School of Earth and Sustainability
At NAU’s School of Earth and Sustainability (SES), you’ll dive into the science of our planet, and your role in protecting it. Learn how to drive change through research, policy, and community-focused action.
NAU offers almost 250 sustainability courses across academic departments
Gold award winner for being a Bicycle Friendly University
Where curiosity meets impact
From climate science and water policy to sustainability and geoscience, the School of Earth and Sustainability (SES) is where systems thinking and real-world learning come together. If you’re asking big questions about the planet’s future, and how you can help shape it, this is your place.
SES students are naturally curious, bolder thinkers and highly driven. You’ll explore the planet from every angle: coding climate models, collecting data in the field, mapping groundwater, or designing sustainable systems. Our interdisciplinary programs help you connect science, people, and policy to tackle global challenges from the ground up.
With faculty leading cutting-edge research and field sites just minutes from campus, your education won’t stop at the classroom door. The most pressing challenges aren’t confined to a single field, and neither are you.
Why choose SES?
Interdisciplinary by design
Choose a focus in environmental science, sustainability, or geosciences, and learn how it connects to everything else. SES encourages you to think holistically, combining scientific depth with cross-disciplinary insight.
Learn from the land
Surrounded by forests, deserts, mountains, and rivers, Flagstaff gives you front-row access to diverse ecosystems. You’ll gain experience through fieldwork, applied research, and faculty-led projects that prepare you to make an impact.
Research with real-world impact
At SES, research drives action. Whether you’re mapping wildfire risk, modeling urban sustainability, or helping local governments adapt to climate change, your work will reach beyond campus and into communities, policies, and practices that shape our future.
Faculty Who Teach Through Discovery
Partner with faculty experts who guide hands‑on learning in the field, lab, and beyond. Our professors support student success through active involvement in internships, collaborative research and professional development.
Take the next step
School of Earth and Sustainability undergraduate degrees
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Environmental Communication emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Environmental Management emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Environmental Geology emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Applied Statistics emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Environmental Administration and Policy emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Biology emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Chemistry emphasis
- BS in Environmental Sciences with Climate emphasis
- BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
- BS in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
- BS in Geology
- BSED in Secondary Education - Earth Science
- BSED in Secondary Education - General Science
School of Earth and Sustainability graduate degrees
- MS in Climate Science and Solutions
- MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy
- MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy with Science and Policy emphasis
- MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy with Paleoenvironmental Sciences emphasis
- MS in Geology
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability with Climate and Environmental Change emphasis
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability with Earth Systems emphasis
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology emphasis
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability with Engineering Sustainable Systems emphasis
- PHD in Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability with Environment and Society emphasis
Going through college as a first-generation student has been much more challenging and isolating than I imagined, especially since I started NAU as an undeclared student uncertain of my future. Geologic Disasters became the highlight of my day. For once, school did not feel like an obligation, and instead was something I enjoyed doing. By the fifth week of the semester, I had officially declared geology as my major and identified myself as a scientist for the first time in my life.
Ready to apply?
If you're excited to explore big questions, tackle real challenges, and make a lasting difference, we’re ready for you. Apply to the School of Earth and Sustainability and start building the future you believe in.
Support the next generation of environmental leaders
Your gift helps students turn their passion for the planet into real-world impact. From hands-on research in Flagstaff’s forests to climate data analysis that reaches decision-makers, SES students are working to understand and shape a sustainable future. When you give, you’re investing in their growth—and the future of our world.