West Alabama

Does anybody on the board have any insight on or experience with the MAT at the University of West Alabama? I am interested in the non certification track with a concentration in history. Any information will be appreciated, especially from current or former UWA students.

 

Welcome Dr. Boombatz. You're a Rodney Dangerfield fan, I see.

Just a helpful hint, since you're new: Though it's certainly not a requirement, it always helps if you provide a link to the program in your thread-starting post so that those from whom you're asking advice will not have to go to the trouble of using Google to figure out what the college and/or university's web site is; and then won't have to search through the site to find the specific program about which you're asking.

Just tryin' to help.

 

I am pursuing the MAT w/o cert right now. I am going for the English concentration, though.

As you can see, we won't have many classes in common as 8 of the required 11 courses will be in your major area.

So far, I have taken a couple of English courses. I will be taking two of the education/education psych this next term.

I have found the school to be very helpful and responsive to questions.

The classes are useful and good. I just finished a course on Romantic poetry and found it to be the first poetry class I have ever enjoyed.

I recommend UWA.

clint

 

OOPS, here's the link....

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/uwa/programs/matnoncert.html

Clint, what kind of assignments/tests are required at UWA and what do you estimate for time committment for your classes?

Thanks.

 

hmmm....
I have only taken the two classes so far. The poetry class had guided reading assignments with questions that had to be turned in each week. In addition, there were two annotated bibliography assignments due at certain times. Finally, there was a 12-15 page paper.

In my "Teaching Composition" class, weekly assignments/reading and a final exam which was really a series of essays that you knew about well in advance. No proctor was required.

Both classes were not difficult to do, but did teach quite well. I consider it the best of both worlds. They didn't kill me with work, but still educated me.

Time in each class is relative. I found myself spending more time with the poetry, but simply because there was wayyy more reading involved.

I don't really know exactly how much time I spent on the courses each week. My schedule is flexible enough to let me do whatever I need in that regard, so I tend to spend however long or short I need to accomplish my tasks.

I would estimate a couple of hours per week on the Comp course and 4 hours per week on the poetry. But that isn't exact, I am sure.

clint

 

Clint,

Thank you, it sounds like a very nice program.

If anybody has taken the history courses through UWA I'd like to hear how those went.

 

Just as an aside: As a former resident of Tuscaloosa, Alabama I had the opportunity to visit UWA campus--was attending UA (Tuscaloosa) at the time. Fine campus. One of my my old friends and tutors taught chem there for a time.

 

Revalation about UWA

DrVB: Welcome aboard and good luck to you. Clint's tallinn it like it is.

 

Did the Psych

I didn a semester of the psych/counseling program before going back to finish my MFA. I truly enjoyed the school and my instructors were wonderful (Actually I had one instructor for both classes but he was great). I'll return next fall to finish the psych bizniz. It's a good school.
Dan B

 

Re: Revalation about UWA

Great!

But unfortunately, I won't be tallinn like that for long.

We are returning to the US soon.

But I am glad we could get one more good use out of it before then.

clint

 

Lord make me chaste but not yet department

Two puns, Clint. Two! Tallinn and Reval! Jes' a-hanging there like them peaches in St Augustine's "Confessions". I hadda et em, I jes' hadda.

 

Hi:

I just finished my first semester at UWA in the psych masters degree program. The instructors were excellent. Both of the courses were set up so that there was significant reading to do each week and questions to answer, along with some major projects due along the way. I would estimate that I spent at least 12-15 hours per week on both classes, sometimes more when a project was due.

I have a JD degree from a traditional B&M insitution, but I have to say that the depth of understanding that I have from these 2 classes surpasses anything that I got in law school. Since you are on your own, the courses are set up so that one must immerse oneself in the subject matter, but the instructors set the material up so that it is easy to do.

I will be taking 3 classes from UWA when the September term starts. Receving semester credit on the quarter system is another perk. While I cannot speak to the individual program that you are looking at, I wholeheartedly recommend the UWA psych program.

Christine

 

Re: Lord make me chaste but not yet department

oops, I missed the reval one...

I am sure the old timers here woulda loved it.

You don't hear that name much anymore, except referring to hotels and restaurants...

I'll pay more attention next time.

BTW, UWA is still a good choice (just to keep the thread on topic).

clint

 

Thanks one and all for the comments on UWA.