The University-wide General Education Program in a Nutshell

The General Education program at the University of Arizona provides our students with the foundational facts, processes, theories, and habits of mind to meet the challenges of the 21st century across a variety of disciplines.

The courses in the General Education program are designed to encourage students to develop a critical and inquiring attitude, an appreciation of complexity and ambiguity, a tolerance for and empathy with persons of different backgrounds or values and a deepened sense of self.

The General Education Program at The University of Arizona is university-wide; that is, regardless of college or major, students hold their general education requirements in common.

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Tier One and Tier Two
Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-Western Area Studies

The University-wide General Education Structure:

Tier One:	Tier Two:	Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-western Area Studies:
TRAD 2 courses INDV 2 courses NATS 2 courses	Arts 3 units Individuals & Societies 1 course Natural Science 1 course Humanities 1 course	1 course

NOTE: Some colleges and programs have been granted a partial exemption at Tier Two and for language proficiency. Check with an advisor.

For current term offerings and course descriptions, see the University of Arizona General Catalog or the Schedule of Classes. Academic Program Requirements Reports (APRRs) provide information about General Education requirements associated with majors.

Tier One and Tier Two
Both Tier One and Tier Two courses offer rigorous treatments of fundamental knowledge and methods of inquiry.

They are designed to foster independent, creative, and interactive learning, inspiring students to think about themselves, others, and social organizations in new and insightful ways. Students are exposed to various areas of study and acquire valuable skills and knowledge applicable to their lives at the University and beyond.

Tier One
Tier One courses introduce students to fundamental issues and concepts pertinent to three study areas: Traditions and Cultures (Trad), Individuals and Societies (INDV), and Natural Sciences (NATS).

Students are required to take two courses in each segment of Tier One, for a total of six courses. Students entering the University as freshmen will be expected to complete Tier One requirements by the end of the midpoint of their degree (e.g. for a four-year 120-unit degree program by the end of the second year of full-time work or the completion of 60 units).

NOTE:  Students with a major in Science can satisfy their Tier One Natural Sciences (NATS) requirement with their core science classes.

IMPORTANT! Consult the APRR for your degree program and contact an academic advisor. Do not assume that you can replace a Tier One requirement without first consulting your advisor.

Tier Two
Tier Two courses offer more in-depth examination of particular disciplines. They are organized into four study areas: Arts, Humanities, Individuals and Societies, and Natural Sciences.

Students are required to take one course each in Humanities, Individuals and Societies, and Natural Sciences, and 3 units in Arts. One study area (one course or 3 units in Arts) may be completed by a major course; each major identifies which study area could be completed within its course work. Students are expected to complete Tier Two requirements by the conclusion of their undergraduate degree.

Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-Western Area Studies
One course in a student’s degree program must focus on Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-Western Area Studies.

This requirement may be filled by a designated Tier One or Tier Two course, or by a designated course taken from another area of the university curriculum, as, for example, in the student’s major or minor.  Look for this note in the General Catalog course description: "Fulfills the Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-Western area study requirement."

For a complete list of courses that will fulfill the Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, or Non-Western Area Studies requirement, see http://catalog.arizona.edu/2004-05/courses/aaindex.html#GENED.