General
How do I receive University of Arizona credit by playing Age of Empires IV?
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On the AoE website, opt into the University of Arizona Online (Arizona Online) Illuminated Histories pathway in campaign play mode. You will need an Xbox live account to register.
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Play through the game and engage with the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories content on the AoE website as indicated.
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Upon completion of the game and content, take the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories assessment.
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Fill out the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories request for information form received via email, work with the enrollment team to apply and be accepted to the University of Arizona Online.
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Enroll in an Arizona Online course.
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Once your course begins, you will receive one full University of Arizona undergraduate credit on your University of Arizona transcript!
Do I have to apply for admission and be accepted to the University of Arizona to receive the credit?
Yes, in order for this college credit to be activated on a student record, you must be admitted to the University of Arizona and have a student account. The credit will show up on your student account after the course start date.
Do I need to enroll in a course to obtain the credit?
Yes, in order for your college credit to become active, you must be enrolled in a University of Arizona Online course. If you are an on-campus student, you may also take an on-campus course to activate the credit.
Is there a charge to get the college credit?
Your admissions application fee will be waived through the Age of Empires partnership and therefore you will not be charged to apply to Arizona Online. However you must be enrolled in a class in order to activate the credit on your account. University of Arizona Online courses start at $500.00 per credit hour.
What if I don’t want college credit?
You are welcome to complete the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories content without taking the assessment for credit.
I completed the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories and Age of Empires game. What happens now?
Once you complete the Age of Empires IV (campaign version) as well as the Arizona Online Illuminated
Histories on the Age of Empires website, your information will be shared with the University of
Arizona. You will receive a link to the assessment within 24 hours via the email address you provided to Microsoft. Make sure to check your junk mail folder. If you do not receive an email with the link to the assessment, please reach out to our support team: partnership@arizona.edu (520)621-2640.
Once you pass the assessment, you will receive an email from the University of Arizona with the next steps to activate your credit, which requires applying and enrolling in a University of Arizona Online class. Whether you are ready to continue your learning now or sometime in the future, follow the directions in the email to explore enrollment options and obtain your undergraduate University of Arizona credit!
How long do I have to activate my credit?
If you choose not to activate your credit immediately, it will be waiting for you when and if you decide to pursue a class or degree at the University of Arizona for 1 year from date of passed assessment. If no action is taken towards credit activation for over 12 months, you will be required to re-engage with the AoE IV and Arizona Online Illuminated Histories content and assessment.
Playing Age of Empires IV for University of Arizona Credit
What do I need in order to participate in this program?
You need a copy of Age of Empires IV to play, as well as an Xbox Live account, which can be created for free at www.xbox.com. You will need to use the Xbox Live account when accessing www.ageofempires.com/university-of-arizona, as well as when playing the game.
Where can I buy or access Age of Empires IV?
You can access AoE on Steam, Microsoft Store or via Xbox Game Pass for PC or Ultimate.
How do I register to play AoE for UArizona credit?
On the AoE website, opt into the Arizona Online Illuminated History pathway in campaign play mode. You will need an Xbox Live account.
Do I have to complete the Arizona Online Illuminated History portion of the pathway within a certain amount of time?
No, there is no time limit on completing the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories content.
How do I access the Arizona Online Illuminated History content while playing the game?
Arizona Online Illuminated History modules are located on the AoE website and can be accessed by all players who have opted into the credit pathway at any time during the game.
Taking the Assessment
How do I take the required assessment to receive the credit?
After you complete the Age of Empires IV campaign, as well as the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories, Microsoft will send a registration link to take the assessment using the email you provided to Microsoft. This will be delivered within 24 hours. Make sure to check your junk mail folder.
What will my registration information be used for? (Name, Date of Birth, Preferred email, XBOX Live ID)
Your Xbox Live ID will be captured to verify the completion of the Age of Empires game and Arizona Online Illuminated Histories content. Once you have access to the assessment, University of Arizona will ask for additional information which will be used to waive your admissions application fee. Admission and enrollment in a class is required to award you the University of Arizona undergraduate credit. Please make sure you provide your full legal name, date of birth, and a valid email address.
What if I don’t pass the assessment?
You will be given a new link to retake the assessment following a failing score. There is no limit to how many times you can take the assessment.
Do I have to take the assessment to get the college credit?
Yes, as part of the requirements for accreditation in earning a college credit, you must be given an assessment on the subject matter. Learn more about the process, and see frequently asked questions here.
I am receiving a glitch when I am taking the assessment. What do I do?
Please reach out to our support team: partnership@arizona.edu (520)621-2640.
Can I save my work in the assessment and come back to finish it?
Yes, your work will be saved with your registration information using your browser’s history.
There are no log-in credentials (like a password) needed. If you exit out of the browser, please make sure to use the same browser when you return to finish the assessment, and do not clear your browser’s cookies before submitting and passing the assessment. The assessment answers will not save if you open the exam in a different browser (or device).
Admissions
What are the admission requirements? What if I do not meet the admission requirements to the university—can I still receive my credit?
AoE players will be required to be admitted to the University of Arizona as either non-degree seeking or degree seeking. As a non-degree seeking student, GPA and prior coursework is not needed for admittance, as opposed to degree-seeking status which requires both. Visit the Non-Degree Seeking page to learn more about non-degree seeking student requirements. For more information on the degree-seeking application process, click here.
What is the HIST 297B: Playing and Making History with Age of Empires IV about?
HIST 297B is a three-unit course that was created exclusively for Age of Empires IV game completers.
This course builds upon the skills you learned by playing the Arizona Online Illuminated Histories experience for Age of Empires IV and demonstrates how you can transfer these skills to succeeding in your college career. You will learn how to: use a variety of databases and other library materials to study history; summarize and critique scholars’ arguments; and do original research and share it with classmates through fun and engaging research projects based on playing and making history. Instead of presenting your research in papers, you will present your research through experiential learning activities like cooking medieval recipes, creating medieval objects, and making your own games.
Application
I passed the assessment, but I haven’t received a link to complete the admissions application. What do I do?
The link to your application is sent to the email you provided in the assessment. As long as you passed your assessment, you will receive an email within 24 hours. Please check your junk email folder. If you still did not receive it, please call or email our support team: partnership@arizona.edu (520)621-2640.
Do not apply through the University of Arizona or Arizona Online website.
I have an admissions application started, but I can’t log in. What do I do?
If you are still having technical issues logging in, please call/email partnership@arizona.edu (520)621-2640
Current and Previous University of Arizona students
I attended UA previously, how do I get the credit?
If you are a current active student: Once you have passed the assessment, you will receive an email with a request for more information. Please indicate in the space provided on the form that you are a current University of Arizona student so we may apply your undergraduate credit once we have confirmed you are enrolled.
If you are a former/inactive student: You will follow the same process as a new student Your NETID (username) will be the same username given to you previously.
International Players
As an international student, am I still able to earn the credit?
Yes, you are still eligible, and will still complete the University of Arizona Online Admissions application, which includes a waived application fee. Please follow the process on our website.
My name is not spelled correctly, how do I fix that?
If you need to make any amendments to your name (if special characters did not translate correctly into the assessment), you will have an opportunity to correct this when completing your application, after the assessment.
Badgr
Why did I receive a Badgr badge?
UArizona has teamed up with Badgr to award AoE players a digital badge of achievement following a passing score on the Illuminated Histories assessment. Please note, this is not the college credit, but a digital credential that validates your skills and accomplishments in completing Age of Empires IV game, the Illuminated Histories content and assessment.
What is a Badgr badge?
A Badger badge is a digital symbol of achievement and can be earned and awarded in many learning environments, games, or the workplace. The badge is no cost to the player, and once received can be used in your email signature, your profile in apps like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, and across many gaming platforms to signify your achievement. This is not a college credit, and you will still need to apply to the university to receive the college credit. Learn more about Badgr badges here.
How do I receive and use my Badgr badge?
Student will receive an email from Badgr with a link to their custom Arizona Online Illuminated Histories badge. The badge will be awarded via email 24 hours after receiving a passing score on the Illuminated Histories assessment. Players DO NOT have to create an account in Badgr, however, many do as it is a credentialing platform with stackable learning pathways and shareable learner records.
PLEASE NOTE: you will still need to complete the admissions process separately and enroll in a course to activate your University of Arizona college credit.