Arizona State University's Universal Learner Project: Accessible Education for All

Arizona State University (ASU) has pioneered a unique approach to accessible education through its Universal Learner (UL) Project, formerly known as Earned Admissions/Global Freshman Academy. This initiative leverages the edX platform to deliver MOOC-style (Massive Open Online Courses) courses, offering a low-risk pathway to earning regionally accredited college credits from ASU. The Universal Learner Project reflects ASU's commitment to providing accessible pathways to college for every learner.

What are ASU Universal Learner Courses?

Arizona State University offers an expanding list of open-access courses taught by ASU faculty and available for people who are not formally admitted or enrolled at ASU. Universal Learner Courses (or ULCs) often satisfy general studies requirements or are common prerequisites across a variety of majors.

Key Features and Benefits

Open Access: Anyone not currently enrolled at ASU can take Universal Learner Courses. These courses are designed for learners who are not yet enrolled at ASU.
Low Initial Cost: To begin a course, students pay a minimal $25 enrollment fee.
Pay-for-Credit: Students only pay the full $400 course fee if they are satisfied with their grade (70% or higher) and choose to have the course transcripted for college credit.
No Hidden Fees: There are only two fees associated with the courses: the $25 enrollment fee and the $400 fee to add the course to an ASU transcript for college credit.
Affordable Retake Option: Students can retake a course to improve their grade by paying another $25 fee.
No Textbook Costs: There are no fees for books or materials for these courses. All materials are provided when the course opens.
Asynchronous Learning: Universal Learner Courses are asynchronous, meaning they do not have any live content. While there are weekly due dates in most courses, you can complete the coursework when it is convenient for you. Some courses hold live office hours with instructors, but these are not required, and the content is recorded and posted in the course to view whenever works best for you.
Real ASU Credit: Universal Learner Courses provide a course experience that serves diverse learner audiences and features active learning and project-based assessment. These courses are evaluated and designed by ASU faculty to align with the same courses on campus and feature the same faculty.
Transcriptable Credit: These courses appear identically to a course you would take online or on campus as an enrolled ASU student.
Academic Support: The ULC Online Study Hub offers academic support.
Flexible Enrollment: Universal Learner Courses are designed to be flexible, allowing students to learn online at their own pace.
Risk-Free Exploration: There is no risk to your academic record with Universal Learner Courses since you don’t pay to add them to your transcript until you choose. If you find that now’s not the time for you to take a course, you can easily unenroll at any time on your learner dashboard.
Credit for High School Students: Any learner with an internet connection and a valid ID (or birth certificate, for learners under 18) can take these courses and earn credit, including high school students.
Refund Policy: You may unenroll from ULCs at any time without impacting your academic record. If you unenroll within 10 calendar days of the course start date, you will automatically be issued a refund of the $25 enrollment fee. You may only receive one automatic refund per course. Refunds will not be issued for the purchase of ASU credit.
Military Benefits: These courses are not currently covered by any military benefit. ULC learners cannot access 1098-T information from their My ASU page.
Tuition Reimbursement: Some ULC participants have successfully gotten their credits reimbursed by their company, so it won’t hurt to ask! It’s always best to talk with your HR department before you attempt to convert, and be sure to mention this is real college credit provided by Arizona State University.

Course Structure and Resources

Nearly all ASU UL classes consist of a number of videos along with weekly assignments. These assignments generally take the form of multiple-choice quizzes or short-form entries for math problems. Notable exceptions are self-study precalculus, which utilizes the ALEKS platform, and English 101/102 which require you to create a free Wix site that will be used to submit your essay assignments. Other resources that are used by ASU include the Cerego flashcard platform (there is no cost for this) and Yellowdig for some written assignments with some classes. For courses that have a final exam, which the English 101/102 classes do not have, the final exam is worth anywhere from 25-35% of your total grade.

On-Demand vs. Session-Based Courses

Universal Learner Courses are offered in two formats: on-demand and session-based.

On-demand: An on-demand course can be started at any time and completed at your own pace. You must spend a minimum of 6 weeks enrolled in the course and have 1 year to complete it.
Session-based: A session-based course has a specific start date and the structure of a cohort with other learners and due dates.

ASU encourages learners to enroll in session-based courses whenever possible, as learners are more successful in session-based courses where they can move through the course material with other learners and have due dates for assignments. On-demand courses are best for learners who have to take long absences from internet connectivity or high school students that use these courses for dual enrollment.

Read also: Arizona Education System

Access to course materials (readings, videos, presentations, etc.) is available for 2 weeks after the course ends for all session-based courses. On-demand courses will be closed upon request for academic credit.

Notable Courses

Of particular note to some students is AST111 (Introduction to Astronomy) and CHM114 (General Chemistry for Engineers). These are 4-credit classes that count as a science with a lab and can fulfill COSC's requirement for such. Once the cost of purchasing lab materials, shipping, and subscription fees are taken into account for other classes offered elsewhere, this can make ASU's offering less costly than some alternate credit offerings.

Several courses are offered as 8-week instructor-led sessions where the entirety of the course is unlocked at the start:

SES-106 Habitable Worlds and BIO-100 The Living World have a total of 40 segments, with an expectation to complete one every weekday. Completing 1 or 2 segments every day can shorten the completion time to 4-6 weeks instead of the full 8 weeks.
CIS-308 Advanced Excel in Business is also fully unlocked from the start. "Deadlines" are provided, but these are only to ensure that you are able to finish the course on time. There is no penalty for turning in an assignment early or late.
PSY-101 Introduction to Psychology includes 6 modules, 5 of which are unlocked from the start (with module 6 open ~50% through the course).
The CIS-x94 courses from the Google IT Support Certificate program may transfer to other institutions as special topics courses.

Other courses include:

Explore the civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages.
Learn how physical, psychological and emotional health are interconnected, and explore the importance of wellness in everyday life.
Delve into the foundations of psychology, including biology, cognition, development and mental health.

Career Mastery Certificates

Career Mastery Certificates are a great way to take ASU courses and earn college credit - while also earning a credential that showcases your skills to employers.

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Universal Learner Courses and ASU Admission

ASU’s Universal Learner program was intentionally created to funnel students into ASU’s regular college degree programs. ASU has traditional on-campus programs and online degrees.

Earned Admission

Earned Admission provides a path for people at every stage of their career to earn a degree from Arizona State University. Anyone not currently enrolled at ASU can participate in Earned Admission by taking Universal Learner Courses. If you want to work towards a degree at ASU and aren’t ready to fully commit to university due to financial or scheduling reasons, Earned Admission is for you.

Admission Requirements

To earn admission into ASU, you need a high school diploma, GED or Affidavit of Completion of Secondary School Education. This is part of the materials required on the ASU application.

Freshman Applicant

Even with a substantial amount of college credit, high school students typically apply as first-time freshmen for college admission and financial aid at any college or university. If your student is denied admission for any reason, they can receive “guaranteed admissions” by completing 24 college credits through Universal Learner after high school. All college credit earned before, during, and after high school can be applied to their degree.

Finding the Right Courses

Universal Learner Courses are general education courses that satisfy common requirements across a wide variety of degrees. To ensure each course you are taking counts specifically towards your degree of interest, ASU highly encourage you to find the major map of the degree you plan to pursue. Typically, you can find this by going to degrees.asu.edu, finding your degree, scrolling down to the courses section, and clicking on the “view full major map” link.

Read also: Understanding ASU Tuition

If you’re currently unsure of your degree of interest, ASU offers the me3 career exploration tool to help you discover degree programs you may be interested in.

Credit Transfer

ASU is a regionally accredited 4-year university. The credit earned there should transfer to any college that accepts transfer credit. If you already have a target college in mind, you could check with the college to verify in advance.

You can use the course search function of the Transfer Credit Guide to find the course you took to determine if and how it might apply.

Replacing Grades

If you have already completed a course, taking the same course with ULC will not replace the grade you earned at another institution.

NCAA Eligibility

High school students interested in using ASU Universal Learner Courses to meet NCAA core-course requirements should consult with their high school counselor or registrar. The high school is responsible for determining whether a Universal Learner Course can be categorized as dual enrollment, included in their curriculum, and reported to the NCAA as part of the student’s academic record.

ASU Certificates

Certificates consist of 3-6 courses, and learners typically take 1-2 classes at a time. The average completion time of each course is 8 weeks.

To receive an ASU Certificate, you must add all of the courses to your transcript by purchasing the credits before receiving the credential. However, you have up to one year after completing each course to pay the credit fee.

There is no minimum GPA requirement for certificates. However, If you’re using these courses to earn admission to ASU, you must pass each course with a C or better and have at least a 2.75 GPA to earn a certificate.

If you are having challenges with the coursework, tutoring is available to ensure you successfully complete the program. Visit the ULC Online Study Hub for academic support.

If you enroll but don’t finish the requirements, there are no negative repercussions if you cannot finish the courses. ULC offers the opportunity to try college courses with low cost and low risk.

ASU Certificate courses will not count toward Earned Admission for high school students. However, it is a great way to get a credential that you can put on your resume while on your way to pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Before enrolling in ASU’s Certificate programs, it is recommended to check with your employer to confirm participation in case of corporate partner benefits. Most corporate partners will not cover the cost of courses beyond what you need to be admitted.

Financial Considerations

Cost: You’ll pay a $25 course enrollment fee to reserve your place in the course. If you’d like to add the course to your ASU transcript for college credit, you’ll need to pay a fee of $400 following the completion of your course if you are satisfied with your grade.
Financial Aid: Although Universal Learner Courses aren’t eligible for federal financial aid, you can register for just $25 per course. This low cost makes higher education accessible without loans or debt. After passing your course, you have up to one year to add the credits to your ASU transcript for $400 per course.
FAFSA: If you are using Universal Learner Courses to earn admission to ASU, yes. ASU recommend completing a FAFSA when you are nearing the end of your Earned Admission courses, before you are admitted to ASU.
Tuition Coverage: A partner working part- or full-time receives 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program. You must work at least part-time for 3 months to qualify. While you’re waiting to qualify, take another Universal Learner course and fill out your ASU application packet.

How to Get Started

Register: You can register at ulc.asu.edu by clicking on the “Register” button.
Verify Your Identity: ULC learners are required to authenticate their identity before their course begins with a live photo and an approved form of photo identification. This includes government-issued IDs, school IDs, or birth certificates for learners under 18. Your photo ID must match the name associated with your ASU account. If you’re under the age of 18, you may provide a birth certificate to begin the course, but if your course requires proctoring, a government-issued ID is required to take the exam and complete the course.
Complete Courses: Begin completing the courses listed on the specific certificate page. Many certificate courses offer an on-demand option so you may begin at any time.

Technical Requirements

Laptop/Setup: Learn more about our technical requirements here.
ASURITE: It takes 2-3 business days to receive your ASURITE. Then it takes 24 hours to activate your ASURITE.
Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication protects you and your data by using a combination of your password (something you know) and a device that you own (like a phone) to access ASU systems. This is required for both login and exams. Learn more about Duo two-factor authentication here.

Universal Learner Courses for International Students

Learners hoping to use Universal Learner Courses for ASU admission would need to complete the application for international students.

Universal Learner Courses can be taken without proof of English proficiency. If you’re interested in applying for a degree and English is not your first language, ASU requires proof of English language proficiency. Check accepted English language tests here.

Homeschooling for College Credit

Individuals can use the HS4CC Portal to access special courses and extras available to our community.

COMING November 1, 2025: Enroll through Homeschooling for College Credit’s HS4CC Academy for discounted flat-rate pricing. You’ll pay $425 to sign up, and receive 1 course for free ($425 value). Then, you can purchase courses for $299 each.

Take the course, finish the course, but DO NOT record college credit, record on your homeschool transcript as “Honors” and weigh as 4.5. Award 0.5 high school credits per ASU course taken this way. You will not have a college transcript with ASU.
Take the course, finish the course, and earn college credit record on your homeschool transcript as “College” and weigh as 5.0 Award 1.0 high school credits per ASU course taken this way. You WILL have a college transcript with ASU.

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