Study at Miles College

  United States

Description: Miles College maintains an open-door admissions policy and is interested in educating individuals dedicated and committed to meeting academic challenges and becoming active members of the Community.

At Miles, students develop holistically inside and outside the classroom, through a variety of on and off-campus cultural, intellectual, spiritual, and social activities. All-faculty advising and comprehensive tutorial assistance at all levels support students' desire for academic success.

Miles is that "really good little school across the way" that has a record of preparing students for careers, leadership, and life-long learning.

Highlights: Miles College is physically located within the city limits of Fairfield, Alabama and is just two blocks from the western-most city limit of Birmingham. Throughout its history, Miles has maintained and continues to maintain an 'open' admissions policy that invites all students with a high school education who demonstrate the potential for and commitment to earning a baccalaureate degree.

While many smaller colleges have faced declining enrollment, Miles College has been ranked as the fastest growing United Negro College Fund (UNCF) member in the nation. The geographic diversity among our students: 36% of our first time students are residents of Alabama, 14% from Georgia, 7% from each of Illinois and Florida, 6% from California and the remaining 30% from 27 additional states.

University Attributes:
Miles College is organized into six divisions:
    * Division of Business & Accounting
    * Division of Communications
    * Division of Education
    * Division of Humanities
    * Division of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    * Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Except for Education, each division has areas of concentration in which students may pursue a major and minor interest.

I. Division of Business and Accounting:
The Division of Business and Accounting offers majors in:
* Accounting
* Business Administration
* and Management.

Students are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree. Students majoring in other disciplines may minor in either Business Administration or in Accounting.

II. Division of Communications:
Students who pursue a bachelor of arts degree in communications may choose one of three areas of specialization:
(a) Electronic and Visual Communications, which focuses on television, digital photography, and mass media;
(b) Journalism and Public Relations, which includes reporting and writing, public relations, desktop publishing and advertising and
(c) Management and Communications Law, which addresses cable and graduate from Miles College with a bachelor's degree in communications, but also are able to claim a specific area as a career focus.

The division has a full broadcast capable three-camera television studio, with upgraded lighting. The television control area is fitted with a state-of-the-art Trinity digital system, capable of both on- and off-line editing. The division also houses a journalism/research laboratory with personal that are fully Internet accessible. Other equipment in the facility include hand-held video cameras, digital still photography cameras, a full broadcast remote production unit, and an audio sound-editing lab. Further, a new FM non-commercial radio station and a low power television station are pending FCC approval. There is a strong emphasis on preparing students for broadcast and the age of digital technology.

In addition to the course offerings, which include a sound theoretical foundation in mass communications and media technology, students receive hands-on training in production and writing for media. A student internship program places communications students in work situations designed to maximize their exposure to real-world communications environments. As a leading market for media, the city of Birmingham and vicinity offer a wide range of practical work opportunities for students in communications. Majors in Communications at Miles go on to become radio and television producers, writers, and reporters, sales representatives for radio and television, television directors and production assistants, on-air talent, media managers, programmers, news directors, assignment editors, public relations practitioners, speech writers, press agents, media buyers, photojournalists, layout specialists, community relations specialists, radio announcers, newspaper reporters and editors.

III. Division of Education:
The mission of the Division of Education follows the mission of the collegeto ensure that teacher education candidates "seek holistic development that leads to intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and service oriented lives. This includes providing a liberal arts curriculum along with content mastery courses and teaching pedagogy that maximize the diversity and creativity essential to teacher education. Faculty professional involvement with candidates contributes to a learning environment that stimulates the life-long learning that undergirds teaching effectiveness. The Division manifests this concept by providing opportunities for candidates to continue learning as they progress through their programs of study. Courses are designed to help candidates to develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions that they will need to work effectively with students in P-12 schools.

The conceptual framework for the Division of Education is described as "The Teacher: A Facilitator of Learning." The teacher is a catalyst for learning to take place. He/She acquires the knowledge needed to transfer to the students, creates the climate for learning to take place, initiates activities that are meaningful to the students, and provides encouragement for student learning in P-12 schools. The coursework and performance based activities allow teacher candidates to enhance their abilities in these four areas such that they will be highly qualified effective teachers. The Division of Education at Miles College has designed programs of study that meet the needs of the teacher candidates in these four areas to prepare educators to work in P-12 schools:

1. Acquiring Knowledge
2. Creating a Climate for Learning
3. Initiating Meaningful Activities
4. Providing Encouragement

IV. Division of Humanities:
The Division of Humanities offers a major in English. The English major is a program which affords the options of earning a liberal arts degree in English or a Bachelor of Science degree in Language Arts Education, with the State of Alabama Class B Secondary Teaching Certificate. A student is eligible for the Bachelor's degree in any of the two areas upon satisfactory completion of a prescribed General Education Program of the College and the specific requirements of the Humanities Division. A total of 127 hours is required for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In addition to the two major programs, the Division offers an English minor, Music minor, and Religion/Philosophy minor.

V. Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics:
The Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers major and minor programs in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Environmental Science, and Computer and Information Systems. The Division, in conjunction with the Division of Education, offers majors in Biology Education, Chemistry and Mathematics Education. The Division conducts programs for students who are interested in attending medical school, dental school or entering the allied health field after graduation. Students completing requirements for these major programs are awarded the bachelor of science degree.

All students majoring in Natural Sciences and Mathematics must complete the General Education requirements of Miles College.

Cooperative programs in Engineering, Physics, and Veterinary Medicine can be arranged. Students desiring to specialize in these areas may commence their undergraduate education at Miles College and after a suitable preparation in their major fields transfer to cooperating institutions to complete their studies.

A cooperative program has also been developed with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the Allied Health Sciences. In this program students, after completion of all requirements, receive a degree from Miles College and a degree/certificate from UAB, whichever is applicable. Students may concentrate in the Surgeon Assistant Program, Radiation Technology, Cytology, Occupational Therapy, or Medical Technology.

VI. Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences:
The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers majors in Criminal Justice, Political Science, Social Work, and Social Science Education. Minor programs are offered in History, Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology. The Division also offers an Undergraduate Certificate in Gerontology. A student is eligible for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science upon satisfactory completion of a prescribed General Education program, the specific requirements of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, and the major area. A total of 128 hours is required for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Social Science Education majors need a total of 161. They must complete the requirements for the professional certificate in high school education. (See the Chairperson of the Division of Education for information concerning the State of Alabama's requirements for professional certification). Social Work majors are required to complete a total of 135 semester hours for a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. This program is nationally accredited.

In addition to the three major programs and four minor programs, the Division offers selected courses in:
* Pre-Law
* African-American Studies
* and Criminal Justice.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Experience Required: no

Miles College's Mission Statement: Miles College - a senior, liberal arts, church related college with roots in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and in the tradition of the Historically Black College - motivates and directs its students to seek holistic development that leads to intellectual, ethical, spiritual and service-oriented lives. Guided by these core values, the Miles College education involves students in rigorous study of the liberal arts as preparation for work and life-long learning, in the acquisition of verbal, technological and cultural literacy, and in critical community participation; all as a prelude to responsible citizenship in the global society which they will help to shape.

Year Founded: 1905