OpenFieldUniversity of West Alabama · Livingston, Alabama, United States
The University of West Alabama (UWA) is a historic public regional university located in Livingston, Alabama, in the heart of the fertile Black Belt region. Renowned for its Julia Tutwiler College of Education, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Black Belt Museum, UWA is acclaimed for environmental conservation biology, rural educator preparation, and community economic development.
UWA delivers undergraduate and graduate education through five colleges: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Liberal Arts, Business and Technology, the Julia Tutwiler College of Education, and the Division of Online Programs. Its 600-acre campus houses the Cahaba River biodiversity research stations, the Black Belt Museum paleontology collections, and the Center for the Study of the Black Belt.
Undergraduate admissions evaluate high school GPA (minimum 2.0) and standardized test scores (test-optional available). Graduate programs require an accredited bachelor's degree with a 2.75+ GPA (3.0+ on last 60 hours), statement of purpose, and two professional or academic letters of recommendation.
Hands-on graduate field program utilizing Alabama's biodiverse river networks for endangered freshwater mussel restoration, wetland ecology, herpetological surveys, and wildlife habitat management.
CAEP-accredited graduate program equipping educators with progressive strategies for curriculum development, trauma-informed pedagogy, and administrative leadership in rural school districts.
Field-oriented undergraduate program providing practical training in geographic information systems (GIS), forestry ecology, water quality testing, and environmental soil chemistry.
ACBSP-accredited business curriculum exploring agribusiness finance, rural enterprise incubation, supply chain logistics, and municipal economic stimulus strategies.
Applied technical curriculum preparing students in network administration, intrusion defense, relational database architecture, and web application programming.
Competitive research fellowship excavating Late Cretaceous mosasaur and plesiosaur marine reptile fossils from the Mooreville Chalk formations of western Alabama.
President & Professor of Business Administration
Office of the President
Dr. Ken Tucker serves as the president of The University of West Alabama, an experienced higher education administrator who has led major institutional enrollme...
View researcher profile ↗Professor of Biology & Director of Black Belt Museum
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Dr. John McCall is a freshwater biologist and paleontologist who leads the Black Belt Museum, conducting extensive field research on Black Belt biodiversity and...
View researcher profile ↗Chair & Associate Professor of Natural Sciences
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Merida conducts research on environmental physiology, cellular toxicology of aquatic organisms, and undergraduate experiential learning models in the rural ...
View researcher profile ↗OpenField is an independent research platform not officially affiliated with The University of West Alabama. Information reflects public documentation reviewed on 2026-10-16. Students must verify application deadlines, fee structures, and prerequisite details directly with official university admissions departments before applying.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial policy · Submit corrections