Get a head start on your college degree. Imagine arriving on campus with a couple of college credits under your belt, graduating ahead of schedule and starting your career sooner. It’s all possible when you choose to participate in dual enrollment at UWA. While still in high school, you can take courses that count toward both your high school and college graduation requirements. By advancing your education, you will arrive on campus with the confidence and experience needed to succeed in college and beyond.
Application Information for Dual Enrollment Students
Eligible high school students enrolled in school systems, homeschools and private schools with an active dual enrollment agreement with UWA are eligible to participate in the Dual Enrollment Program.
If you would like to speak with a Dual Enrollment counselor, please email us at de@uwa.edu.
What are the goals of the Dual Enrollment Program?
The goals of the Dual Enrollment Program are to:
- provide students with greater options for meeting rigorous educational and career objectives
- enable students who attend high schools that have limited curriculum offerings and/or are geographically isolated to experience equal learning opportunities
- provide flexibility for administrators
What are the benefits of Dual Enrollment?
- Students earn high school and college credits simultaneously.
- Students have access to all services provided by the Institution.
- Students complete coursework during high school, which will transfer to four-year institutions, thereby reducing the amount of time required to earn a degree.
- Students avoid unnecessary duplication of coursework.
- Students are prepared to exceed and thrive in a higher educational atmosphere.
- Students gain a head start on achieving a degree.
- Students are provided with a seamless transition from high school to the college classroom.
- Dual enrollment courses enrich opportunities and academic experiences for high school students to navigate and explore career options.
- Admission to UWA without submitting SAT or ACT scores when a student earns 12 credit hours through UWA Dual Enrollment with a 2.75 GPA.
How Does Dual Enrollment Work?
Dual enrollment allows students to receive college credit for classes they take while in high school. A college-level dual enrollment course will take the place of a high school course, so students are not taking additional coursework. The coursework will count both toward high school graduation and college credit.
The University of West Alabama offers dual enrollment courses at its UWA campus and on selected high school campuses.
Students who take dual-enrollment classes on their high school campus or on UWA’s campus are also eligible to take dual-enrollment courses online as long as (1) their school agrees to offer high school credit for the online courses and (2) check with their school counselor to learn all the dual enrollment options available at their school.
How Dual Enrollment Courses Translate to High School Credit
Campus dual enrollment classes are semester-long courses. Therefore, each dual enrollment class replaces one high school class. It is possible to take up to four campus dual enrollment courses in a semester. Please note that students attempting to complete college freshman year basic requirements should make sure to take classes that are required in a college basic curriculum. Otherwise, the courses might only count as electives at the college level. Also, keep in mind that colleges require some courses in sequence.
For example, a college might require two histories in a sequence (e.g., HY101 History of Western Civilization I and HY102 History of Western Civilization II) in order to meet the college’s basic history requirement. In that scenario, taking HY211 American History I or HY212 American History II would only count as one history and one elective because these courses are not in a sequence.
Below is an example of the translation of college credit to high school credit:
| UWA Term | UWA Course | High School Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (August – December) | EH 101 Written English I | English |
| Fall (August – December) | HY 211 American History I | AP US History |
| Spring (January – May) | MH 113 Pre-Calculus Algebra | AP Algebra II |