University of Arizona Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Alexandria

Challenging, but rewarding

Ciara

They're pretty alright.

Klaire

The academics at my school are extremely diverse as well as highly accredited

Raja

Academics are top notch, the teachers are knowledgeable and dependable. The research facilities are out of this world.

Sarina

The science programs here have the potential to be great programs. Unfortunately, the University of Arizona does not attract the types of students that would make these programs worthwhile for more serious students to attend. There have been issues with students cheating in all my 400-level chemistry courses,(one of these is even a combined graduate/undergraduate section) not to mention I don't even have to try to be one of the top students in my class because there are so few people in my classes who actually care about learning the material. I also have had some issues starting a research project I designed. I have another university willing to pay for the biochemical tests and funding to cover all other costs. I also have someone willing to walk me through the statistical analysis. However, the autism researchers at the College of Medicine not only are unwilling to help, they have been intentionally discouraging of my efforts. Again, this goes along with the general mentality of holding others back in order to stay ahead. Most of the professors here view students as stupid and irresponsible, and relate to their students and design the courses sopping with that sentiment. One course in particular this semester is full of boredom-inducing busywork. Also, this same course required students to cancel holiday plans with family at the last minute because there was a group skit to be written, translated, memorized and performed the day after Easter, along with an exam because one cannot both remain loyal to one's family and do well in the couse. I've heard several complaints from current graduate students about how strict the course structure is here compared to their Ivy-League undergraduate programs. They felt that their programs promoted enjoyment of the coursework, whereas the coursework here seems to be meant to discourage most students. I've also noticed that there are many graduates of this university, english majors even, that cannot write using complete sentences and proper grammar. (Just read through some of the other reviews on here and you will see what I am talking about.)

suzette

classes are pretty good, teacher do their job they teach very well and they dedicate time to you in one on one meetings to help you out.

Michael

Many students either care or do not care about academics at the UA. Many of the classes are really big where you feel like your lost in the crowd. Many of my friends an I just cram for large tests and then study fairly hard for finals. My favorite Class has been a general astronomy class that I took in the spring of 2012 I learned so much about the universe and enjoyed so much that I came back the next year as a TA!

Jonathan

I am very happy with the academics personally. I believe that not all programs are created equal. If you decide to be a film or communications major, for instance, you may find that you wasted your money on the education. However, there are some programs that the school can really give you strong leverage in the market. I am in the McGuire program, for instance, which is ranked #3 nationally in Entrepreneurship. It is a very hands-on experience where students get to experience firsthand what it is like to start a business and pitch to investors. Arizona is also very good in the sciences and pre-med route. Like any big school, classes are crowded in the first two years, however, once you begin to specialize in your major, classes have about 20 students and you can really build a relationship with your teacher and classmates

Kirstin

The U of A can be a very academically challenging school. What one is passionate about is the field of study they should choose as a major. Forget the stereotypes of, "Psychology isn't a real science," or "Communications is a fake major." Every major has its tough classes and there is no major that should ever be patronized. In my field of study, physiology, the classes are heavily science based, so my workload has always been more dense than my roommate's, who was an English major. But her classes required more work into a single assignment, whereas my assignments were frequent and weekly. The competitive nature of each major is also different. Physiology, pharmacy, music, biochemistry, and physics are some examples of very competitive majors where the students work for themselves and strive to get ahead of everyone. English, sociology, and psychology are some examples of less competitive majors. Some of my professors know my name. They only do because I may have visited them for office hours. That's all though, on account of my smallest class last semester still had over 200 people in it. In order to get to know a professor, one really has to be the one to reach out and start that student-professor relationship.

Branford

The University of Arizona's curriculum is solely based off research. Every teacher you have is most likely a research professor because that is how the school gets grant money. Additionally, the campus has a lot of classes to take from golf 101 to music 101 you just have to put some effort in to searching for the right one.

Kelly

Academics are highly regarded at the University of Arizona. Professors always have office hours, so even in a class of 1,000, you have the opportunity to form a relationship with your professor and TA's.

Bianca

I could write and explain all of the little nuances that occurred throughout each of my days at the University (being the only girl not in a sorority and trying to learn French for the knowledge and not just credit can be lonely!), but in reality I feel very fortunate to have graduated from the University of Arizona. The Anthropology and English Departments were my second home - many days they were the only places I wanted to be. Looking back I feel that if you stay true to you, choosing a major you truly love, then the opportunities to meet people and grow exponentially are endless. The Anthropology has employed, and still employs, some amazing professors with a passion for not just their subjects, but for life! But, this is simply MY humble experience at the UA... what will YOURS be?

Marcin

I feel that with three majors and a minor I could give some insights about the academics at the University of Arizona as I have been a student in multiple departments. When it comes to professors, majority of them are top notch reputation wise, excellent teachers and very approachable. They will know your name as long as you let them know you're there if you are in a lecture hall class. As you progress in your major and class sizes get smaller you might be caught off guard when a professor knows your names as you might have never spoken with him/her. They really do make an effort to know you as the class sizes get smaller and as for the bigger classes, that is what office hours are for leaving it up to you to utilize them. I have to say that my favorite class, as well as most difficult, was Organic Chemistry. It might sound crazy as there are not many students who like it but I was fascinated by it due to the amazing teacher who taught it. He was simply brilliant and a wonderful lecturer. It was a really captivating class. This leads us to talk about to study habits. The amount of studying you do is totally dependent on your class load and personal study habits. The truth is however, a lot of students at the U of A cram the night or two before their test. This type of studying is highly inefficient and defeats the whole purpose of learning but it does get the job done sometimes. The most successful students are the ones that study for their classes ahead of time and there is a good mix of both at this university. Participation and active listening in class definitely lessen the amount of outside studying that students need to do. However, not a lot of students like to participate and that is just common not only in Arizona. There are always students which like participation and others that dread it however some professors are aware of that and require participation as part of their course. This requirement opens up students to further participation in other classes. The requirements to get into the University could be more competitive but it is a public university and accepts a wide array of students. Many know that it is not difficult to gain admission to the university of arizona but what matters most is how you perform instead of what school you go to and I find many classes very, very challenging despite of being a great student at a private high school. The university does have many resources however that are geared to help you with your studies such as Think Tank which provides free tutoring, DRC which is a disability resource center and helps students gain notes as well as other resources to succeed in their courses, and just to mention one more example, U of A has SALT which is the number one strategic alternative learning center in the nation.

Sara

Professors here, for the most part, are very helpful and want students to succeed. The Gen Eds are usually huge and filled with students who don't really care, but the higher up you go, the better it gets. Not all Gen Eds are easy though, so don't blow them off. While it depends on the class, class participation isn't too common, as well as intellectual conversations. But this is a big school, with many departments and many different types of people. There are many dedicated students who came here to learn. The science and heath colleges are fantastic, and what the UofA is really known for.

Kelsey

The first year and a half you will have some pretty big general education classes. As you gradually move up to classes for your major and minor the classes get smaller and you really get to know your professors. I am a political science major and we have some amazing faculty. They are extremely experienced and I have loved every class that I have taken for my major. Its a great school with so many academic fields and opportunities.

Emily

Fantastic business and law program. Also graduate psychology program is ranked high. Has one of the largest and most diverse foreign language program. Some smarties, and some dummies. Classes sometimes are too big - but the ones that matter usually are not.

Sara

if you make it through your freshman year it's all down hill. freshman year is the hardest because time management can become an issue and getting priorities straight can be tough. most classes are straight forward and fairly simple to any student who is willing to put effort into their work.

Samantha

The academics at the U of A depend a great amount on what your major is and what type of classes you are taking. Considering the U of A is a very highly-regarded University, some classes are obviously difficult. Some classes are small with 30-40 students, while others are quite large with thousands of students. This may lead one to think that the professors do not pay much attention to the needs of individual students. However, they hold office hours where students may come in and talk to their professors about any issues they may be having with the class as well as with its material.

Brandon

I am in Eller College of Management here at UA and its by far one of the top 2 or 3 schools here on campus. I am double majoring in MIS and OM and i know basically all my professors and they know me when it comes to my core MIS classes. The MIS department at UA has been in the top 10 rankings since it was invented, and has been the best public MIS school in the nation for the 2nd year in a row. Studying in Eller is big during the week -- but we always have that 3 day weekend, so its a work hard play hard mentality. Students in Eller are VERY competitive and are some of the best in the nation, lots of the "do the minimal to slide by" do not make it into eller because of the harder requirement classes you have to take to get accepted. The faculty and the advisers are awesome because once your accepted into Eller they take care of you and get you into the classes you need,

Sam

The academics are fairly good, challenging, i do feel like i am learning and not just trying to do the work and get by

Rebecca

I had a big mix of experiences in my classes. In my Gen Eds, the professors didn't usually know my name. However, we often had weekly "sections" with 10-15 students, where that individual got to know us much better. I had some great, memorable classes and professors, and I also had some frustrating and unfair professors. Some of the gen eds seemed pointless and filled with just memorizing information, but as I got further into my degree's courses, I definitely felt information was much more relevant. I will be honest in saying that the overall "big picture" of U of A was what I will rave about, not their academics.

Lee

Some classes are very large (500 students), while others are very small (15 students). Odds are that you will have a combination of all sizes in your college career. The professors (the good ones) are easily accessible. They always hold office hours for you to come in and ask questions. There are also a mixture of students (ranging from overachieving to very lazy).

Garrett

GREAT TEACHERS. Use Rate my professor.com, and you will never go wrong. Even in a sea of 250 kids, I feel as though they are talking TO ME, not AT US.

Jessica

Arizona academic life is great. Most professors are very friendly and if you attend their office hours, they are willing to help you- but only if you put yourself out there. Sometimes you pick a general education class just to fulfill a requirement but you never know what you will actually walk away from it. For example, the best class I have taken at the University of Arizona is Indv101- Race, Ethnicity and the American Dream. It has opened my eyes to the society around us but at first, I had thought that it would be another bullshit course I had to take. The University has a gen-ed curriculum that forces you to take many different types of classes. Through this, actually is what made me want to change my major from communication to environmental science. Gen-eds suck but it really matters which ones you pick.

Lee

Again, this all has to do with the student's motivation and what kind of experience they want to have at the UA. There are a lot of really big courses where it's easy to get lost amidst your 500 peers, but professors are actually really accessible, for the most part. Class participation depends on the setup of the course; it's pretty hard to have a discussion in a huge lecture course, but in smaller classes, like literature or language classes, participation is pretty common, as well as in the breakoff sessions that often accompany the big lectures (those are usually led by grad students, though). Students in the pre-medical fields are all pretty competitive, and a few other departments. There are a lot of academic opportunities on campus with some of our world-class research and faculty, but there are lots of study abroad options, too!

Monique

Most of my classes have been really great. I can think of only one whee I wondered how this guy got tenure. My favorite class was African American Psychology. It was not in my major, but just a fantastic and interesting class. My least favorite class was the Psychology of religion and spirituality.There is generally classroom participation in most classes. However, it is less true in larger classes. Try to stick to smaller classes if you can. It is hard when you are in the gen eds to do this though.

kristen

The thing i like least about academics at Arizona are the gen-ed classes you have to take such as Trads! they stink- and some of the lower level classes are huge ... but when you get into actual classes for your major its a much more intimate setting with your teacher and fellow classmates. The retail program is amazing at Arizona - I definiely feel that it is preparing me greatly for what lies ahead after graduation!

Dan

Unlike many schools, Arizona has a set "gen-ed" curriculum that forces students to engage in many different areas of study before delving directly into their major's classes. I like this concept because as a freshman and still as a sophomore I have not declared my major..by being involved in these other classes I have been able to look into many different fields of study to help me choose my major. I recommend going to the library during times of class registration because wireless internet or internet that is faulty will cause for a lack of scheduling of good classes and leave students dissatisfied with their choices. If prospective students do not succeed in math, I suggest taking MAT 110 at the Pima Community College in that it is less expensive and taught in a more understandable fashion..Math 110 at the U of A is the most failed freshman course.. watch out!

Kelly

Academics at arizona are very hard! Coming out of high school i thought this would be a piece of cake but boy was i wrong! this school is very hard! The teachers are different. some can be boring beccause they dont make their classes intersting but others love to meet all their students and make sure all of them are interested in their subject! i study a lot more than i ever have! usually about 4- 8 days in advance depending on the class! it is the complete oppisite of high school.

Benjamin Travis

Education at the University of Arizona isn't extremely competitive. In the higher level classes, people are a lot quieter and don't mess around during lectures, though entry level students may have a hard time concentrating with all the other Freshman still in "high school" mode. There are a few professors on campus who know my name, and some I do work for outside of school to assist with their research. My favorite class was Psych 330, Sensation and Perception with Dr. Felice Bedford. The material wasn't overly complicated, and involved a lot more "high thinking" than classes based on reciting facts. Her tests are take home which was something I had never done before, which allowed me to really engage myself in the answers (all essay-format). The Psychology Department is very friendly, and the professors are all very intellectual and engaging people. So far I am incredibly pleased with my choice in Major since it's very easy to connect with the professors.

Amy

Academics here are huge. Many tier one classes are bigger but because there are separate discussion groups, it is easy to feel comfortable talking to a professor or a TA. Many professors actually care and want you to go to their office hours. I feel like there is a huge selection of classes to take from any subject that you could ever dream of.

Lindsay

Academics at Arizona is really what you make of it. It is easy to fall between the cracks because it is such a large school, but if you make an effort to get to know your professors, most of them will reciprocate. Students seem to study a fair amount here, depending on which classes they are taking. I have a couple of classes that demand a lot of out of class time. Students definitely participate more in smaller classes than larger ones. For my major, which is Pre-Business, it is very competitive because have to apply to the business program your junior year and the application process is very competitive. The education in Arizona seems like it is more geared towards learning for learning's sake rather than preparing you for getting a job, but that may change when I get into upper division classes.

Justin

My major is great for me. It is basically the new communications major - perfect for the business school dropouts. Many of the intro classes for Eller are the same prerequisites for the Retailing degree

kelsey

As far as academics go, I think I would have to say that they are probably as good as any other state university in the country. Of course, with any college they are going to have a particular area in which they focus most on. I believe ours happens to be science. So if your looking for a school that has pretty decent science programs, whether its biology or astronomy, this would be a great place to go. Another (well at least I think) up and coming college at this University is the Retailing and Consumer Sciences program. THis is the college that I am a part of and I absolutely love it. They say the classes are smaller, that way the teacher can get to know you and you can build relationships with fellow classmates. This eliminates the issue of just being a number and the professor/counselors will recognize you. I'm only a sophomore so maybe I haven't been here long enough for the "not so serious students" to be weeded out, but unfortunately that has its affects on the class. Most teacher are more than willing to accept any kind of discussion or questions that come up in the class. However, the majority of the students don't seem to care. They just want to get in and get out and survive until the weekend. The only advice I have is to ask questions no matter what. This is what you are here to do; learn. So take advantage of every opportunity.

Michelle

While I was in my general education classes, I felt like the classes were huge and there was no personal interaction. Although, when you start getting into your major classes your teachers really do get to know you and even in those big lecture halls everyone always sits in the same places and still have great discussions.

Robin

So far the Academics at the U of A have proven to be very nice, and I have met a great deal of professors that I find interesting, intelligent, and overall awesome. I do have to say, however, that the gen-ed math department here is horrible. I've heard of one good math professor out of all the first and second year math courses.

Torry

My professors know my name, but don't show very much personal investment in my education. Neither do my advisors nor any other faculty at the school.

Dylan

Professors do learn students names and they are very personable. they are very encouraging when it coems to coming in for office hours. my favorite class is spanish and my least favorite class is biology. studying depends on the students grade ad major. freshman dont tend to study as much as seniors do. students are competetive. the most unique class ive taken is music through experience. we play the guitar and recorder

Laurel

Yes, I know my profs names. I know only some personally, but the others I'd rather not know. Education here is geared towards getting a degree. The Biology department is realistic in using it in laboratories or other applicable fields.

Carly

Luckily since I am an upper classmen my classes are smaller given me a better chance to know my professors and have them know me. My favorite class is my upper divison Englsih class where we are taught different methods of research. Every class we get an assignment to find this obscure documents through what we have learn. It's been compared to a non-stop scavenger hunt and I love every second of it.

Charlie

Certain programs are better than others. The Business college (Eller) cultivates driven businessmen; the SBS program is weak. The language and humanities colleges need sever improvement. Most of my professors know my name because I take that effort to get to know them. My favorite classes are usually my language classes, like Portguese: more involved teachers. The worst thing is that the majority of the general education professors take their courses too seriously. They don't seem to get that it's only gen ed.

Brie

All classes are different, in smaller classes professors usually know our names, but it's rare for a professor to know your name if you're in a large lecture class of 200 students. If you go to office hours, you will usually get noticed. Some of my favorite classes are when the professor truly enjoys what they are teaching and you can tell they have a strong passion for you to learn and understand. Least favorite are when the professors are not approachable and are uncompromising. I don't know about most students, but I have homework everyday and that in itself is very time consuming. Class participation will only occur if the student feels comfortable enough to speak up in class. This is partly due to the professor who initiates this kind of environment. From the people that I have spoken to, some will have a lot to say and are opinionated, but others have no idea what they are taking about when trying to say something intelligent. Arizona students are very competitive, well the one's who care. Most unique class I've taken was German Feminist Writers of the 20th Century.

Scott

Academics arent fantastic at the UA based on what i hear but i have no problem with that, im a Comm major so im pretty much a joke but i love the classes.

Jared

i think a lot of the professors at arizona are very good. being in the business school i feel it is very competitive and a good academic school. it is not all about partying.

Thomas

Arizona academics is good. The classes are just the right size.

Justin

the professors care about their lectures and their students. the departments go very in-depth with the material the more you go into the courses. arizona is surprisingly amazing at research also

Ronald

It is easy to be anonymous at this school, but then again it is easy to be heard if you try. No intellectual conversations happen... ever.

Doug

The Eller College of Management (the business school at Arizona) is top 15 in the nation.

Jack

I work in a lab, i have a 4.0, i am a physiology and MCB major, and i party hard

Ryan

UA has pretty good professors that are always available.