Academic Excellence
ASMS offers students academic opportunities they will not find anywhere else in the State of Alabama. All coursework is taught at the college level and prepares our graduates for higher education and beyond.
ASMS is a school for motivated students who are ready to challenge themselves academically at a higher level level and in new ways. Students can pursue college-level coursework, conduct original research with expert faculty members, and forge their own academic path.
Courses are taught at an advanced level or are based on a university equivalent. The school boasts an exceptional STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum in conjunction with offerings in world languages, humanities, and the arts. Students who graduate from ASMS have a solid preparation in academics regardless of discipline.
You do not have to be a genius to succeed at ASMS. Students will find success when they work hard and embrace all that ASMS has to offer. In addition to being knowledgeable about their subject matter, our students are prepared to be critical thinkers, creative conceptors, collaborative colleagues, and mindful citizens. ASMS gives them foundational knowledge to excel their careers and provides them with the skills needed to gravitate to the top of their fields.
Class Sizes
The small class sizes at ASMS encourage in-depth learning, thoughtful discussions, and close interactions with our distinguished faculty members. Some classes have as few as 7 students, while others may reach an enrollment size of slightly over 20.
Three-Term Calendar
The academic year is divided into three terms, each lasting 11 weeks. A three term system allows our students to pursue additional courses of study compared to a traditional high school. Students enroll in a minimum of five academic courses per term. Although classes convene every day of the week, individual courses only meet four days per week for 55 minutes each day, allowing for lab sessions to run longer on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Course Offerings and Concentrations
ASMS boasts a college-level curriculum in STEM and the humanities with 400+ unique courses to choose from in the catalog. Our wide range of electives allow ASMS students to shape their own academic path and go more in depth based on their interests and academic goals. This includes concentrations in any of our 10 academic departments or interdisciplinary concentrations in medical sciences and engineering.
Lab Components
All science classes meet an additional two hours per week for labs. Students earn 0.5 credit for each course completed. In Advanced Placement (AP) courses, students enroll for all three terms.
College Credit
Students are given the opportunity to take courses at ASMS and earn college credit. ASMS has articulation agreements with many in-state universities and offers AP courses. Students can earn up to 2 years worth of college credit simply by taking courses already offered as part of the graduation curriculum at our school. This can result in saving anywhere from $500 - $140,000 on college tuition depending on what institution of higher education a student chooses.
Standardized Test Preparation
The ASMS Department of Academic Affairs offers test preparation workshops and resources for students each school year. ASMS students typically raise their ACT scores by 5-7 points or more before they graduate. Students tend to score well on the ACT because it measures what they have learned during high school. A high ACT score dramatically increases a student’s chance of attracting college scholarship offerings. The average ACT score of an ASMS graduate is a 30.
Learn MoreResearch
Our instructors are encouraged to bring their original research into the classroom, and ASMS aims to support our faculty members in conducting new research and publishing their work with the goal of involving students in the process. At the same time, ASMS is implementing strategies for students to pursue their own original research. Students have opportunities to conduct research through partnerships with local universities, the ASMS Research Fellows Program, ASMS Directed Research and Reading courses, and participation in local and state science fairs.
Conducting research is most common at the university graduate level and sometimes at the undergraduate level. Giving ASMS students the opportunity to conduct research in high school will set them apart in the college application and admissions process.
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