Recognized Degrees

Recognized degrees are based on programs of study that meet or exceed the general educational requirements for comparable majors and degrees at The University of Arizona. A degree cannot ordinarily be recognized if it is based on:

  1. Credits awarded by postsecondary institutions in the United States that lack candidate status or accreditation by a regional accreditation association.  The University of Arizona recognizes degrees from regionally accredited institutions in the United States. Please refer to http://www.chea.org/Directories/regional.asp for more detailed information. The comparability of international course work and degrees will be determined solely by the Graduate College. Degrees from international institutions should have equivalent accreditation from their country, and are evaluated case by case using submitted transcripts and degree certificates.
  2. Credits awarded by postsecondary institutions for life experience unless validated by the institution awarding the credits through the use of standardized or comprehensive examinations (such as the College Level Examination Program or CLEP);
  3. Credits awarded by postsecondary institutions for courses taken at non-collegiate institutions (e.g., governmental agencies, corporations, industrial firms, etc.);
  4. Units awarded by postsecondary institutions for noncredit courses, workshops, and seminars offered by other postsecondary institutions as part of continuing education programs;
  5. Credits awarded by postsecondary institutions outside the United States that lead to degrees considered not equivalent to the U.S. bachelor's degree, or that lack recognition by the home country's Ministry of Education.

In general, degrees that are recognized should be based on a unit of credit comparable to that defined by the Arizona Board of Regents for institutions under its jurisdiction. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. An hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class time (often called a "contact hour") or 60 minutes of independent study work. For lecture-discussion courses, this requirement equates to at least 15 contact hours and a minimum of 30 hours of work outside of the classroom for each unit of credit. Even though the values of 15 and 30 may vary for different modes of instruction, the minimum total of 45 hours of work for each unit of credit is a constant. Each applicant with an undergraduate academic record containing "pass," "satisfactory," "credit," or similar entries for courses which have a substantial bearing on the field of specialization must also submit (1) a written evaluation by the instructor of each such course or a letter grade, and (2) scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Graduates of foreign institutions may be required to enroll in undergraduate-level course work to make up deficiencies in preparation.