The Curriculum

The M.S. in Quaternary Sciences requires students to take 37 credit hours, including 3 thesis hours incorporating original field or laboratory research.

Students take a set of core courses in the four disciplines (geosciences, paleontology, paleobotany, and archaeology), a core course in multidisciplinary studies, and a computer or statistics course. They also choose three additional courses in the discipline to which their thesis project pertains and two courses in outside disciplines. They must also pass a written preliminary exam, an oral exam, have their thesis approved by their thesis committee, and pass their thesis defense.

For more information on core courses, electives, admission requirements, and financial assistance, please refer to the NAU Graduate Catalog.

Master of Science 37- hour degree program, thesis

37-hour program core:

Foundation: 3 credit hours

GLG 537 – Quaternary Geology

Geosciences: 3 credits hours

GLG 538

or

GLG 637

Paleontology: 3 credit hours

ANT 553 – Faunal Analysis

or

GLG 536: Vertebrate Paleobiology (3 separate topics)

Paleobotany: 3 credit hours

QS/BIO 671 – Paleoenvironments and Paleoecology

or

QS 672 – Quaternary Pollen Analysis

or

QS 681 (when topic is packrat middens)

Archaeology: 3 credit hours

Select from ANT 517, 550, 551, 552, 554, 555, 635, and 636

Paleoclimatology: 3 credit hours

ENV 595 Global Environmental and Climate Change

or

QS/GLG/ENV 596 Quaternary Climatology

Professional Development: 4 credit hours

QS 687 (four consecutive 1-hour courses)

Thesis emphasis: 12 credit hours

Chosen from graduate courses that are fundamental to thesis project, selected with committee guidance

Thesis: 3 credit hours

QS/GLG/BIO/ANT/ENV 699

Students must successfully pass a written preliminary exam, an oral exam, and provide a public defense of the thesis.