AMU is a educational resource for military members seeking to further their education.
Here is a quote on their status: Regional Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association www.ncahigherlearningcommissi on.org, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, 800.621.7440
Do you all think they would be a good source for pre-reqs?
Here is their Physics course description:
SCIN106 Introduction to Physics (3 hours)
This course offers an introduction to classical physics for nonscientists. Students will learn to apply Newtonian principles to the fundamental topics of motion, gravitation, momentum, work and energy, heat, wave behavior, sound and light, electricity and magnetism. Basic algebra is used to demonstrate how mathematics can describe and predict the real-world behavior of objects from electrons to planets. Students will be expected to relate physics principles to their daily lives. Concurrent enrollment in corresponding Lab Course is required.
SCIN107 Introduction to Physics Lab (1 hour)
This laboratory teaches students how to take measurements and make observations about physical phenomena, to make calculations, and to test out their own reasoning. Topics covered in this lab course range from motion to magnetism. This course also involves study through interactive simulation laboratories designed to help reinforce and build upon the concepts presented in SCIN106-Introduction to Physics. Concurrent enrollment in corresponding Lab Course is required.
Thought/comments on this school for basic pre-reqs?
Thanks!
There have been several other threads about on-line coursework… in general, it’s still not a good idea for med school prereqs. Med schools are pretty set in their ways, and one of those ways is that you have to actually be in the brick-and-mortar classroom or lab in order to cover the material in a prerequisite. It probably would be OK for other courses or a math course, and of the prereqs, the one that you might could get away with as a distance learning course is physics, but I would still hesitate.
I can’t tell from the description: is this is the first semester of a two-semester series in physics? Because if it the entire physics offering, it’s more of a “physics for poets” class and won’t be of sufficient rigor for your prereq. You don’t need calc-based physics (the physics sequence taken by physics majors), but neither do you want “football physics.”
AMU was started to provide distance learning for folks who, due to deployment or other military service, couldn’t attend class. Now they’re marketing much like Strayer or Phoenix - as an alternative to traditional college for working adults. I don’t know that much about them, but I feel confident saying that I frankly wouldn’t have a very high opinion of science classes taken through them. It’s not their mission or their strong suit.
So that’s my long answer. My short answer: no, I would not use AMU for pre-req credits. You can and should be able to find a better resource for what you need to learn.
Mary
While I would definitely not take any prereqs online…if on the other hand, you just want to start something and want to use this as a survey (overview) class and still plan on taking Physics I and II (remember that you need to take 8 total credits including the lab), that might not be a bad idea. Sometimes when you haven’t been in school for awhiel and just want to get in the habit of studying and learning, an intro class isn’t a bad idea.