Global Campus Foundations is the University of Arizona Global Campus framework for general education. It is designed as a purposeful pathway that builds the durable skills and breadth of knowledge that are necessary for success in students’ careers, academic journeys, and personal lives. Serving as the cornerstone of students’ academic experience, Global Campus Foundations nurtures intellectual curiosity, strengthens essential skills, and positions learning as a transformative journey that empowers individuals to realize their potential.
Grounded in the pillars of Integrative Learning and Professional Advancement, the curriculum connects rigorous inquiry with practical application. Students learn to think across boundaries, apply knowledge in authentic contexts, and develop as adaptable, ethical decision makers. Learning experiences are intentionally designed to connect with students’ experiences in their workplaces and communities while empowering them to communicate with clarity, solve pressing problems, and fuel the curiosity necessary to become a lifelong learner.
Global Campus Foundations is organized into three integrated requirements. 1) Foundations builds essential academic and professional skills that support success across disciplines. 2) Exploring Perspectives introduces students to the humanities, arts, social sciences, and natural sciences, encouraging them to adopt the stance of the practitioner. 3) Building Connections helps students develop interdisciplinary thinking, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and civic knowledge and participation.
The Global Campus Foundations learning experience is designed to ground students in disciplinary knowledge and durable skills that are the roots that feed future success. Through thoughtful study and practical learning, students sharpen the skills they need to communicate clearly, solve problems, and make sound and informed decisions. By connecting perspectives with authentic application, Global Campus Foundations helps learners actualize their intellectual potential, build durable skills, lead with integrity, and participate thoughtfully and confidently in the creation of better lives.
Global Campus Foundations Learning Outcomes
Written Communication
Students will create clear, cohesive, and ethically responsible written work that integrates information from diverse sources, demonstrates control of language and conventions, and adapts purposefully to audience, context, and genre.
Oral and Interpersonal Communication
Students will communicate effectively and ethically in oral and interpersonal contexts by adapting messages to diverse audiences, interpreting meaning with accuracy, and employing strategies that foster clarity, understanding, and professional impact.
Critical Thinking
Students will apply logical reasoning and evidence-based analysis to identify problems, evaluate arguments, and develop well-supported solutions and positions across varied contexts.
Information, Research, and Inquiry
Students will locate, evaluate, and ethically use information from diverse sources to communicate effectively and support informed decision-making across academic, professional, and personal contexts.
Digital Fluency
Students will effectively and ethically use digital technologies to locate, evaluate, and create information, while applying digital tools to problem-solving, communication, and innovation in academic, professional, and personal contexts.
Quantitative Reasoning
Students will apply mathematical reasoning and quantitative evidence to interpret data, solve problems, and make informed decisions in academic, professional, and personal contexts.
Civic Institutions
Students will analyze the principles, history, and constitutional foundations of the United States, evaluate their impact on contemporary institutions and public life, and apply civic knowledge and skills to engage responsibly in a self-governing society.
Global Campus Foundations Requirements
Global Campus Foundations requirements for the University of Arizona Global Campus Associate- and Bachelor-level programs are outlined in this section; however, specific Global Campus Foundations courses may be required for some programs and majors. Not every Global Campus Foundations course is available in every degree program. Please refer to the program requirements sections of this Catalog for information on specific degree program requirements.
A course may be applied only once to meet a Global Campus Foundations requirement. Whether a course may be applied simultaneously to a Global Campus Foundations requirement and to a major requirement depends on the requirements specified for each major.
| Global Campus Foundations Total | 33 credits |
| Foundations (15 credits) | |
| Digital Fluency | 3 credits |
| Information, Research, and Inquiry | 3 credits |
| Written Communication | 6 credits |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 credits |
| Exploring Perspectives (9 credits) | |
| Artist and Humanist Perspective | 3 credits |
| Natural Scientist Perspective | 3 credits |
| Social Scientist Perspective | 3 credits |
| Building Connections (9 credits) | |
| Interdisciplinary Oral Communication | 3 credits |
| Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking | 3 credits |
| Interdisciplinary Civic Institutions | 3 credits |
Foundations (15 credits)
Prerequisite courses, if needed, must be completed before taking the foundation course. However, required courses listed can be waived by means of high school advanced placement (AP) coursework and/or placement/competency testing. Students should consult their Academic Advisors for additional information regarding a waiver of requirements.
Students must demonstrate completion of the subsequently listed requirements for the Associate and Bachelor’s degrees. Courses offered by the University of Arizona Global Campus to satisfy these requirements are listed in each area.
Digital Fluency (3 credits)
Digital Fluency is the ability to critically, ethically, and effectively engage with digital technologies in a society shaped by rapid innovation. Students will develop skills in using digital tools for research, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving, while also learning to evaluate information, manage their digital identities, and protect themselves and others in online environments. Students will also apply digital technologies to create content, solutions, and innovations that support academic success, workplace effectiveness, and meaningful participation in civic and personal life.
One digital fluency course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- GEN 102 Digital Fluency for Life and the Workplace (3 credits)
- TEC 100 Computer Literacy (3 credits)
- INF 220 IS Principles (3 credits)
- INF 231 Programming Concepts (3 credits)
Information, Research, and Inquiry (3 credits)
Information, research, and inquiry is the set of research skills that allow individuals to recognize when information is needed, to locate it, evaluate it, and effectively use it to communicate a message or support a claim. Students will develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate sources and communicate information appropriately, effectively, and ethically.
One information, research, and inquiry course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- GEN 103 Information Literacy (3 credits)
Written Communication (6 credits)
Written communication is the use of texts to create and transmit meaning. Students will examine, analyze, and utilize different types of communication appropriate to professional and academic settings. They will also develop and assess communication strategies appropriate for certain audiences and evaluate ethical issues that arise from communicating with others.
Two courses, 6 credits, is required. The University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- ENG 121 Composition I (3 credits)
- ENG 122 Composition II (3 credits)
Typically, English composition courses, may be applied in transfer to satisfy the written communication requirement.
Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)
Quantitative reasoning is the ability to efficiently process data, interpret it, represent it using mathematical forms, and solve numerical and applied mathematical problems. Students will use mathematical forms, logical reasoning, and valid techniques to solve problems related to their fields of study as well as their personal lives.
One course, 3 credits, is required. The University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- MAT 205 Quantitative Explorations in Everyday Life (3 credits)
- MAT 222 Intermediate Algebra (3 credits)
- MAT 232 Statistical Literacy (3 credits)
- MAT 233 Statistics and Discrete Mathematics (3 credits)
Students in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Software Technology program must complete or show equitable transfer credits for MAT 222 in the Global Campus Foundations Quantitative Reasoning requirement. This program also requires that students take MAT 232 as part of their major and that MAT 232 cannot satisfy their Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
Exploring Perspectives (9 credits)
Courses offered to satisfy the exploring perspectives requirements are subsequently listed:
Artist and Humanist Perspective (3 credits)
The artist and humanist perspective invites students to engage with the creative and intellectual forces through which humanity seeks meaning, beauty, and understanding. Through artistic creation and humanistic reflection, students explore how imagination, expression, and inquiry illuminate the human condition and give form to our shared values, struggles, and aspirations. This perspective cultivates cultural literacy, empathy, and aesthetic awareness while fostering the capacity to critically engage with the enduring questions that shape human experience. By encountering diverse works of art, thought, and tradition, students develop the ability to interpret the world with both sensitivity and discernment.
One artist and humanist perspective course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- INS 200 Ways of Knowing: Interdisciplinary Humanities (3 credits)
- ART 101 Art Appreciation (3 credits)
- ENG 125 Introduction to Literature (3 credits)
- ENG 225 Introduction to Film (3 credits)
- HIS 103 World Civilizations I (3 credits)
- HIS 104 World Civilizations II (3 credits)
- HIS 206 United States History II (3 credits)
- LIB 101 The Art of Being Human (3 credits)
- LIB 102 Human Questions (3 credits)
- LIB 202 Women, Culture, and Society (3 credits)
- LIB 316 Historical Contexts and Literature
- PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning (3 credits)
Natural Scientist Perspective (3 credits)
The natural scientist perspective emphasizes inquiry into the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning. Students will explore how scientific methods generate knowledge, test hypotheses, and refine explanations of natural phenomena. This perspective fosters curiosity, critical evaluation of scientific claims, and application of scientific reasoning to personal, professional, and societal challenges.
One natural scientist perspective course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- SCI 205 Introduction to Environmental Sustainability (3 credits)
- SCI 207 Our Dependence upon the Environment (4 credits)
- HIM 205 Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
- HPR 205 The Human Body, Health, and Disease (4 credits)
Social Scientist Perspective (3 credits)
The social scientist perspective equips students with the tools to examine human behavior, social structures, and cultural institutions through systematic inquiry. Students will engage with theories, evidence, and methods of the social sciences to interpret how individuals and groups interact, societies organize themselves, and policies and institutions shape society and culture. This perspective cultivates critical analysis of complex social issues, informed by data, context, and ethical reasoning, and prepares students to evaluate claims and contribute to civic and professional life.
One social scientist perspective course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- CRJ 201 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
- ECE 205 Introduction to Child Development (3 credits)
- ECO 203 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits)
- ECO 204 Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits)
- EDU 100 Issues in Education (3 credits)
- HON 280 Society, Power, and Responsibility (3 credits)
- MIL 101 Introduction to Military Studies (3 credits)
- POL 111 Introduction to Political Science (3 credits)
- POL 201 American National Government (3 credits)
- POL 255 Introduction to International Relations (3 credits)
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
- SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
- SOC 205 Social Theory (3 credits)
- SSC 101 Introduction to Social Science (3 credits)
Building Connections (9 credits)
Courses offered to satisfy the building connections requirements are subsequently listed:
Interdisciplinary Oral Communication (3 credits)
Oral and interpersonal communication is the use of language, speech, and affect to transmit messages. Students will examine the encoding of messages for different audiences and decoding of messages to reconstruct meaning. Students will assess appropriate communication strategies for various audiences and evaluate ethical issues that arise from communicating with others as well as utilize effective oral and interpersonal presentation strategies and methods.
One interdisciplinary oral communications course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- BUS 340 Business Communications (3 credits)
- CGD 240 Media Writing and Editing (3 credits)
- COM 200 Interpersonal Communication (3 credits)
- COM 223 Persuasion in Communication (3 credits)
- SPE 103 Oral Communication (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking (3 credits)
Critical thinking is a set of skills and strategies for making decisions about what people ought to do and believe. Students will analyze thought processes and language, identify logically fallacious thinking, and use the essential skills of deductive and inductive argument in analysis and evaluation. Students will also learn to objectively identify problems, gather information from varied and appropriate sources, and utilize methods of decision-making to provide solutions to those problems.
One interdisciplinary critical thinking course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- BUS 114 Principles of Supervision (3 credits)
- COM 223 Persuasion in Communication (3 credits)
- HON 270 Thinking Critically about Global Issues (3 credits)
- PHI 103 Informal Logic (3 credits)
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary Civic Institutions (3 credits)
Civic Institutions is the study of the historical, political, legal, and economic foundations of the United States and their continuing influence on contemporary society. Students will examine the history and principles of American constitutional democracy, analyze founding documents and constitutional debates, evaluate landmark Supreme Court cases, and consider how these forces have shaped and continue to shape American institutions of self-governance. Students will also assess the civic knowledge and actions necessary for responsible participation in a self-governing society, including civil dialogue, informed decision-making, and the application of basic economic reasoning to public policy and personal choices.
One civic institutions course, 3 credits, is required. the University of Arizona Global Campus offers the following courses to satisfy this requirement:
- POL 202 The American Republic: Principls, Ideals, Institutions, and Society (3 credits)