New College's emphasis on student choice and responsibility promotes the creativity, flexibility, and adaptability necessary for effective participation in the emergent communities of the future.
Admission into the Program
Applications to the New College residential program are available at https://newcollege.ua.edu/degree-program/apply/. The admission process is separate from, and in addition to, admission to The University of Alabama. Two factors are taken into consideration when making a decision for admission: the degree of motivation and serious intellectual independence exhibited by the applicant, and the potential for the University to meet the applicant’s academic goals. For details on the admissions process, please refer to the New College website.
Admission to the New College LifeTrack program is restricted to nontraditional students with a high school diploma or a GED score of 50 or higher (if taken prior to January 2002) and 500 or higher (if taken after January 2002). Students must be admitted to the University of Alabama and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher on all previous college work. For details on the admissions process, please refer to the New College LifeTrack website.
New College Requirements
Students complete the bachelor of arts (BA) or the bachelor of science (BS) degree depending on the area in which the depth study is done. Students also complete all University, College of Arts and Sciences, and New College requirements. This includes the general education requirements, the following New College requirements, and other sufficient credits to total 120 applicable semester hours.
New College requires the successful completion of the following courses and activities:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses | ||
| NEW 100 | Intro Interdisc Integratv Stdy | 2 |
| NEW 495 | Capstone Sem & Senior Project | 2 |
| Individualized depth study | 33-39 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 37-43 | |
| New College Seminars | ||
Students must complete a total of five New College seminars. The two lower-level seminars must be in different themes with at least one from each theme. Approved seminars are listed below. | ||
| Two 200 level Seminars | 8 | |
| Two 300/400 Level Seminars | 6-8 | |
| Seminar Elective | 3-6 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 17-22 | |
| Ancillary Courses | ||
Students pursuing a bachelor of science (BS) degree must also complete the following: | ||
| MATH 125 or | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 145 | Honors Calculus I | |
| Total Hours | 58-69 | |
| 200 Level Seminars | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| NEW 211 | Perspectives in the Humanities | 4 |
| NEW 212 | Creativity | 4 |
| NEW 213 | Honors Creativity | 4 |
| NEW 215 | Perspec. on Env. Literature | 4 |
| NEW 216 | Digital Making | 4 |
| NEW 226 | Organic Farming | 4 |
| NEW 230 | Environmental Studies | 4 |
| NEW 237 | Social Problems, Social Change | 4 |
| NEW 238 | Honors: Soc. Probl. & Change | 4 |
| NEW 243 | Interdisciplinary Sciences | 4 |
| NEW 273 | Social Issues & Ethics | 4 |
| 300/400 Level Seminar | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| NEW 300 | Outdoor Leadership | 3 |
| NEW 332 | Experimental Music | 3 |
| NEW 334 | Everyday Forestry in Alabama | 3 |
| NEW 335 | Everyday Wildlife In Alabama | 3 |
| NEW 337 | Sustainable Home Landscaping | 3 |
| NEW 350 | Community Arts | 3 |
| NEW 360 | Sound Studies | 3 |
| NEW 365 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
| NEW 401 | Birds and Birding | 4 |
| NEW 403 | Global Health | 4 |
| NEW 407 | Landscapes of the South | 3 |
| NEW 410 | Ethnography: Theory & Practice | 3 |
| NEW 411 | Writing Workshop | 3 |
| NEW 412 | Songwriting Workshop | 4 |
| NEW 414 | Mind, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| NEW 415 | Gender, Sexuality &Pop Culture | 3 |
| NEW 416 | American Environmental Thought | 3 |
| NEW 418 | Intermedia Arts | 3 |
| NEW 419 | Arts Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| NEW 420 | Popular Culture | 3 |
| NEW 436 | Public Leadership | 4 |
| NEW 438 | Overview of American Law | 4 |
| NEW 439 | Urban Spaces | 3 |
| NEW 442 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| NEW 445 | Technology and Humans | 3 |
| NEW 450 | Belize | 6 |
| NEW 472 | Social Change | 4 |
| NEW 474 | Survival | 4 |
| NEW 484 | Church, State & Ed | 3 |
Grade Point Average
A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. Please see the Office of University Registrar explanation of grade point average calculations.
Upper-Level Residency
A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses must be earned on this campus.
Ancillary Courses
Students pursuing a bachelor of science (BS) degree must also complete MATH 125 Calculus I or MATH 145 Honors Calculus I.
Required Minor
Students who complete a New College depth study and are not required to complete a minor program of study.
Additional New College Requirements
Students are expected to complete a minimum of 42 semester hours while enrolled in New College. In addition, students are required to undergo a third-year program review. As part of their general education experience, New College requires students to complete six to eight hours of core designated foreign language courses.
Individualized Depth Study
Students will develop their own course of study in conjunction with their New College faculty advisor. The depth study must be comprised of at least 33 hours and can utilize courses from across campus. At least 15 hours of the depth study must be 300 or 400 level courses. Students may only include 12 hours of independent study in their depth study.
Integrative Seminars
The five seminars introduce students to the major areas of liberal arts study in one of three integrative themes: environment, sustainability and conservation; creativity and culture; and social problems and social change. All students must complete five seminars with at least one seminar in each theme, including two lower-level seminars from different themes, and two upper-level seminars in any theme. A minimum grade of C- is required for each integrative seminar. Transfer credit cannot be applied to seminar requirements. All five required seminars must be taken through New College.
Out-of-class Learning/Independent Study
New College has a strong commitment to provide students opportunities to pursue their academic interests outside of the classroom through out-of-class learning experiences for credit. In these out-of-class learning/independent study experiences, an agreement (or contract) is made among the student, the project director, and New College. The contract is a clear, concise statement that includes the course area, topic or problem the student intends to study, along with the bibliography, plans for evaluating the study, and the anticipated outcomes of the study. New College students are encouraged to take at least one Independent Study as part of their depth study.
New College LifeTrack Requirements
New College LifeTrack offers nontraditional students, typically ages 25 and older, the flexibility to design their college curriculum through an interdisciplinary approach to distance learning. The program also includes opportunities for travel and on-campus course experiences. Students must have a high school diploma or a minimum GED score of 50 (if the GED was taken prior to 2002) or a minimum of 500 (if the GED was taken after 2002), and have a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA on all previous college coursework.
Admission into the Program
Interested students should fill out an application/reapplication to The University of Alabama, and select distance education and New College LifeTrack as the degree program. For more information, visit https://newcollege.ua.edu/degree-program/apply/ or call (205) 348-6000.
Degree Requirements
All Students must complete at least 120 credit hours, 36 of which must be at the upper level, to earn their bachelor’s degree. If you have previously completed college coursework, you will still need to complete at least 30 credit hours through New College LifeTrack.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Adult Learning Seminar | 3 | |
| New College LifeTrack Writing Skills | 3 | |
| New College LifeTrack Research Writing | 3 | |
| Communication Skills | 6 | |
| Humanities 1 | 12 | |
| Math 1 | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences 1 | 8 | |
| Social Sciences 1 | 12 | |
| Senior Project | 6 | |
| Depth Study | 30 | |
| Electives | 1-34 | |
| Total Hours | 87-120 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Courses that satisfy the general education requirement will fulfill the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics requirements. Students pursuing a BS degree are required to complete MATH 125 Calculus I or higher. |
Residency
“Residence” is defined as academic credit earned under the auspices of The University of Alabama faculty. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed under the guidance of New College LifeTrack. Residence hours consist of The University of Alabama on-campus and online courses, LifeTrack course contracts, and prior learning credit awarded through LifeTrack. Part of the Foundations of Adult Learning course requires students to be on campus for the two-day seminar. Other than that seminar requirement, students are not required to be present on The University of Alabama campus.
Unlimited. Students continue to professional and graduate schools, begin their own businesses, and work in their chosen fields of concentration.
Types of Jobs Accepted
business and industry, education, arts management, sports marketing and recruiting, Peace Corps, Teach for America, Americorps, NGOs, foreign service, and opportunities throughout the non-profit and for-profit sectors
Jobs of Experienced Alumni
audio engineers, physicians, artists, attorneys, musicians, dentists, physical therapists, professors, farmers, real estate developers, land managers, sports scouts, directors of non-profit organizations, missionaries, teachers, business owners, Peace Corps, Teach for America, Americorps, NGOs, foreign service, and positions throughout the non-profit and for-profit sectors
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center