General Education Requirements
The University’s General Education website provides additional and up to date information. The information below addresses specific General Education requirements as they apply to Engineering students.
All degree-seeking undergraduates must satisfy the requirements of the UA General Education curriculum by completing the following series of courses:
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Foundations - First-Year Writing (Composition), Mathematics, and Second Language courses*
Engineering students may fulfill the Second Language Requirement with one of the following options: - two years of the same high school second language
- scoring the equivalent of second-semester skill level on a proctored proficiency examination administered by The University of Arizona
- completion with a C or better of a second semester course at the post-secondary level
- attainment of minimum score on a national standardized second language test, such as an AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate) or CLEP (College Level Entrance Program) language score as listed below.
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Introduction to General Education course - Introduces students to General Education, reflecting on learning, and developing an ePortfolio. Required for students admitted as first-year students; optional for all other students. (1 unit)
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Exploring Perspectives courses - Introduce students to four disciplinary domains. The emphasis is on ways of thinking, knowing, and doing in those disciplines. Students will choose at least one course from each domain (12 units minimum), including:
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Artist
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Humanist
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Natural Scientist – The array of required UA Engineering science courses (PHYS 141 and CHEM 151, for example) satisfies the Natural Scientist General Education requirement.
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Social Scientist
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Building Connections courses - Bring together knowledge and modes of thinking from two or more disciplines and/or perspectives. Students will choose three courses (9 units minimum).
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GE Capstone course - Facilitates student reflection on their General Education experience to complete their ePortfolio in the GE Capstone course. Required for students admitted as first-year students; optional for all other students. (1 unit)
Diversity Emphasis Requirement
Students are required to complete one course that focuses on studies in gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation or non-Western areas. This can be fulfilled through an appropriate Tier One or Tier Two course, as indicated in the Academic Program Requirements Report for your degree program. All 160A courses are non-Western in focus and satisfy this requirement. There are also Tier Two courses in Individuals and Societies as well as Arts and Humanities that satisfy this requirement. Please confirm the diversity emphasis designation in the course descriptions.
Students in the Honors College have additional options for General Education courses.
Transfer Coursework
New, Incoming Students
Incoming first-year students with dual enrollment course credits, IB or AP credits, who have submitted official transcripts, will find the coursework included in the Transfer Credit Report in their UAccess accounts. If the courses are not populating the correct General Education requirements fields in the Advisement Report, email engr-advising@arizona.edu. Please make the subject line “General Education Review,” and include in the body of the email your name, student ID number and major or intended major.
New, Incoming In-State Transfer Students
Students with AGEC – Arizona General Education Curriculum – certification have completed their General Education requirements.
Incoming Out-of-State Transfer Students
Out-of-state students transferring college-level credit must have non-engineering courses – with the exception of General Education classes – evaluated by their respective departments. For more information, visit Transfer Credit & Articulation.
If your General Education courses have not yet been evaluated, which should have occurred prior to orientation, email the College’s General Education advisers at engr-advising@arizona.edu. Please make the subject line “Transfer General Education Review,” and include in the body of the email your name, student ID number and major or intended major.
Transferring General Education Courses from Other Institutions
Engineering students planning to enroll in General Education courses at other colleges and universities are strongly encouraged to obtain prior approval from the College of Engineering Advising Center. Doing so will ensure the selected transfer courses apply toward the General Education requirements of the student’s degree program. General Education courses at other colleges and universities may not satisfy General Education requirements at the University of Arizona. Email your selections to engr-advising@arizona.edu using your UA email account. Please include your name, student ID number, current major, course title and description.
Additionally, you can see which courses have already been preapproved for transfer using the Transfer Credit Guide. Many courses have been coded to fulfill specific requirements. You will also be able to use the Transfer Credit Guide to look up the equivalencies for English, math and science courses.
