College of Arts and Sciences BSC 497/695 Special Topics Biological Sciences

The Discovering Alabama Ecology Weekend Science Program offers the unique opportunity for individuals to engage in hands-on biological research to enhance their professional competency as science teachers. The program incorporates the natural history framework of the Discovering Alabama public television series to provide teachers with ecological information, field experience, and instruction materials. A series of four 1-hour credit courses serve to provide science credit at the undergraduate and graduate levels to meet Alabama State Board of Education Highly Qualified Teacher requirements. In addition, science teachers who participate in the program will be equipped to serve as proactive leaders within their departments at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

This program is designed for individuals who are: 1) current science teachers working in secondary schools who seek to fulfill highly qualified teacher requirements, 2) External Degree students seeking to fulfill science requirements for degree completion, and 3) science educators seeking eventual completion of an advanced degree in science education. Further, as the only weekend science program of its kind in the state, the program stands to attract those, locally and regionally, who would otherwise find it difficult to attend classes regularly held on the Tuscaloosa campus.

Curriculum 

This series of four courses is intended to provide science credit at the undergraduate and graduate levels to meet the State Board of Education requirements for highly qualified teachers. Students who participate in the program will also enhance their knowledge base toward becoming nationally board-certified teachers and classroom leaders. The four 1-hour credit courses offered in the series are: Geological Enviroment, Terrestrial Environment, Biological, and Human Environment. Students seeking undergraduate credit through the Discovering Alabama Ecology program register for BSC 497 Special Topics in Biology and students seeking graduate credit register for BSC 695 Special Topics in Biology. The topics are arranged by separate section numbers so that students can register for the concentration area of their choice. Thus, the weekend science program offers students a diversity of topics to meet their individual, as well as professional needs.

Dates/Times/Location 

The class sessions are offered on four consecutive weekends from July 6 - July 28, 2012 at 205 Smith Hall on The University of Alabama campus from 6:00pm - 9:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00am - 4:00pm.

Course Schedule and Topics

July 6 - 7          Geological Environment (Course: BSC 497/695-973 - Special Topics

                       in Biological Science) 

                       Instructor:  Dr. John Hall

July 13 - 14      Terrestrial Environment (Course: BSC 497/695-971 - Special Topics in

                       Biological Science)

                       Instructor:  Dr. David Shankman

July 20 - 21      Biological Environment (Course:BSC 497/695-970 - Special

                       Topics in Biological Science)

                       Instructor:  Dr. Bernard Kuhajda

July 27 - 28      Human Environment (Course: BSC 497/695-972 - Special Topics 
                       in Biological Science)

                       Instructor:  Dr. Doug Phillips

Enrollment

Students requiring undergraduate credit should register for BSC 497 Special Topics in Biology and students requiring graduate credit should register for BSC 695 Special Topics in Biology. All BSC 497/695 students will be evaluated based on their participation and on projects specified by the instructors.  You must gain admission to The University of Alabama prior to registration for courses. If you are seeking graduate credit, and are not currently admitted to a degree program, please complete a non-degree application.  Click here to learn more. 

Tuition for the BSC 497 undergraduate course is $312 per credit hour and tuition for the BSC 695 graduate course is $330 per credit hour.  Tuition charges will be billed by and paid to the Office of Student Receivables.  You may access your financial account summary by term after logging into myBama to make payments and confirm your schedule online.  The deadline for making payment and confirming your schedule will be displayed in your myBama account summary as well.

Discovering Alabama Ecology Weekend Science Program

Contact Information: 

Course Content

Office of Discovering Alabama

College of Arts and Sciences

(205) 348-2039

info@discoveringalabama.org  

Admissions Questions/Assistance

Nina Smith

Academic Outreach

College of Continuing Studies

(205) 348-0089 or Toll Free 1-800-467-0227

nsmith@ccs.ua.edu