Northern Arizona University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a small city.

Overview

Northern Arizona University, or NAU, is a public university in Flagstaff, Arizona, governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. It was established in 1899 as the Northern Arizona Normal School.

After a few name changes, the school was finally renamed Northern Arizona University in 1966.

NAU's main campus, in Flagstaff, covers more than 730 acres. The school promotes sustainable practices and is home to several energy-efficient buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The university also has more than 35 sites across the state.

NAU offers a wide variety of degrees and programs. The university is organized into the following academic divisions:

• College of Arts & Letters
• College of Education
• College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences
• College of Health and Human Services
• College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
• Graduate College
• The W. A. Franke College of Business

According to a special report released by Forbes magazine in August 2009, Northern Arizona University ranks as one of the Top 100 best public colleges in the United States--and as one of the nation's best values.

NAU'S student body has a large number of international students. Its Center for International Education provides services such as scholar advising, trips to area attractions, and club activities.

The university's athletic teams are nicknamed the Lumberjacks. Financial aid is offered to athletes.

School sports include football, basketball, baseball and track. Northern Arizona University is in the Big Sky Conference for major sports .

Famous alumni from NAU include Rutanya Alda, actress; Steve Altman, president of Qualcomm, electronics designers; Jeffrey Burton, archeologist; Travis Brown, quarterback, National Football League; Lattie Coor, former president Arizona State University; Andy Devine, actor; Kailey Bell, first female astronaut; R. C. Gorman, Native American Artist; Lopez Lomong, track and field athlete, U.S. flag bearer for 2008 Olympics; Ashley Meeks, journalist; Claudio Sanchez, educational correspondent, National Public Radio; John Sprott, former U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland; and Joshua Gates Weisberg, photographer.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Many students concentrating in education and teaching, science and laboratory technician, hospitality, and conservation and resource management.
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Large number of students.
• High female/male ratio.
• Many mature (40+ year old) students.
• Numerous part-time students.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.
• High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
• Affordable tuition & fees.

School characteristics:

• The school is public.
• Academic calender: Semester.
• Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities, Intensive.

Features of note:

• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Part-time classes are available.
• ROTC.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Northern Arizona University:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Student enrollment was 22,502 in 2009-2010 (19,224 full-time equivalent).

About 41% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 59% of the class.

Undergrads are 71% of enrolled students and graduate students are 29%.

Students under 25 years old represent 62% of the student body. About 10% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Among freshmen students, 93% are full-time and 7% are part-time.

Admissions Summary (2009-2010)

SAT Test Scores:

Room and Board

Northern Arizona University provides on-campus housing for 6,886 of its 19,224 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010).

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Big Sky Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 122 male students received the aid (men were 52% of those receiving aid) and 113 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 48% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Northern Arizona University offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Doctorate (Research/Scholarship).

The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Comprehensive Doctoral (No Medical/Veterinary).

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

ART STUDIES (1 awarded)

• Art/Art Studies
• Arts Management

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (621 awarded)

• Accounting
• Business Administration and Management
• Business/Managerial Economics
• Customer Service Management
• Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
• Fashion Merchandising
• Finance and Financial Management Services
• Finance
• Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration
• International Business/Trade/Commerce
• International Marketing
• Investments and Securities
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing/Marketing Management
• Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (8 awarded)

• Computer Science
• Computer and Information Sciences

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (82 awarded)

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Studies
• Forest Management/Forest Resources Management
• Forest Sciences and Biology
• Forestry

DESIGN (65 awarded)

• Design and Applied Arts
• Design and Visual Communications
• Interior Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (10 awarded)

• Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (2,018 awarded)

• Art Teacher Education
• Bilingual and Multilingual Education
• Biology Teacher Education
• Chemistry Teacher Education
• Computer Teacher Education
• Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Drama and Dance Teacher Education
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Education
• Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship
• English/Language Arts Teacher Education
• French Language Teacher Education
• German Language Teacher Education
• Health Teacher Education
• History Teacher Education
• Mathematics Teacher Education
• Music Teacher Education
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Physics Teacher Education
• Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Spanish Language Teacher Education
• Special Education and Teaching
• Speech Teacher Education
• Teacher Education/Profess Development, Subject Areas
• Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
• Technical Teacher Education
• Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education

ENGINEERING (88 awarded)

• Civil Engineering
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Engineering
• Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN (0 awarded)

• Construction Engineering Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (58 awarded)

• Human Services
• Public Administration
• Public Policy Analysis
• Social Work

FINE ARTS (18 awarded)

• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
• Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
• Metal and Jewelry Arts
• Painting
• Sculpture

HOSPITALITY (229 awarded)

• Hospitality Administration/Management
• Tourism and Travel Services Management

LIBERAL ARTS (686 awarded)

• American Indian/Native American Studies
• American/United States Studies/Civilization
• Anthropology
• Cartography
• Creative Writing
• Economics
• English Language and Literature
• English Language and Literature/Letters
• Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
• French Language and Literature
• General Studies
• Geography
• German Language and Literature
• History
• Humanities/Humanistic Studies
• Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies
• International Relations and Affairs
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
• Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
• Linguistics
• Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Political Science and Government
• Social Sciences
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature
• Speech and Rhetorical Studies
• Technical and Business Writing
• Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS (19 awarded)

• Mathematics and Statistics
• Mathematics
• Statistics

MEDIA (187 awarded)

• Advertising
• Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
• Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
• Journalism
• Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
• Public Relations/Image Management
• Radio and Television

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION (0 awarded)

• Health/Health Care Administration/Management

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (189 awarded)

• Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
• Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer
• Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

MEDICINE (1 awarded)

• Gerontology

MUSIC (29 awarded)

• Conducting
• Music History, Literature, and Theory
• Music Performance
• Music Theory and Composition
• Music
• Voice and Opera

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (137 awarded)

• Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
• Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (101 awarded)

• Athletic Training/Trainer
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science
• Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART (26 awarded)

• Photography
• Printmaking

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT (47 awarded)

• Construction Management

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (26 awarded)

• Philosophy
• Philosophy and Religious Studies
• Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE (290 awarded)

• Animal Behavior and Ethology
• Aquatic Biology/Limnology
• Astronomy
• Biochemistry
• Biological and Physical Sciences
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Botany/Plant Biology
• Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Chemistry
• Conservation Biology
• Ecology
• Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Geology/Earth Science
• Geophysics and Seismology
• Hydrology and Water Resources Science
• Microbiology
• Paleontology
• Physical Sciences
• Physics
• Physiology
• Wildlife Biology
• Zoology/Animal Biology

SCIENCE AND LABORATORY TECHNICIAN (118 awarded)

• Science Technologies/Technicians

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (106 awarded)

• Corrections Administration
• Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
• Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
• Criminology

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (196 awarded)

• Educational Psychology
• Health/Medical Psychology
• Physical Therapy/Therapist
• Psychology
• School Psychology