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Degree &
Certificate
Programs

Geography B.S.
Extended Geography; Geographic Education; Geographic Information Management (GIS);
Remote Sensing

Public Planning B.S.
Land Use Planning;
Environmental Planning; Tourism & Recreation Planning; GIS & Planning; American Indian Planning

Parks & Recreation Management
B.S. & Certificate

MA in Rural Geography

MS in Applied Geographic Infomation Science

Geographic Information Certificate

Park Ranger Training Program

Master of
Administration in
Community Planning

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Master of Science in Applied Geographic Information Science

IMPORTANT NEWS

This program will be renamed as the MS in Applied Geospatial Sciences starting Fall 2009

Students admitted in Fall 2009 and previous semester have the choice of pursuing the program as described below or the new program as described here.

web site: www.geog.nau.edu/grad/agis

Program Coordinator: Dr. Lee Dexter <Lee.Dexter@nau.edu>

Applications: Please use the MS in Applied GIS applications forms.

Master of Science in Applied Geographic Information Science

We offer the M.S. in Applied Geographic Information Science degree. In addition, we offer a graduate certificate program in geographic information systems.

The M.S. is offered as thesis and non-thesis programs. The thesis program allows you to pursue a solid academic and scholarly education, with possible advancement to a doctoral program. The nonthesis program is for students who seek advanced applied education without the intention of continuing on to a doctoral program. The nonthesis option requires a professional paper in place of a thesis.

The M.S. in Applied Geographic Information Science is an interdisciplinary degree that provides students with a solid foundation in GIS technology and skills, as well as their application to a field of study that can be selected from across the university curriculum.

For admission to the M.S. degree program, you must indicate disciplinary field of study which you intend to apply GIS technology, and identify a full-time faculty member in that field who will serve as your disciplinary advisor. If you have not majored or minored in that discipline for your baccalaureate degree, you may be required to take supplemental deficiency courses.

Our certificate program in geographic information systems combines computer technology and geographic theory to prepare you to maintain and analyze spatially-referenced data as it occurs in various fields.

M.S. in Geographic Information Science
(Thesis Emphasis)

This emphasis is designed for students who want to pursue a career in applying geographic information science and systems, as well as remote sensing technologies to land and environmental management and related spatial data handling. Practicing professionals who desire an advance professional degree are encouraged to pursue this emphasis.

To earn this 36-hour degree, which includes completing a thesis, you take:

• 16 hours of the geographic information science core: GGR 531, 533, and 535 or 536, and 537 or 538 (courses may be substituted depending on prior professional work and with major advisor approval)
  
• a minimum of 14 hours in a disciplinary field of concentration, selected from the degree programs and departments at Northern Arizona University. (Examples of appropriate fields of concentration include Anthropology, Archeology, Biology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Forestry, Geography, Geology, Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration, and Public Planning, among others.)
  
• 6 hours of GGR 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis
  (Please be aware that you can only count 6 hours of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more hours because you must register for GGR 699 each semester while you are working on your thesis.)

M.S. in Geographic Information Science
(Nonthesis Emphasis)

This emphasis is designed for students who want to pursue a career in understanding and managing land and environmental spatial data systems, including geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing applications The nonthesis option requires a professional applied paper that is overseen by your practicum committee. Generally, this emphasis is not intended for practicing GIS or remote sensing professionals.

To earn this 36-hour degree, which includes completing a professional applied paper, you take:

• 16 hours of the geographic information science core: GGR 531, 533, and 535 or 536, and 537 or 538 (courses may be substituted depending on prior professional work and with major advisor approval)
  
• a minimum of 14 hours in a disciplinary field of concentration, selected from the degree program and departments at Northern Arizona University. (Examples of appropriate fields of concentration include Anthropology, Archeology, Biology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Forestry, Geography, Geology, Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration, and Public Planning, among others.)
  
• 6 hours of GGR 689 (Professional Practicum)

Other graduate programs offered in the Department of Geography, Planning and Recreation include:

• M.A. in Rural Geography, with emphasis areas in Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Community Planning
• Master of Administration, with a customized emphasis in Community Planning (offered entirely online)
• Graduate Geographic Information Systems Certificate program