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College Courses for High School Students

Strengthen your college application, stand out among other applicants, and get a head start on your college education—all while you're still in high school.

Why Enroll in College Courses While Still in High School?

Insider Access to a Personal College Advisor

You'll benefit from having a dedicated college advisor who will assist you in selecting courses that align with your educational goals and personal needs. Plus, you'll be taught by the same expert faculty members who teach in our highly ranked academic programs, helping you feel more prepared for college and knowledgeable of how course topics apply to the real world. 

Flexible & Convenient Courses

You won't have to forego any aspect of your high school experience to get a jumpstart on your college career. That's because all of our courses are offered online and do not require you to meet on a certain day or time. You'll have the flexibility to complete coursework whenever it's most convenient for you, but still have the support you need for academic success. Your advisor can discuss with you and your family how we develop your personal success plan.

Cutting Costs and Accelerating Your Career

Courses for high school students are offered at a significantly reduced tuition rate. And by getting a jump start on general education requirements, you can begin to take your programmatic coursework when you officially start at Widener (or any college of your choosing) and potentially graduate early!

Courses Available to High School Students by Term

UCOM 130 – Mass Media & Society
This course examines the historical evolution and the present-day structure and composition of the mass media and its related industries. It also briefly examines the impact of mass media on individuals and society and introduces students to mass communication research.
3 credits. No prerequisites.

UHIS 100 – Western Civilization 1, Ancient World to 1300
This course introduces students to major themes in the history of societies from ancient Mesopotamia to Europe in the Middle Ages. Students will examine this long and diverse period of human history through an analysis of politics, economics, religion, philosophy, family life, warfare, and art. Topics include the formation of the earliest civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia, the philosophy and politics of ancient Greece, the origins and rise of the Roman Empire, the emergence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the commercial, social, and educational transformations of the Middle Ages.
3 semester hours. 3 credits.

UALH 111 – Medical Terminology
Allied health, like any other professional discipline, has its own specialized lexicon. Those in the various fields of allied health must understand this shared language not only to interact with other professionals but also to carry out career responsibilities. In this entry-level course, students learn and practice medical terminology—from anatomy and physiology to diagnostics and technology.
3 credits. No prerequisites.

UBIO-101 Principles of Biological Systems
An introductory course designed to emphasize the established principles common to all known forms of life. Topics for discussion include the origin of life forms (abiogenesis) on this planet, and the evolution and operation (metabolism and self-perpetuation) of such forms of life at various levels of biological organization. Comprehension of the principles including complementarity between structure and function is emphasized throughout. Students may not receive credit for both this course and BIOL-100.
4 Credits

UEC-101 Principles of Macroeconomics
An introductory study of the determinants of the aggregate level of economic activity in a global economy. Attention focuses on the demand for output by households (consumption), businesses (investment), government and trade with the rest of the world (net exports), and the roles played by fiscal and monetary policies. In addition, interest centers on the problems of inflation, unemployment, federal budget deficits, and stimulating economic growth. Topics include measuring the levels of output and income, Keynesian and classical models of aggregate demand and supply, the banking system and money creation, impacts of government fiscal and monetary policies, inflationary processes and models of inflation, unemployment, inflation tradeoff controversies, public debt burdens, international trade policies, and determinants of economic growth. Students may not receive credit for both EC 101 and EC 103.
3 Credits

UANT 105 – Cultural Diversity 
This course introduces students to the study of human cultural diversity. By examining different cultural systems from around the world, students learn concepts and methods for investigating why humans think and behave the way they do. This course provides students with the competence to live and work with people from different cultural backgrounds. It also enables students to see the world through a different cultural lens and reflect critically on the cultural beliefs and practices that govern their own lives. Topics include race, ethnicity, nationalism, language, gender, sexuality, religion, warfare, political organization, economic systems, migration, healing, kinship, marriage, and the family.
3 credits

UBIO 115 – Human Nutrition
This course is an introduction to the science of nutrition. Human nutrient requirements, nutrient absorption, malnutrition (overconsumption as well as underconsumption), recommended dietary guidelines, and topics of current interest are covered. Special attention is paid to helping students evaluate their own nutrition practices. Designed as a science elective for nonscience majors.
3 credits

UENG 101- Reading, Thinking & Writing
Success in college calls for curiosity, engagement, and a willingness to be challenged, as well as having a strong foundation in reading, writing, and thinking. First-year students at Widener begin their college career with ENGL 101, a course designed to prepare undergraduates for serious academic inquiry, full participation in the intellectual life and mission of the university, and sustained self-directed learning throughout the curriculum. Students have the opportunity to select a section of ENGL 101 focused on a particular theme or topic. Through a variety of challenging reading and writing assignments engaging with the topic of choice (including a common reading), students become more careful and discerning readers. They will express insights and craft sustained arguments supported by carefully chosen evidence from primary and secondary material, and they will strengthen their ability to ask questions, evaluate, and synthesize complex information and draw conclusions.
3 credits

UHIS 121 – American Civilization
I surveys the history of the United States to 1877, with emphasis on how major economic, political, and social changes affected the lives and values of Americans. The focus is on how diverse peoples experienced and influenced the processes of colonization, nation-building, and sectional development. The class examines the kinds of evidence historians use to reconstruct the past and challenges students to think analytically about historical sources to learn how people made sense of and shaped American civilization.
3 credits

UPSY 105 – Intro Psychology 
This course introduces students to the science of Psychology, which studies the biological, cognitive, personal, and social processes that influence behavior and experience. Topics include biological psychology, lifespan development, learning, memory, psychological disorders, and social influence. Through these topics, students will also learn the scientific approaches to studying psychological phenomena. Psychology majors must receive a "C" or better in this course to satisfy psychology major requirements.
3 credits

UALH 115 – Intro to Patient Care
This course is designed to prepare Widener-Crozer DMS students for clinicals. It combines an understanding of the elements of patient care with hands-on experience in handling, patient transfer, managing critical situations, infection control, emergency medical situations, ethics and law, first aid, communicating with patients, HIPAA, and sterile techniques.
1 credit

UANT 105 – Cultural Diversity
This course introduces students to the study of human cultural diversity. By examining different cultural systems from around the world, students learn concepts and methods for investigating why humans think and behave the way they do. This course provides students with the competence to live and work with people from different cultural backgrounds. It also enables students to see the world through a different cultural lens and reflect critically on the cultural beliefs and practices that govern their own lives. Topics include race, ethnicity, nationalism, language, gender, sexuality, religion, warfare, political organization, economic systems, migration, healing, kinship, marriage, and the family.
3 credits

UCJ-105 Intro to Criminal Justice
A general introduction to the study of the American system of criminal justice. The crime problem, the police, the judicial system, and correctional agencies are examined. Both the legal and behavioral realities of each stage of the criminal justice process are discussed and analyzed.
3 Credits

ENVR-104 Earth Processes and Natural Disasters
This course is a survey of Earth's surface processes that have a direct impact, often violently and without warning, on our global society. Information presented in this course integrates the principles of geology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and ecology and explores the many ways humans leave themselves susceptible to hazards driven by Earth's dynamic geologic and atmospheric processes. A series of case studies will be presented to students that outline each topic area covered. These include the broad topic areas of earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding, mass wasting, coastal hazards, subsidence, severe weather, mass extinction, wildfires, and global climate change. Designed for a general audience, this course is opened to all students who have a natural curiosity about events that often control our global existence. 3 hours lecture.
3 Credits

UMAT-101 – Fundamental Mathematics
This is a developmental mathematics course designed to review elementary algebra, to prepare students for further mathematics courses, and to develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking in mathematics. Topics include the real number system, linear equations and inequalities, exponents and polynomials, factorization, rational expressions, roots and radicals, and graphing. Because this course is developmental, it cannot count toward fulfilling the science distribution requirement. It may not be taken after completing any mathematics course with a higher number.
3 credits

UALH-220 Health Care & Law
This course covers the interrelationships of law and medicine. Topics include the legal organization of health care providers, status of the doctor-patient privilege, the patient's 'Bill of Rights,' analysis of a malpractice case, law of criminal insanity, restrictive covenants in employment contracts, and the definition of death. Emphasis is placed on developing national policies and practices relating to the delivery of health care.
3 Credits

COMS-180 Public Speaking (W)
The course provides students with the skills needed to deliver compelling speeches and presentations. Students will learn to communicate information powerfully for both small groups and large audiences.
3 Credits

SOC-250 Death and Dying
This course applies interdisciplinary perspectives to the social processes of death and dying. Sociology is the ideal discipline for this topic as death is experienced both personally and collectively, yet this course also integrates anthropological, psychological, historical, medical, and spiritual investigations of the subject. Students will develop an understanding of how the universal experience of death differs historically and cross-culturally. Discussion topics include death norms, funerals, bereavement, euthanasia, suicide, transhumanism, health care practices, hospice, the death penalty, and more. This course has several required off-campus field trips.
3 Credits

UALH 115 – Intro to Patient Care 
This course is designed to prepare Widener-Crozer DMS students for clinicals. It combines an understanding of the elements of patient care with hands-on experience in handling, patient transfer, managing critical situations, infection control, emergency medical situations, ethics and law, first aid, communicating with patients, HIPAA, and sterile techniques.
1 credit

UALH-111 Medical Terminology
Allied health, like any other professional discipline, has its own specialized lexicon. Those in the various fields of allied health must understand this shared language not only to interact with other professionals but also to carry out career responsibilities. In this entry-level course, students learn and practice medical terminology-from anatomy and physiology to diagnostics and technology
3 Credits

UALH-218 Nutrition in Healthcare
This course is designed to increase the student's knowledge about the scientific principles of human nutrition and how sound nutrition practices are related to achieving optimal health and wellness. The following aspects of dietary nutrients will be covered: physical and chemical properties, physiological functions, dietary allowances, energy balance, food labeling, food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and availability of nutrients from various food sources.
3 Credits

SOC-105 Intro to Sociology (D) 
A general introduction to sociology covering empirically based theoretical insights on social groups, culture, institutions, social organization, stratification, deviance, social movements, and social change. The development of a sociological perspective through the application of core concepts, such as the sociological imagination and the social construction of reality, formulates the basic framework for this course.
3 Credits

UENG 101- Reading, Thinking & Writing
Success in college calls for curiosity, engagement, and a willingness to be challenged, as well as having a strong foundation in reading, writing, and thinking. First-year students at Widener begin their college career with ENGL 101, a course designed to prepare undergraduates for serious academic inquiry, full participation in the intellectual life and mission of the university, and sustained self-directed learning throughout the curriculum. Students have the opportunity to select a section of ENGL 101 focused on a particular theme or topic. Through a variety of challenging reading and writing assignments engaging with the topic of choice (including a common reading), students become more careful and discerning readers. They will express insights and craft sustained arguments supported by carefully chosen evidence from primary and secondary material, and they will strengthen their ability to ask questions, evaluate, and synthesize complex information and draw conclusions.
3 credits

UMAT-101 – Fundamental Mathematics
This is a developmental mathematics course designed to review elementary algebra, to prepare students for further mathematics courses, and to develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking in mathematics. Topics include the real number system, linear equations and inequalities, exponents and polynomials, factorization, rational expressions, roots and radicals, and graphing. Because this course is developmental, it cannot count toward fulfilling the science distribution requirement. It may not be taken after completing any mathematics course with a higher number.
3 credits

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How to Enroll in College Courses

You'll need to submit an application first. Our application is free and takes just a few minutes to complete.

  • Have a recent copy of your high school transcript ready to upload. 
  • Complete the application at ugadmissions.widener.edu by choosing Continuing Studies and High School Student. 

Once you apply, we'll be in touch to assist you in enrolling in courses that will put you on the inside track to success.

Apply Now

Start Exploring Widener for Your College Experience

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Browse Our Programs

With your gen eds already banked, dive into a major that interests you. Graduate early. Or use the time to study abroad, gain more on-the-job experience, or delve into cutting-edge research. You'll graduate with the confidence to launch your career.  

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Earn a Bachelor's + Master's in 4 Years

Take advantage of the credits you've accrued in high school by using your four years at Widener to accelerate to a master's degree—earning you a job advantage, higher compensation, and the skills to advance your career.  

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Tuition & Financial Aid

You want the best fit—and the best education you can afford. Through scholarships, grants, and financial aid, we make this possible.

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Student Experience

You’ll know it when you feel it. The sense of belonging. The thrill of shared purpose. The excitement of life in a community that feels like a second family. Take a sneak peek of student life at Widener. 

Get in Touch

Have questions? Feel free to email or call our Center for Graduate & Continuing Studies for more information. Provide your contact information and one of our advisors will call you!