Spring Term Intensives

SPRING TERM INTENSIVES

To graduate, Alma College students are required to complete two four-week Spring Term courses in May that often involve a small number of students and amazing travel experiences. London, Argentina, China and points in between — we’ve got all corners of the globe covered. Prepare yourself to be out of the classroom and in to your field!

Here are a few examples of how science and mathematics courses fit in:

Biology of Spiders: An introductory course to the fascinating world of spiders and their kin. Students conduct field observations on various spider species and complete a research project by collecting data on spider behavior, ecology, and activity periods.

A PCR Primer: Students are involved in an ongoing research project investigating gene regulation. In this course, students subclone the bovine ST1A1 gene. The goal is to discover how steroids, vitamin A, and perhaps other agents affect the production of this important metabolic enzyme.

Altitude Physiology: Students study the physiological adaptations to altitude while living at 12,000 feet in Colorado. Students design the project, analyze the data, and present the results at the conclusion of the course.

Other examples include Transgenic Technology, Genes and Society, and Lizard Behavioral Ecology courses.

Katie Krauss’ love of her favorite subject multiplies exponentially when she has the chance to share it with others, which is why she is working toward a career in secondary education at Alma College.

“Math was always something I was very good at and enjoyed doing, but in high school, I realized my favorite part of math was not the actual work, but instead, helping my friends understand [it],” she says. “I realized that being a math teacher made sense.”