UM Academies | Two-Week, Non-Credit

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Explore Hurricanes and Extreme Weather Systems
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Launch Your Business Venture
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Prepare for College Success

The UM Academies provide immersive academic programs open to students who are currently in grade 9, 10, or 11 (rising sophomores, juniors and seniors).

Program Dates
June 29 - July 12, 2024

Academic Sessions

Students select one course (non-credit) to study over the two-week session. Classes are held daily, Monday through Friday in an engaging, experiential academic setting. Morning class is from 9:15 - 11:30 am and afternoon class is from 1:00 - 3:15 pm.

Class times and course listings are subject to change. UM reserves the right to limit enrollment, and/or cancel any course.

UM Academies | Two-Week, Non-Credit Courses

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  • Business Academy – An Entrepreneurship Crash Course (Non-Credit)

    SSA 103. Business Academy – An Entrepreneurship Crash Course

     

    This course is designed to expose students to the world of entrepreneurship, understand the fundamentals of business, and explore the ideas around startups.

    Students will learn the core concepts of design thinking, problem identification, innovation, customer development and best practices for problem solving. Guided by in-house and community experts, students will engage in project-based, experiential learning. 

    Students will also be trained on project management and exposed to cutting-edge digital tools to help students organize their ventures, prototype solutions and market their ideas. Students will be able to walk away with a skillset and mindset that will benefit their critical thinking in any professional area or career. 

    Instructor(s): Enrique Triay | Samantha Palmer-Shields | Michael O'Donnell

  • Hurricane Academy – An Introduction to Atmospheric Science and Research (Non-Credit)

    SSA 106. Hurricane Academy – An Introduction to Atmospheric Science and Research 
    In partnership with the University of Miami’s Department of Atmospheric Science, the Hurricane Academy is an interactive program that takes an in-depth look at some of the most powerful storms on this planet – hurricanes.  

    This program will explore the fundamentals of Earth’s weather and climate system and how it impacts communities across the globe. Topics will include the basics of weather, weather forecasting, and extreme weather events. Participants will learn about the connections between weather and Earth’s changing climate system, and what these changes may mean for future weather patterns. The program will culminate with an application of these principles to hurricanes. Students will leave the program with an understanding of how hurricanes form and intensify, how meteorologists predict a hurricane’s behavior, and the research horizons that remain for these devastating systems.

    This course will be taught by atmospheric scientists at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and students will interact with hurricane scientists affiliated with a number of federal agencies and private companies. High-impact learning activities are built into the program, including hands-on lab and research experiences. Students will also have the opportunity to explore a number of world-class hurricane research facilities located in Miami. Ultimately, the Hurricane Academy will serve as a comprehensive introduction to atmospheric science and research.

    Instructor(s): Alexis Wilson, Aidan Mahoney

  • Spanish Immersion Academy: Español sin Pasaporte (Non-Credit)

    SPA 107. Spanish Immersion Academy: Español sin Pasaporte

    Do you want to improve your Spanish fluency? This program is a unique opportunity to level up your español and go on a study abroad adventure without traveling overseas! Based in the city of Miami—at the University of Miami—this program provides you with a chance to travel to and experience one of the most diverse communities in the U.S.       

    Combining intensive Spanish classes, cultural activities, and tours, the Spanish Immersion Academy provides language practice and immerses students in the Hispanic/Latino culture and community in Miami.

    Program Highlights

    • Gain Spanish fluency
    • Meet and study with other students for around the U.S.
    • Increase cultural understanding through authentic language use and instruction
    • Participate in afternoon activities in Spanish with bilingual counselors
    • Spend about 50% of each day immersed in their target language

     

    Instructor(s): Dr. Nicholas Sheets

  • Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science Academy (Non-Credit)

    SSA 108. Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science Academy

    Students will go into the field to gain an introductory understanding about forensic investigation of a crime scene. Forensic investigation is the process of examination and identification surrounding a death from unnatural causes by law enforcement. Forensic investigation is accomplished through the knowledge of approaching a crime scene, gathering evidence, and analyzing all aspects of a crime scene.

    Join crime scene criminalist, forensic firearm, and fingerprint specialists to collect evidence, analyze “instruments of death and destruction” that caused the demise of the individual and uncover latent prints left at the crime scene establishing the identity of the perpetrator. Students will learn the basics of the identification and analyses of the structure and function of the human skeleton and how it relates to Forensic Anthropology.

    Forensic Anthropology is the study of the recovery, identification, investigation, and analysis in a medicolegal context of human skeletal remains.  The class will include all 206 bones of the human skeleton, assessment for sex, age, stature, ancestry, and identity, demonstration of skeletal measurements, and determination of bone pathology and trauma.

    This exciting program will introduce you to the human skeleton, its features and characteristics necessary to determine sex, age, ancestry, time of death, and in the end, provide scientific evidence needed to assist law enforcement in their investigation of death and the identity of human remains. Follow the footsteps of the criminalist and forensic archaeologist, discover, and recover human skeletal remains. We will also look into some of the newest fields enlisting forensic science, which applies science to law and prepares you with the necessary skills to provide your results in a court of law.

    Search the hidden secrets employed by forensic behavioral analysts who assist criminal investigations to provide behavioral assessments of unknown offenders, threat analyses, interviews, prosecutorial and trial strategies, and ultimately expert testimony. Participate in the investigative technology available to law enforcement such as digital and cyber forensics by extracting information and data from computers, the Internet and following an individual’s digital footprint for the evidence essential in prosecuting cyber-crime. As our society has grown more complex, it has become more dependent on rules of law to regulate investigative activities. This course will take you from a crime scene to the courtroom.

    Instructor(s): Monica Faraldo

  • Criminal Law at the Intersection of Race, Class, and Power (Non-Credit)

    SSA 109. Criminal Law at the Intersection of Race, Class, and Power

    This course invites critical examination of criminal law policy and policing in America. Students will build foundational understanding of both criminal law and criminal procedure then explore the impact on people and society by tracing their impact from the courtrooms to the communities they affect. Students will embark on a guided exploration of the philosophical underpinnings of crime and punishment and the constitutional constraints on police procedures established by landmark Supreme Court cases.

    Students will engage in collaborative discussions and exciting simulations, delve into specific issues such as the War on Drug, and examine body camera footage from real world police encounters. 

    Instructor(s): Don Donelson