Founded in 1875, Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is located in Normal, Alabama, a small town within the city limits of Huntsville. This historically black institution was previously known as The Huntsville Normal School. In 1969, the school became known as Alabama A&M University. This institution offers a variety of programs to study, from agriculture and mechanical engineering to political science and business. The university works to provide all students who are interested in pursuing their professional and personal goals a chance to do just that through studies, research, and public service. The university is committed to a scholarly environment where young minds can continue to grow.
Alabama A & M University
Academics
The initial mission of AAMU was to teach agricultural sciences and engineering. Since that time, AAMU began to expand their scope in an effort to reach as many students as possible. Alabama A&M University offers over 70 academically enriched areas of study to choose from. Some of the most popular majors are agriculture and environmental science. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. AAMU also offers certifications in distance education and extended studies.
The Office of Distance Education and Extended Studies (ODEES) is also a part of AAMU’s system. ODEES offers courses to those who would like to enhance themselves professionally, socio-culturally and personally. These courses do not count towards the students’ degree of study; however instead offers a certificate at the culmination of the class. There is no specific requirement or prerequisite for admittance, and each class is assigned a fee. ODEES also offers CEU’s, Continuing education Units, several certificate programs, as well as test preparation courses.
AAMU offers graduate degrees at the Master’s and Doctoral levels. Graduate degrees are available in areas such as social work, physics, education and many other disciplines. The number of graduate students makes up less than half of the student population at AAMU; however, the university provides a stable, academically enriched experience for its’ graduate students.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Alabama A & M University.
AAMU encourages students to apply for admission. The university is sure to provide a unique education that can’t be matched. The university has high standards with much emphasis placed on academics. The application process is competitive and the criterion is high, as the university strives to matriculate highly prepared graduates to pursue their careers and face the world.
Once an application for admission is completed, the student must request that his or her guidance counselor send their official transcripts to the university’s Office of Admissions. There are certain scores that are required for admittance. These scores are based on the specific aptitude test completed by the student. There are two tests that are acceptable for admissions at AAMU; the ACT and the SAT. The student must have met the minimum GPA of 2.0 before leaving high school in order to be considered for admission. Applications for admittance can be accepted by mail, online or in person.
Financial Aid
Alabama A&M University believes in providing affordable education to its students and understands that an investment in education is probably the biggest investment a student and their family can make. Students are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) before the school’s prescribed deadline to ensure a completed file and a start date. Additionally, students must maintain a favorable GPA and accumulate a specific number of hours per course to keep their financial aid in good standing.
In addition to receiving student loans, there are other ways to finance an education at AAMU. Scholarships, student employment, veterans’ education benefits, and Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT) are a few alternatives AAMU offers.
Student Financial Aid Details
How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Alabama A & M University 1624th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best Alabama scholarships and financial aid
The Office of Student Activity and Leadership Development (OSALD) is a department dedicated to providing programs and outlets to the students of AAMU, while simultaneously connecting the students to one another through academic, recreational, cultural and social functions. This department promotes leadership and encourages diversity. Each student is encouraged to participate in areas that best fit their interest in an effort to give back to the community, as well as to learn and acquire attributes that will positively impact their future as they navigate in the world.
Part of the college experience is each student’s living arrangements. Many students choose to live on campus and find the experience quite rewarding. Living on campus provides students with the opportunity to become involved with campus life, better acquainted with fellow students, and the ability to enjoy their overall college experience. If the student is considering living on campus, he or she must be accepted to the university before a residential application can be processed. Once the student is accepted into the university, he or she may then apply to student housing. Once the application is accepted, a nominal, refundable security fee is required. In order to be accepted into student housing at AAMU, the student must be in good judicial and academic standing.
Campus Safety is a very important part of campus life. The campus police at AAMU are a security force with full police authority. They are available around the clock 24/7 to protect AAMU’s students and faculty. These officers are charged with the responsibility of making sure those on campus are always a part of a safe and secure environment. They enforce anything from parking violations to allegations of crimes. Their mission is to serve and protect by enforcing the laws of the university and of the state of Alabama.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Alabama A & M University?
Alabama A & M University
Additional School Information
AAMU has a unique program called “Changing Lanes”, which is especially appreciated by the incoming freshmen as the program partners upper classmen with a freshmen student. The upper classmen serve as mentors for the freshmen, showing him or her how to succeed in college and successfully navigate campus life. In addition to all the educational amenities this university offers, AAMU also offers units for relaxation and physical fitness.
The AAMU grounds hosts a campus wellness center that spans more than 78,000 square feet. The AAMU wellness center is geared towards the physical wellness of the students, faculty, alumni and the community at large. The facility offers memberships that include the use of a 7 lane pool, a 6 lane bowling alley, aerobic classes and much more.
Bibliography
Alabama A & M University. Alabama A & M University Admissions. Web. 13 July 2011.
Alabama A & M University. Alabama A & M University Financial Aid Services. Web. 13 July 2011.
Alabama A & M University. Alabama A & M University History. Web. 13 July 2011.
Feel free to add comments or additional information regarding Alabama A & M University, or discuss this school in the University Discussion Forum
30 days agoRosa cgjohn3116 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I was thinking about applying for a teaching position at AA&M, and the posts are motivating me to apply. I have been on the campus a few times and found it difficult to locate what I needed. I am willing to do whatever it takes to turn the university into a welcoming place that challenges students, gives them a pleasant educational experience, and prepares them for the job market. All it will take are a few dedicated and capable professionals with some high standards to turn this historical institute around.
8 months agoGame Over
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY is BAD. If you are a potential receipient of a full or partial scholarship don't take it because the bad will outweight the good at AAMU. To be brief, I came to this school for an education and the black college experience portrayed by the media and from word of mouth. At the time, my choices were Alabama State and Alabama A&M. I choose A&M because my relatives graduated from this school in the 1960s and are staunch supporters of their school. Don't get me wrong my first semester at A&M was great because I didn't know too many people and looked for the positive. The majority of the faculty are worried about their paycheck and clocking out before their time is really up. West dormitory for girls located next to Louis Crews Stadium is worse than the projects in an urban city, no lie. Normal Hills apartment complex is the projects with one maintenance man who is rarley around to help. Don't let Echo's, A&M students who wear maroon blazers that recruit potential students, fool you and lie to you because the A&M students in Echo's are greek doing it for community service or want to go greek. GREEK LIFE at A&M: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is about who you know (Favoritism) to get in; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity the majority of them are homosexual or have an STD; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity includes smart, hardworking, young men who sleep with most of the Gamma Mu AKAs; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity includes smart, hardworking, young men who are decent. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority includes smart, classy, young ladies but a certain percentage of them mess with the Ques (as my relative say nothing has changed over the last 50 years). Delta Sigma Theta Sorority on the campus of A&M USE to be classy but the Spring 2011 line had to secretly probate in a church instead of the yard for the Spring 2011 semester because they were caught doing underground activities even though the Deltas on this yard are known for underground they got caught. A 2 year wait, an interest meeting of more than 200 girls and they wanted to pick 22 but ended up doing 32 for more information on this issue campusgossip.com...search box Alabama A&M...click on gossip forum. To any Delta Delta memeber reading this your neos are project chicks that are bisexual whores. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority on A&M is coming up very well on the yard. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority the girls are very nice in this organization on the yard but finding a SGRHO is very rare. NOTE: Being in a sorority can help you or harm you at this school...TRUST. Young girls on this campus are the main reason for fights and cars being scratched, spray painted, tires deflated, and windows busted through your car. STDs, HPV, rapes and abortions are the norm on the hill. To any one reading this thinking about sending their children and/or going to this school know that this is NOT the A&M from the Jim Crow days, Civil Rights era, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000-2009. Go to Alabama State if you want to go to a HBCU or UA if you want to marticulate at a white college.
about 1 year agoShalonda
AAMU is, in fact, a disaster. I regret attending school here. I am a freshman in my second semester and most of the problems that I have seen in the previous comments are true. If anyone is planning on attending school here, you may want to reconsider. Save yourself before it is too late!
over 1 year agoNkarrah Hamm
I was planning on going to this University, but from all the negative comments im having second thoughts..
almost 2 years agoDoug
It is, indeed, sobering to hear some of the same issues that I dealt with, being discussed here today. Not only have they not changed, but it seems they have gotten worse as technology has improved.
How could I forget to say that, only last month, I recieved a letter , claiming that I owe $591.00 to the school. This is after it happened before, causing me to call them and asked if I owe any monies to the school.
In the interim, I have requested and recieved transcripts with no hassle.
What an imcompetent, bumbling bunch we have there. They disgust me.
about 2 years agoDoug
I attended A&M over 20 years ago, and left in disgust, after realizing that nothing I thought coming in was real.
I was a Civil Engineering Major who attended for 2.5 years, and never set feet into a laboratory. I took a surveying class and never got the chance to TOUCH a piece of surveying equipment.
I took Physics, I took Chemistry, I took fluid dynamics, but no lab. Only after I transferred to a real university did I realize what it took for a school to have an acredited Civil Engineering program. In hindsight, I know that, despite their claim, there is no way they were actually working on getting the program accredited, because base on what they were doing, there is no way they would have gotten it.
Frankly, I rank A&M as a large high school.
It pains me to say this, but it has to be said, because the school must be exposed to the marketplace where consumers/potential students can get some information from students who have been there.
If I were to stay quiet, because I dont' want "US" to look bad, then even more of us will look bad when we "gruduate" after 4 years, lacking confidence, and the tools to compete with those from, quite frankly, superior schools.
Again, for those who read this, do you research before signing up. The only way we can see change is be staying away.
When they start seeing a drastic drop in enrollment, they will change their ways and actually start caring about the kids.
Their admission policy, which seems to be, "whosoever will may come", allows every rifraff who has goofed off for 12 years to enter for 4 more years of fun.
Weed out the rifraffs who come onto the hill to "get over" and that will be a great start.
Doug
over 2 years agoMs Davis
I'm a parent. A & M was once a great college and I know friends and family who attended there with success and now have gone on to have great jobs after the education there. Now; My son is a third generation of my family that is currently enrolled at A&M. He was thrown in a dorm with no hot water, asphalt falling, no air, filthy showers, broken windows and a crook for a room-mate. A&M should be reported to the state board. The things they promised would be fixed are still a mess unfit to live in. The student advisors are not helping our children take care of needs as they are there for that. Financial Aid Office are not posting and helping the students take care of needs either. A&M is worse than the projects and I hate our children are in that mess: after the fact. I have to call there everyday about something.
over 2 years agoDanielle
Lauren, I just graduated from AAMU May 8, 2009. I had a wonderful college experience, and would not change a thing. I have graduated with a job and many other opportunities that AAMU has opened the door to. You will find problems with any university you go to, HBCU or not, no school is perfect!
I was on a full academic scholarship and did not have any issues with financial aid.
Every teacher that I had cared about my well being and that is the main reason why I would recommend AAMU to anyone!
No matter what situation or administrator that you run into, if you are respectful, persistent, and treat others how you want to be treated you should be able to accomplish any task.
over 2 years agoDanielle
Lauren, I just graduated from AAMU May 8, 2009. I had a wonderful college experience, and would not change a thing. I have graduated with a job and many other opportunities that AAMU has opened the door to. You will find problems with any university you go to, HBCU or not, no school is perfect!
I was on a full academic scholarship and did not have any issues with financial aid.
Every teacher that I had cared about my well being and that is the main reason why I would recommend AAMU to anyone!
No matter what situation or administrator that you run into, if you are respectful, persistent, and treat others how you want to be treated you should be able to accomplish any task.
almost 3 years agoO
I'm in my 3rd year as a student here @ A&M and I come from a family that has supported HBCU's for years. But I think I made a very bad decision coming to this school. Word of mouth is getting around that A&M is as bad as the comments say. It's safe to say that "some" faculty really don't care about us. A&M has the potential to be one of the great HBCU's as Hampton, TSU or FAMU.... someone has to make it happen though.
almost 3 years agoLauren
You all are scaring me..I was just accepted and will be attending in the fall of 2009. The kids who I spoke with that attend the school haven't complained to me that much, but the reasons listed below are the reasons why i chose not to go to certain HBCU's. When I hear that AAMU is not a good school to go to I lose all hope. The other HBCU's that I was considering had the same problems, which is why I was hoping AAMU would be different. :-(
about 3 years agolady ladya2340 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I graduated in 1986 and had the same problems that are listed in the other comments. I can not beleive that this is still continuing today. I was born outside ot the US to a militaty couple. They always tried to make me pay out of country fees. I would take my birth certificate every semester to show I was a us citizen.You learn this in 8th grade. I ended up every semester having to procude my voter's registration card. Oh did if fail to say my father was a disabled vet and the GI bill paid for my books and fees. GO FIGURE!!!!!
about 3 years agoSOULFUL55 ticiaclark ((at)) yahoo dot com
Hello,
I thank God for having both of my parent's attend Alabama A&M. My father was in the band, and my mother was working on her business managment degree. Both parents attended A&M back in the 70's. And both of them where well educated there.
Thank you so much, and I will support Alabama A&M.
Thank you from a 70's baby now adult bulldog.
over 3 years agoZEKE huzeke ((at)) hotmail dot com
Oh my God!! I transferred out of tis school in 1989 for many of the same reasons I see discussed here, and I'm surprised to see that nothing has changed wrt the administration at the school. The two years I attended huanted me for about 10 years after I had graduated from another school. Twice, student loans that I had already paid off, but no longer had paper work, came back to haunt me. I had to pay twice.
The administration at this school is the absolute worst I have ever encountered or heard of in my 22 years in this country. I have a high school kid and I've told him that his is the only school I wouldn't pay for him to attend.
Sad state for those poor kids. Still, no one cares.
over 3 years agounknown corn19 ((at)) live dot com
They need to get rid of the black administration and replace with some white people because this is messed up how they are running this school. the enrollment is declining each year. I'm a first year grad student and i cant even get financial right. i want to transfer so bad. This is the reason why I didn't come here 4 years ago. Horrible. i only been here for 2 weeks.
over 3 years agoAnonymous pinacolada331 ((at)) yahoo dot com
As a graduate student, it was a terrible experience. If there was other options available I would have transfered. I agree with the negative comments on this forum as I have experienced most of them first hand. The entire campus is need of repair and the classrooms are filthy. The staff clearly does not care as they are not the ones sitting in the run down classrooms. It is a shame.
over 3 years agoAnonymous pinacolada331 ((at)) yahoo dot com
Cynthia, please think about it. You worked there, you knew the staff, and you knew other staff members who could help you. You do not have any experience being on the other side of the counter facing the A and M staff as MANY other students have. A and M could be a good institution but until they begin to listen to the students, their reputation will remain inadequate.
over 3 years agoCynthia Hargrove hargrovc ((at)) bellsouth dot net
I received both my bachelors and masters from A&M and never had any problems getting the needed classes or correcting my incomplete grades. I've heard other students say that they have had problems but I've always found the staff to be helpful. I worked on campus and never had any problems with getting paid. I received financial aid and it was also processed on time and correctly. I obtained both my co-op job and now my full time job through the career development office. A&M is a wonderful institution and deserves to be given a chance.
almost 4 years agoanonymous carol ((at)) sherroddrawings dot com
Unfortunately I agree with the rest of the comments here. I last attended aa&m in 2001. Then, as now, there were a few wonderful teachers; but the absolute nightmare of trying to register and fix errors on your report card, even getting paid when I worked for a few months for the university, was an atrocious experience. The office and admin staff could absolutely care less about the student body at all.
Clearly, by seeing the more recent comments, one could ascertain that this is a problem they are not interested in fixing anytime soon. What a shame.
almost 4 years agoJasmine Bender j_bender90 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I'm an in coming freshman and i'm already having problems out of the staff. They've been giving me the run around for days, only because they are too lazy too look up the information that I need. But that's what's expected coming from a black college. How unorganized they are... If you want anything done right there i see now that i'm going to have to demand respect.
about 4 years agoAnonymous pinacolada331 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I graduated in 2007 and was a graduate student at Alabama A and M University. It is a historically black university and with any institution it is worth the time and effort to spend a day at the university in order to be certain it is for you. In my experience as a full time student, the faculty/academia was exceptional and was the one and only best part of A and M. The administration was and remained disorganized, unhelpful, inefficient and unsystematic. The effort to manage one’s registration, dropped classes, missing grades, not received but you have the proof that it was sent paperwork, staff not answering phones, a mandatory graduation, the long lines that result it many students needing records fixed was just as time consuming as the coursework requirements of earning one’s degree. As a result of the above, I do not recommend anyone attending this university and I will never support A and M as an alumni member.
about 4 years agoSam Johnson sam dot johnson ((at)) mailserver dot aamu dot edu
My experience at Alabama A&M has been absolutley horrible. The adminstration is very unorganized. At most colleges and university their first concern is the students, but not at at A&M. I wouldn't recommend at this time any parent send their child to this school. I am still currently attending A&M, and it is absolute torture. Trying to get anything done involving adminstration is very chaotic. Example trying to register for classes can be an abosulte pain they will drop you classes over and over for no reason, and they will not give any reason for doing so. Alabama A&M is not the school for anyone... It is not worth the pain or trouble.
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cgjohn3116 ((at)) yahoo dot com
I was thinking about applying for a teaching position at AA&M, and the posts are motivating me to apply. I have been on the campus a few times and found it difficult to locate what I needed. I am willing to do whatever it takes to turn the university into a welcoming place that challenges students, gives them a pleasant educational experience, and prepares them for the job market. All it will take are a few dedicated and capable professionals with some high standards to turn this historical institute around.