Academic Catalog

Special Programs

Clark Atlanta University offers a number of special programs that further enhances the student’s graduate experience. Enrollment in some of these programs may be limited. Inquiries should be addressed to the program directors or other persons as indicated.

Pre-professional Programs

Clark Atlanta students planning careers in engineering, law, pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, or the ministry may be guided by their advisors in selecting courses which help to prepare them for admission to professional schools in their field. Information on these programs may be obtained from the academic departments.

Accelerated Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Clark Atlanta offer students accelerated 5-year dual degree bachelor’s and master’s programs in several areas. These include the BS/MS programs in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the BA/MA in Accounting. Information on these programs is provided in the appropriate sections of CAU’s undergraduate catalog.

Internships

Clark Atlanta students may participate in a variety of internship programs in public service administration and in private firms and agencies. Internships are part of the instructional program and are offered by departments throughout the University. Students may earn a maximum of two (2) courses of internship credit in one (1) semester and a maximum of four (4) courses of credit during their matriculation. Academic credit is determined by departments, and students must enroll in appropriate courses during the official registration period in order to receive such credit. This registration rule applies to summer sessions as well as to fall and spring semesters.

Cooperative Education

The Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) is a unique educational experience that combines classroom instruction with supervised, paid career-related work experience. The mission of the Cooperative Education Program is to facilitate the preparation of undergraduate and graduate students for academic-related work experiences by integrating classroom studies with experiential learning opportunities.

The program offers undergraduate and graduate students a formalized academic support program to enhance their educational learning experience by acquiring knowledge and developing transferable skills to transition into the workplace. The program further allows students to learn firsthand what challenges professionals in their chosen field face as well as evaluate whether a career is right for them and how their skills might best fit in.

The program provides students with professional work experiences in business, industry, government service and non-profit organizations. Co-op students have the opportunity to connect and network with potential employers early in their career. The University offers following two Coop Work options:

  1. Alternate – The student alternates between a semester of full-time study and a semester of full-time work.
  2. Parallel – The student combines periods of work and study during the same semester.

Academic credit may be awarded for Cooperative Education experiences. The amount of credit awarded varies from one academic department to another. Co-op is available to eligible undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing at Clark Atlanta University. Graduate students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA or higher. All students must submit a completed application packet (application form, resume and unofficial transcript) to enroll in the program. In addition, each student must attend a minimum of three (3) Leadership and Professional Development seminars scheduled during the academic year. For more information, contact the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Clark Atlanta University offers a number of special programs that further enhances the student’s undergraduate experience. Enrollment in some of these programs may be limited. Inquiries should be addressed to the program directors or other persons as indicated.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Programs

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based program for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. ROTC officers serve in all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Under ROTC, a student may receive a competitive, merit-based scholarship, covering all or part of college tuition, in return for an obligation of active military service after graduation. ROTC students attend college like other students, but also receive basic military training and officer training for their chosen branch of service through the ROTC unit at or nearby the college. The students participate in regular drills during the school year, and extended training activities during the summer.

The following ROTC programs are available to Atlanta University Center (AUC) students:

Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC)

Army ROTC is available to Atlanta University Center students through a co-op agreement with the Department of the Army and Georgia State University. Students may enroll in Army ROTC without incurring a military service obligation. While a major or minor is not offered through Army ROTC, such courses are incorporated into a student's normal degree requirements.

  • Curriculum Information. The military science curriculum is divided into two components: a basic course component covering work in the first two years, and an advanced course component covering work in the last two years. The basic course component is normally taken during the freshman and sophomore years; however, the student may, as an alternative, fulfill basic course requirements by attending a four-week summer camp between the sophomore and junior years. The best qualified students completing the basic course instruction are selected for advanced course instruction, which leads to an officer's commission. The advanced course, normally taken during the junior and senior years, is designed to produce officers for the United States Army, Army Reserves, and National Guard. Upon completion of the advanced course component, students are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Army ROTC courses are taught at Georgia State University and are available to Clark Atlanta students through cross-registration procedures in the ARCHE Program. Basic courses are offered at Morehouse College for all AUC students.
  • Scholarship Information. Each year Army ROTC offers a variety of scholarship programs to students who demonstrate outstanding academic and leadership potential. Eligible freshman and sophomore students may compete for three-and two-year scholarships which pay tuition, fees, for books, and a per-month tax-free stipend.

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC)

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is a two and a half to four year educational program designed to give men and women the opportunity to become Air Force officers while completing a degree. The Air Force ROTC program is designed to prepare persons to assume positions of increasing responsibility and offers a wide variety of challenging opportunities for professional growth. A few include: Pilot, Navigator, Aircraft Maintenance, Missiles, Engineering, Scientific and Developmental Fields, Computer Science, Law, Health Services and Management.

  • Academic Schedule. Freshmen and sophomores attend a 50-minute class on either Tuesday or Thursday, and a 50-minute Leadership Lab on both Tuesdays and Thursdays (3 hours per week total). The Leadership Labs consist of drill and ceremony practice, guest speakers from across the nation, athletic competitions, and other cadet activities. Juniors and seniors attend an 80-minute class each Tuesday and Thursday in addition to the Leadership Lab (5 hours per week). All cadets are required to wear their Air Force uniform throughout both days.
  • Obligation after Commissioning. Upon graduation from school and completing all Air Force requirements, the student will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. Nonrated officers have a 4-year active duty commitment. Rated officers (pilots and navigators), respectively, have 8-year and 10-year commitments.
  • Cross-Registration. Students who are enrolled in Air Force ROTC courses leading to a commission in the United States Air Force do so through the cross-registration process at their school. For more information call (404) 894-4175.
  • Field Training. All cadets compete for field training, usually the summer before their junior year. Cadets who have been in AFROTC since their freshman year attend a four-week camp; new cadets go for six weeks. Field training, held at Air Force bases across the country, is an intense experience in every respect: physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Cadets return to school with increased self-confidence, time-management skills, and a thorough understanding of the importance of teamwork. Many even say, in retrospect, that field training was fun. Activities include training in leadership and management, problem-solving, physical fitness, marksmanship, survival, and jet aircraft orientation (many cadets' most memorable activity – 30 minutes in a jet trainer with an instructor pilot).
  • In-College Scholarships. Air Force ROTC can help with the high cost of getting a university degree. As an Air Force ROTC cadet you are entitled to many benefits. Some of them are:
    • Up to full tuition and required fees per academic year, $900 for textbooks, and $400 a month tax-free allowance
    • Free Air Force uniforms and textbooks
    • Management training and opportunities to apply leadership principles
    • At most schools, academic credit for your Air Force ROTC classes
  • Travel on military aircraft on a space-available basis if you are on Air Force ROTC scholarship or in the Professional Officer Course.
  • Three- and Two-Year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholarships. These scholarships are available for any Atlanta University Center students. The objective of the HBCU scholarship program is to encourage outstanding minority HBCU students to enroll in the Air Force ROTC program. To compete for the scholarship you must: be a full-time student, be physically and medically qualified, have at least a 2.5 GPA and no "D"s, "F"s or "I"s, and meet all other eligibility criteria.
  • Pre-Health Professions and Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarships. Two- and three-year Pre-Health Professions Programs scholarships are offered to encourage students to earn commissions through Air Force ROTC and continue their education in medical or osteopathic school. You must apply before the end of the freshman or sophomore year. You will also be guaranteed additional tuition assistance for graduate-level health schooling expenses under the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. When you are accepted to your graduate-level health professions school, you will be granted the scholarship and transferred into the Air Force Medical Corps. Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship participants incur an additional active-duty service commitment.

Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC)

The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program prepares midshipmen and officer candidates morally, mentally, and physically to serve as commissioned officers in the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. The education program consists of a rigorous curriculum in engineering, principles of leadership, ethics, naval history, weapon systems, and navigation necessary to serve as professional officers in the Naval Service. Upon graduation, students are commissioned Ensigns or Second Lieutenants and proceed to active duty in aviation, nuclear propulsion, submarine or surface warfare, and the United States Marine Corps. A select number of students proceed directly to graduate school including law school and medical school. Graduate school programs are very competitive.

  • Enrollment. Students are enrolled as Scholarship students, College Program students – working towards scholarship, full participation in program, or Naval Science students – nonscholarship, not fully participating in program. An orientation period for all freshmen NROTC midshipmen is conducted just prior to registration week for the fall semester.
  • Scholarship Information. Scholarship students are appointed midshipmen in the Naval Reserve after a nationwide competition based on high school academic performance, SAT or ACT scores, interviews and recommendations. The Professor of Naval Science (PNS) at the host college also has available Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholarships. Candidates for HBCU scholarships must meet the same academic criteria as national scholarship students; however, application, interview, and recommendations are completed at the host unit located in the Atlanta University Center. The NROTC scholarships pays for tuition and academic fees, and a portion of textbooks for a period not exceeding four years (five years for engineering students). All students must be found medically qualified before any benefits are paid by the Navy. Other benefits include uniforms provided by the government and monthly retainer pay. Midshipmen are free to select the academic major of their choice, but must also complete the prescribed naval science curriculum. Midshipmen must also complete required professional development cruises of three (3) to five (5) weeks each summer; and to accept a commission as Ensign, USN, or Second Lieutenant, USMCR. Students may apply for a commission in the regular Navy or Marine Corps after receiving their reserve commission.
    Students not meeting scholarship eligibility may participate in the NROTC program while working on meeting eligibility requirements. These students are classified as College Program students or Naval Science students depending on their level of participation. Regularly enrolled undergraduates may enroll as Naval Science students, at which point they take Naval Science courses as electives and have no other contact with the Navy. These students have no assurance of ultimate commissioning, nor do they receive the financial benefits available to scholarship and college program students.
  • Curriculum Information. In addition to the required Naval Science courses listed in the course listing, all Navy Option scholarship students must complete two semesters of calculus by the end of sophomore year and two semesters of calculus-based physics by the end of the junior year. Additional requirements are based on whether the student is a technical or nontechnical major, Navy Option or Marine Option, and scholarship or non-scholarship. Each student should acquire from the Naval Science Department a complete description of program requirements, since the above statement is only a general guideline. Interested students should contact the NROTC office at Morehouse College, (404) 572-3600, or feel free to stop by. Naval ROTC courses, listed below, are taught at Morehouse College, and are available to Clark Atlanta students through the standard cross-registration procedures.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarships are offered by the Air Force, Army and Navy programs. Further information on these programs can be obtained by contacting the ROTC Offices located at the following addresses:

Army ROTC
Atlanta University Center Panther Battalion (Morehouse/Spelman/Clark Atlanta)
Army ROTC Enrollment Officer & Liaison
Ms. Michelle White
Telephone: (404) 413-6489
Email: Michelle.white@morehouse.edu

Georgia State University Panther Battalion (ROTC Recruiter)
Department of Military Science Mr. Anthony Savage
Telephone: (404) 413-6486
Email: asavage@gsu.edu
For more information you may also visit the Panther Battalion web page: http://armyrotc.com/edu/gastate/about.htm

Navy ROTC
Atlanta University Center, the Morehouse College NROTC Program
Ms. Brenda Steele – (470) 639-0258; Brenda.steele@morehouse.edu
Lt. Aimes – (470) 639-0444
Ms. Angela Young – (470) 639-0971
830 Westview Dr., S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30314
Fax: (404) 614-3797

Freshman Advisor
Lt. Matt Hulst – (404) 639-0547 matt.hulst@morehouse.edu
Fax: (404) 614-3797

Air Force ROTC
Students who enroll in Air Force ROTC at Clark Atlanta University (Crosstown University) will take their AFROTC classes at Georgia Institute of Technology (Host University).
Contact: Georgia Institute of Technology
151 6th Street, N.W.
2nd Floor, Okeefe Building
Atlanta, GA 30332-0120
Telephone: (404) 894-3000
Fax: (404) 894-6857
www.afrotc.gatech.edu

TRiO Programs

Kresge Hall, 2nd 
Telephone: (404) 880-8200

TRiO programs are pre-college access programs for low-income and first-generation students in various target areas around Metropolitan Atlanta, Cobb County and LaGrange. These programs are federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education, with a primary purpose of increasing the number of college graduates from the target populations.

The mission of the Clark Atlanta University TRiO Programs is to provide pre-college services for the promotion of academic success of middle and high school students, as well as adult learners with the potential for postsecondary education by facilitating high school retention, college enrollment, and graduation of first-generation, low-income, and at-risk students.

The vision of Clark Atlanta University TRiO Programs is to become a nationally recognized, comprehensive educational program for participants who will engage in a highly motivational and experiential curriculum leading to successful completion of college.

Clark Atlanta University TRiO programs include:

Educational Talent Search (ETS) - Identifies students in grades 6-12 across four metropolitan counties, and provides services to support students as they undertake a very rigorous high school curriculum, enroll in and graduate from college. Educational Talent Search also provides opportunities for youth and adults to re-enter and finish high school and college.

Upward Bound (UB) - Participants engage in a highly motivational, experiential curriculum upholding the highest standards and utilizing up-to-date resources and technology in education. This is an intensive, year-round academic program to assist participants in grades 9 - 12 with the successful completion of high school and prepare them for post-secondary education. The program provides the students with rigorous and nurturing academic courses, as well as culturally enriching activities. The six-week summer residential program provides instruction in mathematics through pre-calculus, composition, literature, laboratory science, foreign language and other enrichment classes.

These programs have been successful in assisting thousands of students over more than 50 years enroll and graduate from post-secondary institutions.