Service Learning Courses

As of 2013, service learning courses and/or experiences are offered in all of UAB's colleges. Service learning happens in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

If you have a course that should be designated as service learning, please contact the Office of Service Learning. With over 65 course sections per year, service learning courses are available to a growing number of UAB students, reaching over 9% of undergraduates in 2011-2012.

Please check the latest class schedule for up-to-date availability.

Following courses have been designated as UAB service learning courses in the past. Some courses are still offered, and some are not.

Please check the latest course schedule for current availability.

Biology Field and Lab Science Education and Mentoring/SL BY 399
Business Management: Service Learning/SL MG 490
Capstone in Psychology/SL PY 490
Civic Engagement/SL SBS 303
Community and Service: Using Media for Social Change/SL DCS 350
Community-Based Practicum in Psychology/SL PY 397
Dollars and Sense: An Introduction to Business, Economics, and Personal Finance/SL LCB 101
ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM-MAKING/SL DCS 401/HON 316/ARS 406 & 407
EXPLORING BIRMINGHAM LCS 101-607 Freshman Seminar
Food Security National and Global Issues/SL SOC 490
Foreign Language Internship/Service Learning/SL FLL 333
Geriatric Services & Social Work/SL SW 205
Health Sciences Management Internship/SL AHS 481
Homelessness: Its Causes and Consequences/SL SOC 472
Impacting Community through Service Learning/SL LCSL 101-618
Intermediate Writing and Poetry EH302
Leadership and Community/SL GCLH 301
New Urbanism and Smarth Growth/SL ANTH 371/DCS 266/UA 366
Nursing Honors Sequence/SL NUR 368 NUR 484 NUR 486
Pathfinders: The Path from Sophomore to Professional/SL UNIV 204-56
Perceptions of Poverty in America CAS 399 Special Topics/SL
Peer Education/SL HE 490
Physical Activity Programming for Individuals with Disabilities/SL PE 450
Practicum in Social Work/SL SW 490
Public Health Nursing Theory Practicum/SL NUR 395 and 396
Respiratory Therapy Directed Study in Respiratory Care III/SL RST 432
SCT Tech Honors: Internships/Community Projects/SL STH 396
Service-Learning/Sociological Practice/SL SOC 488
Social Work Values Lab/SL SW 222
Sports Management/SL MG 430
Student Success in Nursing NUR 100
Untold Stories: Finding and Telling Stories You Haven't Been Told In History Class/SL HY291 DCS 291
Using and Preserving Historic Places as Primary Sources: Studying the Multi-Cultural Heritage of the Southeastern Coast/SL HY 292/392/682

Faculty wishing to create a Service-Learning course or have their course designated as Service-Learning should consult the Service-Learning Course Designation page.

CAMPUS COMPACT SAMPLE SERVICE-LEARNING SYLLABI

The Campus Compact website has many different examples of syllabi that incorporate service learning in different disciplines. 

UAB SERVICE LEARNING SYLLABI

UAB faculty are continually evolving their courses to include service learning pedagogy.  Eligibility to participate in a service learning course depends on the particular course requirements as established by the Department and faculty member concerned.  Below are some examples of such courses.

BIOLOGY FIELD AND LAB SCIENCE EDUCATION AND MENTORING BY 399

Field and Lab Science Education and Mentoring is a course designed to maximize students' understanding of Biology and Natural Science and Mathematics principles and practices through teaching and service learning.  Recognizing the need to address the deficiency in science education in urban schools and promoting early childhood education and the University's mission of social justice, students will mentor a K-5 grade or class on a weekly basis in the study of science subjects.
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (requires BlazerID)

CAPSTONE IN PSYCHOLOGY PY 490

This course gives students the opportunity to integrate their personal areas of interest in psychology with an individual research project.  Each student is responsible for the production, presentation, and defense of a resarch paper which addresses a specific topic. Students will be exposed to field experiences to apply information that they have learned to the real-world setting.
Course Designation Information (requires Blazer ID)

 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT  SBS 303-7N Honors Seminar

SBS 303 promotes experiential learning for SBS honors students and aims to use service learning to advance the mission of social justice.  This goal is accomplished through engagement with community partners to create mutually beneficial relationships and reflection (using readings, journal entries and discussion) to connect class activities with the larger issues that impact our communities.  A Community Project Assignment, including a paper and oral presentation, allows students to examine the integration of their educational experiences with their work in the community.
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (Requires BlazerID)

COMMUNITY-BASED PRACTICUM IN PSYCHOLOGY PY 397

Students in PY397 apply their knowledge of psychology to perform service in the community. Supervisors and settings vary widely, but most sites provide mental health or related psychological services.  Recently, community practice sites have included the Crisis Center, Family Court, Department of Human Resources, and Children's Hospital.  To earn academic credit, the student must be engaged in meaningful work of a psychological nature, and supervised by a psychologist, licensed counselor or other qualified professional.
Course Designation Information

DOLLARS AND SENSE: AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSNESS, ECONOMICS AND PERSONAL FINANCE LCB 101

In this course, students engage in a service learning project with a community partner that directly relates to the course material.  For six weeks, students work with elementary school students to deliver Junior Achievement curriculum based economics and personal finance.  Requiring students to deliver lessons at a grade school level reinforces their understanding of key basic concepts.
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (Requires BlazerID)

**ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM-MAKING DCS 401/HON 316/ARS 406 & 407

The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Urban Affairs and University Honors Program team up to offer this interdisciplinary course which pairs students to produce a short documentary film which represents a community in the Birmingham area. The course addresses four areas: 1) community outreach, 2) intro to social science theory and methods, 3) film theory and the aesthetics of filmmaking, and 4) technical aspects of camera work and digital video editing.  Students are encouraged to explore the meaning of community at the group/collective and individual levels and to create films examining issues affecting the Birmingham community, including housing, education, healthcare, immigration, poverty, and the environment.
Syllabus

FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERNSHIP FLL 333  

Foreign Language majors have the opportunity to work on a community internship.  The Foreign Language Internship is a faculty-supervised opportunity for practical experience in tasks of international scope that may provide opportunities to use language(s) studied or applications of cultural knowledge.  The field experience credit hours normally count towards general electives credit and cannot replace language courses.  This practical experience provides opportunities to turn theory into practice; learn intangibles of the workplace; gain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of formal education; and make contacts to help further career development.
Course Designation Information (requires BlazerID)

HONORS IN NURSING SEQUENCE

HOMELESSNESS: ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES SOC 472 2C

This course is designed to promot the integration of formal knowledge obtained in the classroom and in readings with experiential learning in various not-for-profit settings providing services to the homeless.  The students are required to offer at least 15 hours of approved service at a designated not-for-profit providing services to the homeless.  The student is assigned various journal reflection topics in which they integrate their personal experiences in volunteer service with their formal classroom learning.
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (Requires BlazerID)

**EXPLORING BIRMINGHAM LCS 101-607 Freshman Seminar

A Freshman Learning Community Seminar addressing how the design of physical spaces affects the way we interact with each other and build community. Students explore the design of public spaces, neighborhoods and transportation systems and analyze how these aspects relate to community culture and lifestyle. This class incorporates a variety of learning experiences that include classroom discussions, group activities, lectures, and service learning in which students learn through direct experience and field assignments.
Syllabus

IMPACTING COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING LCSL 101-613

This Freshman Learning Seminar is unique in that students engage in ongoing service within the community as an integral part of the course. Students partner with community agencies and have the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom.  The Freshman Seminar addresses such topics as basic counseling skills and theory, study of and exposure to underserved and under-represented populations, skills for crisis intervention and working with special populations, and sociological connections between race, class, and other social identities of gender, age, and ability.  Students are introduced to skills and issues relevant to the helping professions such as psychology, sociology, social work, counseling, education, medicine nursing, and health professions.  
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (Requires BlazerID)

LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY GCLH 301

As the second Signature Course for Global and Community Leadership Honors, this provides students with field experiences in partnership with selected community or local government agencies. Through readings, class discussions and written reflections, students will explore the meaning of service and leadership as they work throughout the semester with their community partners. As much as practicable, each students works with an organizations matched with student’s Issue of Interest, with the goal of allowing a student to apply knowledge gained in both their academic studies and leadership courses.  The goal of the course is to bring students to a deeper understanding of their role as leaders in service to those communities where they find themselves living and working, as well as those they wish to affect in positive ways.  This is a designated service-learning course integrating academic learning, civic learning and meaningful service to the community.
Syllabus
 

PATHFINDERS

The purpose of the course is to help students begin the process of evolving from a student into a professional.  Coursework will feature learning that is needed beyond GPA and MCAT/DAT/OAT scores before applying to professional schools.  Attention will be focused on self-assessment, personal and professional development related to health care, specific relevant areas of social psychology and the writing of a personal action plan.  The course will incorporate service learning, a method of learning that integrates academic work with community service.  Students learn to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to "real life" by getting hands-on experience in the community.  As part of the course, Cooper Green Mercy Hospital will facilitate students volunteering for four hours per week in different hospital service areas so that students gain first hand experience relating to a range of health care issues. The course will purposefully link this volunteer experience with concepts and skills learned in the classroom.  

Syllabus

PEER EDUCATION HE 490

By the end of this course the student will be able to facilitate workshops on Sexual Decision Making and HIV Awareness.  Each student will volunteer at community health fairs, student organization gatherings, churches, etc. to provide information and resources to the community.  As a result of this course, a SHAPE Educator will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to educate a diverse community and to provide the appropriate interventions to respond to a community at risk.

Syllabus
Course Designation Information (requires BlazerID)

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMMING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES PE 450
The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge and skills needed to meet the unique fitness and physical activity needs of individuals with various disabilities. Through class discussions, course assignments, and a service learning experience, students will learn to design and implement personal training/fitness programs and disability sports/recreation programs for individuals with disabilities based on assessments of health-related strengths and needs.
Syllabus

PRACTICUM IN SOCIAL WORK SW 490

The Practicum provides students with opportunities to learn how to apply their knowledge of social work theories and methods within the context of "hands-on" situations in social work practice environments.  The practicum is the culmination of the social work education program.  Under the supervision of qualified social work practitioners, students participate in the actual execution of various social work tasks.
Course Designation Information (requires BlazerID)

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING THEORY PRACTICUM NUR 395 and 396

NUR 395 provides didactic content in community and public health nursing, a community-service focused specialty area within professional nursing.  The primary intent is to help the professional nursing student understand the public health needs of individuals within communities, the context of nursing practice within communities, and the impact of nursing on the community, at the local, state, national and global levels.  Emphasis is on professional role development to promote nursing care focused on illness and injury prevention, health promotion, health maintenance, health education, and coordination of care for diverse aggregate groups in various community settings.
395 Syllabus
396 Syllabus

SCT TECH HONORS INTERNSHIP/COMMUNITY PROJECTS SCT 396

Students will develop a service learning plan in collaboration with a faculty (and community) sponsor that will include

• learning objectives related to science education, application of science or engineering, or another focus consistent with STH listing of the course
• plan for documentation of the experience and of integration of the experience with the student's academic work
• reading list to provide academic background appropriate for the project
• documentation of the community needs or issues which are addressed through the experience.

To qualify for STH 396 credit, the project will have a service or experiential component.  STH 396 can be taken by students engaging in an internship where the balance between benefit to the organization and benefit to the student (in terms of experience) may differ from student to student.

SERVICE LEARNING SOCIOLOGY PRACTICUM SOC 488

Service-learning within sociology is a supervised community service project related to sociology and social policy through which a student expands his/her knowledge of society, practices critical thinking and the values and skills needed for effective citizenship, and has the opportunity to address some social problem or problems. The student will: (1) engage in a service activity with a selected community partner, (2) reflect on service activities through journal entries and meetings with the professor, and (3) integrate engagement, reflection and social science concepts in a final paper.  The course aims to involve the student in service learning projects conducive to the development of the sociological imagination and the examination of  the connection between sociology and citizenship
Syllabus

Social Work Values Lab SW 222

This course strongly engages students in the service learning process by focusing on learning about and applying social work values and principles, particularly social justice concepts.  Enhanced academic learning and purposeful civic learning occur as students learn to integrate social work values and principles (addressed in the classroom) into developing an understanding of community social service needs and services which address those needs.  This integration occurs through completion of 24 hours of field observation in a social service setting agency setting and connection of those observations to course content.  During these 24 hours students should work on a specific volunteer project which will be of benefit to the agency and its clientele.
Volunteer projects will be defined by the student and the agency host and may include such activities as organizing a canned food drive, planning and conducting an outdoor event for clients, participating in meetings with client/consumer advocacy groups, collecting clothing and furniture for clients, etc.
Syllabus
Course Designation Information (Requires BlazerID)

**SPECIAL TOPICS: PERCEPTIONS OF POVERTY IN AMERICA SBS 399

This service-learning course engages students in critical analysis of perceptions and policies toward those living in poverty in the United States while providing essential tax preparation and financial literacy services to members of our local community.  Academic coursework focuses on perceptions and misperceptions of those in poverty, race and poverty, socioeconomic issues faced by low-income families, federal and state policies toward working families, and predatory lending practices that erode wealth.  In addition to classroom discussions, students  participate in the SaveFirst Initiative, which trains college and graduate students to offer free tax preparation services and financial literacy information to working families across the state of Alabama.  Students are trained to complete tax returns and then use this expertise to serve low-income individuals at sites in the greater Birmingham area. 

**STUDENT SUCCESS IN NURSING NUR 100

A Freshman Learning Community course has integrated a service learning component in which pre-nursing students participate in 5 hours of service to the community in agencies that serve health care populations.  The service learning unit of the course provides student experiences within agencies that serve several populations including:  decreased access to health care (free clinics and health screenings), homelessness, pre-school and school-age children, hospice care, horticultural therapy, and elderly day care.  Although learning is the emphasis in this model, reciprocity and engagement are developed between School of Nursing faculty, students, Birmingham community partners and health care recipients.

UNTOLD STORIES: FINDING AND TELLING STORIES YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IN HISTORY CLASS HY 291 & DSC 291

Students will learn about the concepts of human memory, nostalgia, folklore, storytelling and public history in the classroom and by engaging in the practice of oral history collection.  This class combines traditional history principles of research and documentation with new media technologies. Course pedagogies provide a variety of learning experiences that include classroom discussions, group activities, lectures, and experiential learning in which students learn through direct experience and field assignments.  
Syllabus