At the University of Arizona, we view online learning as equivalent to in-person classes in terms of educational quality and student outcomes. That is why all transcripts and diplomas are the same and do not differentiate between online and in-person teaching modalities.
Because Global Direct Online students can enroll in university courses for lower tuition rates, there are no merit scholarships available for Global Direct Online. Please visit our Global Direct Online Costs page for more information.
You are not required to live on campus, but it is highly encouraged. For more information and to explore all of our dorms, please visit the Housing & Residential Life website. For off-campus housing options, please visit the Off-Campus Housing website.
Meal plans are convenient and can save you money, but they are not required. For more information, visit this list of Meal Plan FAQs.
Global Direct Online students must pay a library access fee and pay for books. Check with your Enrollment Counselor if you choose to affiliate with one of our University of Arizona World Microcampus Network partners, as additional fees or special tuition pricing apply in a few cases.
- If your intention is to take only a few courses online through Global Direct Online before switching to a Main Campus graduate degree program, you should apply for admission as a non-degree seeking student and contact the program coordinator for your intended major for guidance about which courses to take. The program coordinator can also help you understand the next steps in applying for admission as a degree seeking student on the Main Campus.
- Please note that some graduate programs are solely offered through Global Direct Online do not have in-person classes at the Main Campus.
- Students who are admitted to Global Direct Online as non-degree seeking will need to apply to a degree seeking program in order to transition to the Main Campus and will need to obtain a visa to study in the US.
- Students who are admitted to Global Direct Online as degree-seeking students and want to switch to the Main Campus should do so within 1 to 4 semesters of Online study. Transitioning after one or two semesters is most common. An academic advisor will help you determine when it is best to transition to the Main Campus, as online course availability varies major to major.
- Students who start in a Fully Online program and want to transition to the Main Campus should work with an academic advisor to ensure the courses they take fully online are applicable to the degree they intend to pursue at the Main Campus. Not every degree program that is offered in Global Direct Online is available on the Main Campus and vice versa. More majors are available on the Main Campus than in Global Direct Online, so be sure to talk with your academic advisor to explore your options.
No.
- It depends. If you are applying for undergraduate admission and have completed 3 years of regular English classes with a "C" or better at an accredited American high school (domestic or abroad), you do not need to take the TOEFL.
- If you have completed less than 3 years at an accredited American high school or were enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL)-level classes, you are still required to demonstrate English proficiency.
- International Undergraduate Admissions may review the English proficiency requirement and make admission decisions based on the totality of the student’s application, including but not limited to high school academic performance, extracurricular activities, and/or other test scores.
- If you are applying for graduate admission, proof of English proficiency is required for international applicants who hold citizenship from a country where English is not the official language.
Yes, a tuition payment plan is available. Please visit the Bursar’s website for more information.
No. Global Direct Online courses are offered in an asynchronous format, meaning they are not delivered to you in real-time. You can complete your online classes at a time convenient to you.
You will be informed about your admission decision via email. The notification will be sent to the email address provided on your application on the day the admission decision is made. If you have a University of Arizona email account, notification will be sent to your Arizona email address.
New degree-seeking students will be able to register during the New Student Orientation (one day after the Global Orientation). New non-degree seeking students can register for classes once enrollment opens. Check the Registration Calendar on the Registrar’s website for the dates. Students with ISC holds blocking enrollment should email intl-new@arizona.edu for assistance.
The Transfer Student Center is a great resource if you need support navigating the transfer process, finding community among fellow transfer students, and adjusting to Wildcat life.
You can pay this non-refundable application fee with a major credit card (VISA or MasterCard) via the online application. You can also pay by check or money order drawn on a U.S. banking affiliate, made payable to the University of Arizona.
When undergraduate students apply for admission to the main campus, they are automatically considered for scholarships during the admission process. You do not need to file a separate scholarship application. To learn more, please visit our Main Campus Costs & Scholarships page.
Students who submit a complete an admission application will automatically be considered for merit tuition scholarship awards, so long as they submit a completed application by the respective deadlines for first-year and transfer students. Admitted students may find additional scholarships using our scholarship matching database, Scholarship Universe. The peak season to apply for scholarships is from November through April so don’t wait to begin applying for scholarships via Scholarship Universe.
You can change/add a college or major at any point in your undergraduate career at the University of Arizona. Please be aware that certain majors may require prerequisites.
A change of major before registration of classes is done through the Office of Admissions. Please send a letter or email stating the major that you have initially applied for and the new major you are requesting. The letter/email must have the spelling of your full name (spell FAMILY NAME in capital letters), date of birth, and student ID number if you have been admitted.
Once you have registered for classes, to declare a major in a different college, you must first receive permission from the dean’s office of the college to which you wish to transfer. Change from one college to another is initiated by filing a change of college form with the new college.
To change majors within your current college, consult with the academic advisor for the new major regarding program requirements and the procedure to declare the major. There may be restrictions on the time of the semester for declaring a major or changing colleges.
Once you have changed your major, please contact International Student Services (ISS) to let them know of the changes so they can update your I-20.
- You can check the status of your undergraduate application by signing into Future Wildcat. You can log in to Future Wildcat with the email and password you used to complete your application. You can expect an admission decision 2-4 weeks from the date that all of your application materials are received by the University of Arizona. Applicants with U.S. secondary or U.S. college/university transcripts may experience longer processing times.
- You can check the status of your graduate admission application at any time by logging into GradApp. Once your application is in GradApp, no further action will be taken by the Graduate College until your department of interest makes a decision about your application.
Once you have been admitted, and obtained your Student ID number and PIN, you will create a NetID and password, and an email account. You will then gain access to your personalized checklist for enrollment, and can begin completing steps. After 48 hours, you must go to the Next Steps Center to complete your UA enrollment.
You are considered a first-year student if you will soon graduate high school, you have graduated, or you have a GED and have not enrolled in college since graduating or completed less than 12 college credits post high school. You are considered a transfer student if you have attended other colleges or universities, including community colleges, and have completed 12 or more transferable credits since graduating high school.
Arizona International Academic Advising team members will help eligible bachelor’s degree seeking students to enroll in Study Arizona.
You can find more information about how to request an I-20 or DS-2019 on the International Student Services New Students pages.
Unofficial Transcripts
Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for initial evaluation. At any time, you may be contacted to submit official/verified transcripts. To be considered for admission, simply upload your transcripts through the application. If you were not able to upload the transcripts in your application, you can log back in Future Wildcat to upload them. Or, you can email legible PDF copies of transcripts to international@arizona.edu.
Official Transcripts
If you have attended any college or university within the United States or Internationally during or post-high school, official transcripts from each institution you have attended are required at the time of enrollment. Please request your official transcript be sent to REG-transcripts@arizona.edu.
Please visit our Transcripts page for further information.
Applying early is important. Our spring semester application is available starting April 1 and our fall semester application is available starting July 1. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and take 2 to 4 weeks to process. Students who apply and are admitted early have first access to their preferred orientation dates, the on-campus housing application, and our exclusive scholarship-matching service, Scholarship Universe.
Find out how preferred name, sex, gender and pronoun information provided on the application for admission will be used.
You can make photocopies of the original credentials and have them certified by the authorized official at the institution that issues them or the Ministry of Education. These copies must bear the original signature of the authorized official and the colored institutional seal. We do not accept certification of a notary public.
Yes, students who complete IB exams may be eligible to obtain transferable credit for University of Arizona courses. For more details regarding transfer credits and IB scores, please visit our catalog.
If you have been admitted for the Summer term, you must contact International Students Services to register for Summer Orientation and to have the Orientation hold removed from your account in order to register for classes.
With conditional admission, students must still provide the required proof of English proficiency to enroll in coursework at the University of Arizona. All conditionally admitted students have until the application deadline for the term of admission to submit proof of proficiency via test score. Students may also choose to attend the University of Arizona’s Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) to complete their English proficiency requirement. Students who choose this pathway earn three semesters (including the semester that conditional admissions was received for) to prove their proficiency while their academic admissions offer to UA remains valid. For more information about the programs offered through CESL and to apply, please visit: www.cesl.arizona.edu.
Once you have achieved an admissible TOEFL or IELTS score, you must request the scores to be submitted to the University of Arizona through the testing center. The testing center will send your scores directly to the university once the center has verified your scores. This process could take a minimum of 3 weeks to complete. The University of Arizona ONLY accepts official, verified scores that are sent by the testing center. To ensure accuracy in processing your scores, please make sure your name on the test matches the name on your submitted application. If you have any questions about the status of your English proficiency test results, please email: international@arizona.edu.
If you would like to cancel your admission to the University of Arizona and have not paid your enrollment fee, please complete and submit the Admissions Cancellation Form.
If you have already taken action with your enrollment fee, please visit the Next Steps Center to cancel your admission to the University of Arizona.
Please note: This is NOT a blanket cancellation. Appropriate cancellation forms must be sent to all university departments, i.e. Orientation, Admissions, Residence Life, etc. Please contact each department for details on their cancellation procedures and requirements.
Undergraduate Students: There are a few things you need to do to officially become an Arizona Wildcat at our main campus in Tucson, Arizona. All of your remaining action items, like paying your enrollment fee and signing up for orientation, can be found in your Next Steps Center.
Graduate Students: Follow these steps to accept your admission:
- Login to GradApp.
- Choose your application using the "List My Application(s)" link.
- Accept your admission in the Next Steps box.
- View/Download your Certificate of Admission, PIN, and informational Welcome letter.
Through Global Direct Online, you take University of Arizona courses online. You can take these courses independently and do not need to choose a partner location. By choosing the partner university option, you gain access to partner facilities (such as the library, study areas, gym, or cafeteria), their on-campus events, and their housing (if applicable at that particular location). You do not automatically gain access to the courses of a partner university. A limited number of partner universities may offer select courses to Global Direct students, but most universities will not teach courses for Global Direct students during the academic year.
Yes, you can change your deferment term up to two times by going to your Future Wildcat Account and submitting a new deferment form with an updated term.
Placement scores for math and english are valid for one year unless you were placed via your ACT/SAT score or transfer credits, then you will need to take the placement exam again. Second language scores never expire.
Housing Application Fee: Your housing application fee, if paid, will not be refunded. If you defer your admission, wish to live in on-campus housing you will have to pay your housing application fee again.
Rent Down Payment: If you have paid your rent down payment, that fee will be refunded.
Yes. Almost everything you need to complete your coursework and research is available digitally and online through UA Libraries. Please see the UA Libraries webpage for online and distance students.
Yes, if you were admitted to the Honors College your Honors admission will also be deferred for up to two semesters and you will not need to apply again.
Yes, if you were admitted to the SALT center you will be able to defer your SALT admission for up to two semesters. Your SALT Center application and application fee will be deferred. If you paid the SALT center enrollment fee, it will be refunded. You do not need to do anything else outside of submitting the Admissions deferment form to have your SALT Center Admission deferred to a future term.
Yes, you may study independently.
The University of Arizona does not require students to submit SAT of ACT scores for admission. If you take the SAT and have the score report sent to our office (School Code: 4832), your scores may enhance your chance for admission.. Also, your English proficiency requirement will be waived if you achieve a SAT Verbal score of 580 or higher.
No, the SAT or the ACT are not required for admission to the University of Arizona.
Yes. The University of Arizona is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Yes. Please contact the Office of Admissions as admissions@arizona.edu for information on how to receive an appeal packet, which could require information like:
Updated academic information.
New ACT/SAT test scores, if applicable.
New personal statement.
Letters of recommendation from academic sources.
Any other relevant documentation.
Yes, if you were offered a merit tuition scholarship from the University of Arizona and choose to defer your enrollment you will have your scholarship reinstated for the new term. However, if you enroll at a four-year university during your deferment period, you will no longer be eligible for the merit tuition scholarship you were originally offered.
You may be eligible to receive a transfer I-20 for the University of Arizona. Submit an I-20 request in MyGlobal (under “Newly Admitted Students”) and enter your current school’s information to request a transfer of your SEVIS record.
No. It is recommended that students do not wait to apply since test scores are optional for admission.
General Education courses are offered in the first and second year of study and are common across multiple degrees. The university-wide general education program provides foundational knowledge and skills in support of the undergraduate degree programs and as preparation for life in a global society. The General Education curriculum helps students attain the fundamental skills that all college-educated adults must have, whatever their specific areas of study. You will find out more information about general education courses during orientation.
If the deferment deadline has passed for the term you were admitted, you must cancel your admission and submit a new admissions application.
- Please review our Requirements by Country for the specific requirements and credentials that you must submit based on where you have completed your secondary education. If you have attended a post-secondary institution, you must also send the official transcript (mark sheet) for the courses you have completed and the grades you earned.
Send an email to intl-new@arizona.edu with copies of your immigration documents showing your current status, such as an I-94 or I-797 Approval Notice, so we can review your eligibility to enroll. If you need to change to F-1 student status, please schedule an Admitted Student Appointment through the International Student Services Advising page.
- Study Arizona students enrolled in a Global Direct fully online bachelor’s degree programs to study for a semester at the Main Campus at the Global Direct Online tuition rate. If a student chooses to extend their stay beyond one semester, Main Campus tuition rates will apply.
- Prior to participating, students must complete at least 60 credit hours in the fully online Global Direct program. Students are encouraged to participate in their second to last semester of the UA degree program.
- Graduate students, non-degree seeking students, UArizona Academy, undergraduate certificate-only and undergraduate students planning to transition to Main Campus are not eligible for Study Arizona.
For full-time enrollment on the Main Campus or in Global Direct Online, our estimate for books is $450 USD per semester for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Paying the enrollment fee and signing up for orientation in your Next Steps Center is how you secure your spot at the University of Arizona.
While there is no hard deadline for students to commit, deadlines to cancel your admission and request a refund of the enrollment fee are listed in your Next Steps Center. Additionally, orientation sessions fill up quickly, so we encourage you to complete these items as soon as possible. The deadline to be refunded the enrollment fee for spring is December 23 and the deadline for fall is July 15.
If you have already been admitted to the university, you can learn more about getting #WildcatReady by visiting the New Student Orientation website.
Undergraduate non-degree seeking admission is for students who want to take up to 12 units with no intention of enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program at the University of Arizona in the future.
As the parent or family member of a University of Arizona student, you are a valued member of the Wildcat community, too. We encourage you to get involved through opportunities available through our Parent & Family Programs.
You will be responsible for tuition payments after you have registered for your classes. As a new student, you must make all payments before the first day of classes, otherwise a late fee will be added, or your classes will be dropped. For payment options and information, please visit the Bursar's Office. In order to view your balance or make a payment, you will need to be admitted, create a NetID and password, and log into UAccess. Please note: The enrollment fee and any housing application fees (if applicable) are separate costs and must be paid prior to registering for classes.
You will be able to find a list of available courses in the UAccess Student platform. An Arizona International Academic Advising team member will familiarize you with UAccess Student.
You can find sample course plans under your selected major in the undergraduate course catalog. Keep in mind that these are sample plans, and your specific courses will vary based on course availability in your semester of enrollment. Graduate students can find additional academic information about their preferred program in the graduate catalog.
You can visit the Advising Resource Center at advising.arizona.edu, and use the Directory to search for advisors by Major or College.
You may contact the enrollment counselor assigned to you or contact our Admissions Office.
International first-year, transfer, and non-degree seeking students who are admitted to any of the following campuses: main, Arizona online, distance and south. Reasons for deferment may include, but are not limited to: COVID-19, military, medical, faith based, financial. Re-admit students are not eligible for deferment and must apply again for the future term.
University of Arizona faculty members teach all courses.
Yes. Global Direct Online students are eligible for Main Campus scholarships. When you’re ready to transition to the Main Campus, your Global Student Success Team advisor will evaluate your eligibility for a Global Wildcat Award. To learn more, please visit our Main Campus Costs & Scholarships page.
Yes. In your classes, faculty members will create opportunities for you to interact with them and your peers. There are also networking and social opportunities available through our partners. Opportunities for interaction vary by World Microcampus Network partner location. Please explore partner locations on our website.
No. Transcripts and diplomas look the same regardless of the location or modality.