There is an increasing number of undergraduates at The University of Alabama who are older than the typical college student.
The number of students age 25 or older who are enrolled at the University as either full-time or part-time students has steadily risen every year since fall 2008. In that year, there were 1,753 students who fell into that age bracket, and, in fall 2012, 2,323 enrolled students are 25 or older including 11 students 65 or older. The increase in the number of these students follows the general enrollment increase the University has experienced as a whole in the past several years.
“Distance learning degrees are on the increase, both in supply and demand,” Rebecca Pow, associate dean of the College of Continuing Studies, said. “The University of Alabama has provided opportunities for adult and non-traditional students for nearly a century. Today, students from all over the world are able to pursue their educational dreams through our technology-based learning formats representing over 70 degree programs.”
The College of Continuing Studies has several programs that provide opportunities for adults from various circumstances to take classes and earn a degree from the University. BamaByDistance offers flexible programs for earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and even a doctoral degree through online courses in addition to weekend or evening classes. The programs offer students an opportunity to attain a college degree at a pace and convenience tailored to each individual.
“Our most popular degree program is the online Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration (General Business) degree,” Pow said. “We also offer distance degree programs in engineering, education, human environmental sciences, social work, arts and sciences, library and information studies and law.”
BackToBama is a program designed to give former UA students the ability to come back and finish where they had left off. To be eligible, a student must have attempted at least 15 credit hours of class. Also, at least two semesters must have elapsed since they were students.
New College LifeTrack – formerly External Degree Program – is a program that allows adults to study their interests in an individualized manner that results in an interdisciplinary education and a degree. The program offers distance courses, self-study, and also the option of taking on-campus courses at the University. According to the LifeTrack website, the program has graduated more than 1,800 students with degrees.
Many opportunities exist for adults to attain a college degree from the University of Alabama. In today’s world, it is increasingly important to have a college degree, and not just for professional success.
“For most people in this category, obtaining a degree is a very personal goal,” Nina Smith, Program Manager for Student Services, said. “We have several students who have achieved a very high level of success without their degree, from corporate executives to professional athletes. But, on a very personal level, they feel there is something missing. So, returning to school or starting for the first time for an adult student it is not necessarily for monetary gain or career advancement, but for the pride and the sense of self-achievement.”
The flexibility and variety of the programs offered means that adults can take courses from their own bedrooms or right here on campus in a class full of 19 and 20-year-olds. More information on these programs can be found on the College of Continuing Studies website.
