made me a more resilient person, changed how I interact with others, and helped solidify my career aspirations. This was an unforgettable adventure and I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

Mia Piqué
NAU degrees: BS Geology, BA Spanish

NAU honors: President’s Prize, Gold Axe Award.

Destination abroad: Tucumán, Argentina, and Quito, Ecuador

My year abroad transcended far beyond the traditional sense of an academic experience, with studying abroad in Tucumán, Argentina and then interning in Quito, Ecuador. Every person I met has taught me a new world view and because of them, I am a wiser world citizen and a more confident me. It is true what people say, the places you see are amazing, but it is the people that you meet that make the true difference. From living in The Andes, backpacking Patagonia for a couple of weeks, boating to Uruguay, standing on the Equator, studying an active volcano in the Amazon jungle and hiking it, seeing rainbow mountains, Machu Picchu, and even crossing into Brasil through bus on a whim… I would have never imagined all that I have learned through these crazy adventures, but more importantly through the people I have met. I have learned how to make mistakes successfully. I have learned how to be more brave in asking questions when I have no idea what is going on, yet I have become confident in trying my best to figure challenges out first. I would say I have become a more confident, wiser, and more-willing-to-mess-up-in-order-to-learn-scientist.  My gratitude could never truly be expressed by words.

Tamika Wright
NAU degrees: BS Environmental & Sustainability 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

Living in a country with entirely different customs and bureaucracy was tough, but it made me a more flexible and resilient person. I wouldn’t change a thing.

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

My experience in Argentina will help me in graduate school and push me forward into whatever I do professionally.  It was a hard year, but it was absolutely the best year of my life.

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)

Adapting to a foreign style of learning has rounded out my ability to acquire and think about information. I took a field methods course during my second semester that involved a 7-day geologic mapping trip in the Alps and was a highlight of my academic experience…Aside from my academic and professional experiences, I made lifelong friendships through weekend skiing and rock climbing trips to the Pyrenees, Spain and southeast France. In all, studying abroad was probably the best decision I have made in my education.

School of Earth & Sustainability

Email:
SES.Admin​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-9333

More Study Abroad programs

For a full range of NAU international and exchange opportunities, visit the study abroad website.

School of Earth & Sustainability
Location
Room A108 Building 11
Ashurst
624 S Knoles Dr
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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