The School of Forestry is ranked No. 10 among forestry programs nationally in an index measuring faculty scholarly output (Inside NAU, Vol. 4 No.45, Nov. 28, 2007).

Northern Arizona University ranks in the top 40 of academic institutions in the United States and Canada for research productivity in the field of conservation biology (Inside NAU, Vol. 5 No.2, Jan. 16, 2008).

The Journal of Forestry found that NAU SOF ranked 19th out of 53 forestry programs in the total number of times its publications were cited and an impressive 6th in the number of citations per research faculty member (Forest Seasons, Feb. 2007).

Our faculty have active research programs in forestry, ecosystem processes, conservation biology, ecological restoration, silviculture, wildlife ecology, forest health, wildland recreation, hydrology, and other disciplines related to forestry. This dynamic research program supports a community of about 50 graduate students, of which about 20% are PhD students. Each year about 10-15 new students enter the program.

Flagstaff is located at an elevation of 7000 feet (over 2000 m) in the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest. Mixed conifer, pinyon-juniper, tundra, canyon hardwood, and high desert habitats occur within 30 miles (50 km) of campus, providing diverse research opportunities and many types of outdoor recreation. The School of Forestry has excellent computing facilities, a School Forest of 50,000 acres in 2 large blocks (a ponderosa pine block 7 miles from campus, and a block of high desert scrub and pinyon-juniper woodland about 20 miles away), and several modern lab facilities.

We share a building with the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, and work collegially with the USGS lab on campus, resource management agencies stationed in Flagstaff, and several other excellent academic units on campus. We are about 80 miles (120 km) from the Grand Canyon National Park and about 30 miles (50 km) from red rock country along the Mogollon Rim. We have a true four-season climate, with snow in the winter, pleasant summer days, and an average of 329 days of sunshine per year.

We offer the following three graduate degrees:

• Master of Science (MS) which requires coursework plus a research-based thesis project.
  
• Master of Forestry (MF) which requires courses and a professional paper that does not involve field research.
  
• The Doctorate (PhD) which is offered in three emphasis areas (Ecosystem science, Forest management science & economics, and Forest social science) and involves coursework, written and oral exams, and preparation and defense of a dissertation.

Please refer to the "Program Overview" link for more detailed information about each degree.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 July 2008 )