University of Arizona Top Questions

Challenging, but rewarding

They're pretty alright.

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

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

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.)

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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