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.