Program Formats

Online Courses
Academic Outreach delivers high school and college courses over the Internet directly to the student's computer. Students are instructed through a secured Internet site, and they interact with their professors and complete lessons via e-mail. Online courses accommodate the educational needs of individuals who have access to and experience with a computer and the Internet.

Independent Study Through Independent Study, high school and college students may select their hours of study and work at their own pace to complete courses through written correspondence. These courses provide students the flexibility they need to attain professional, academic, and personal goals. With certain stipulations (detailed in the Independent Study catalog), the undergraduate courses may be used to complete a maximum of 25 percent of the work leading to the bachelor's degree. Nine of the last 18 hours required for a degree may be taken by written correspondence, provided that all residence requirements have been met. Under certain conditions, a limited number of correspondence courses at the high-school level may be used to supplement curricula of high schools and satisfy college entrance requirements.

New College LifeTrack (formerly External Degree (EXD) Program)
New College LifeTrack is an interdisciplinary undergraduate distance learning program for adults whose educational needs cannot be met through traditional residential programs. Previously earned academic credits transferred from regionally accredited colleges or earned through national tests such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), independent studies, out-of-class learning contracts, correspondence studies, classroom work, and demonstrated prior learning may be applied toward a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in interdisciplinary studies. The New College LifeTrack program is intended to serve nontraditional adult students whose opportunities to use currently available educational resources may be limited. Applicants must have high-school diplomas or minimum General Education Development (GED) equivalency scores of 50, be 25 years of age or older, and have educational goals attainable through the program. Applicants need not be Alabama residents.

DVD (Video Courses)
Academic Outreach delivers undergraduate and graduate courses via DVD and/or video tape to students who cannot attend classes on campus. Courses are filmed as they occur, and videos are mailed to students the same week. Students complete the same course requirements as on-campus students and take proctored exams at convenient sites. Students choosing this program may enroll in engineering, social work, computer science, education, nursing, and human environmental sciences courses. Video courses are entered on a University of Alabama transcript and are fully accredited toward degree programs.

IITS (videoconferencing)
The Intercampus Interactive Telecommunication System (IITS) is a network of conference rooms connected to a statewide videoconferencing network. Approximately 30 sites throughout Alabama are equipped with cameras, monitors, and other devices that allow teachers and students to interact as if they were in the same room. Presenters use traditional visuals, such as slides, overheads, and videotape as well as digital options unique to IITS. Anyone using IITS can offer two-way interactive classes or meetings at all locations. Courses are offered in education, engineering, math, science, communications, law, library studies, math, foreign language, and other disciplines.

Weekend College
Designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students, Weekend College offers a number of courses in the fall, spring, and summer on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and afternoons. Scheduling weekend classes is especially convenient for part-time students who would like to pursue academic studies while working. All Weekend College courses are approved by the appropriate department chairpersons and academic deans and are taught by UA faculty members. Weekend College students are admitted through regular University admission procedures and have full use of UA's educational resources and services.

Gadsden Education and Research Center
Established in 1946, The University of Alabama's Gadsden Education and Research Center is an off-campus program serving residents of northeast Alabama, southeast Tennessee, and northwest Georgia. The Center offers graduate coursework for credit, noncredit programs for professional development, community development programs, and test services as well as serving as a liaison to the University's main campus. Currently the Center offers 15 complete degree or certification programs in business management, social work, education, and library information studies.  Classes at the UA Gadsden Center are offered nights, weekends, and in a web-assisted format to accomodate working professionals.  For more information, call (256) 546-2886 or toll free 1-888-223-4131 or visit www.Gadsden.ua.edu. 

Evening Program
The Evening Program offers classes at times convenient for working adults. Students unable to continue their education in the traditional format (day classes) may complete graduate and undergraduate degrees in business, geography, and criminal justice through this program. Many other courses from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, the College of Communication and Information Sciences, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the School of Social Work are offered after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Blended Format
Some courses are offered using a combination of the formats listed above.  See each program's description page for more information on which formats are included.