The University of Arizona is launching Global Locations across five continents in 34 countries, partnering with top universities to provide an education to international students.  

Students can study at University of Arizona locations on international university campuses or live and study in residential communities through a partnership with Global Student Accommodations, a global leader in student housing.

The launch of this new global program is timely given the international travel restrictions and student visa moratoriums put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

University of Arizona Global offers 10 customized degree paths to more than 200 undergraduate majors, 10 graduate certificates and 60 fully online degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In more than 130 cities in countries including China, Ireland, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, India and Japan, these Global Locations will be within reach for millions of students.

"This program is tailored to meet the access needs of international students," said Brent White, dean of Global and vice provost of global affairs at the University of Arizona. "Many cannot afford to attend college in the United States; some do not have high-speed internet required to take classes online; and nearly all are unable to travel internationally, due the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative addresses all of these issues."

Seventy-three Global Locations in 32 different countries are a part of partner university campuses, offering a full college experience to students wherever they are. 

Another 58 Global Locations are in purpose-built student accommodations that offer a safe and engaging community for students to live and study. These locations are available through partnerships with Uninest, The Student Housing Company and Nexo – with residential student communities in Spain, England, Germany, Ireland, Australia, China, Japan and Dubai.

The Global Locations concept has been in development for several years. The first University of Arizona microcampus launched at Ocean University of China in 2015, and the concept was bolstered by the increasing array of online courses and degrees offered through University of Arizona Online, available to U.S. and international students. 

"This is a long-term effort towards meeting the United Nations' sustainable development goal of providing accessible quality education to the world," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "We are truly making affordable, world-class education available to global citizens around the world and, in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been needed more.”

Officials at the University of Arizona accelerated the global expansion to provide an immediate option for international students everywhere whose plans were disrupted by the pandemic, and who are unable to begin their studies abroad. International students can choose to transition to the U.S. later, or earn their degrees from the University of Arizona entirely from their home country.

At partner universities, students can take a mix of University of Arizona courses online and partner courses in person­­. Students who choose on-campus classes will have access to in-person academic support, access to partner school computer labs, study areas, libraries, recreational facilities, clubs and student activities.

University of Arizona Global is accepting applications from international students for fall 2020 at everywhere.arizona.edu. Students can select from several degree path options or work with an adviser to create a customized plan.

"This rapid implementation is possible because it builds on two existing strengths: our network of microcampus locations and our top-ranked Arizona Online," said University of Arizona Provost Liesl Folks. "We want to help students achieve their dreams of a U.S. degree, whether it is from the University of Arizona or another U.S. university."

Learn more by visiting the university's new international admissions website, everywhere.arizona.edu.

Universities interested in partnering with the University of Arizona should contact White at brentwhite@arizona.edu