Florence is located on the Tennessee River.
Located in the northwestern corner of Alabama on the Tennessee River, Florence is close to the larger city of Huntsville and located near the Tennessee state line. While the city of Florence is home to only one four-year university, another is located in nearby Athens with community colleges located in the cities of Muscle Shoals and Decatur.
University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama in the city of Florence was the first state-chartered institution in Alabama, having opened in 1830 under the name of LaGrange College. It offers bachelor's degrees in both Arts and Sciences, with major concentrations in fields including Accounting, Nursing and Criminal Justice. UNA also offers four-year programs in both Entertainment and the Culinary Arts. Master's degrees may be attained in fields that include Nursing, School and Community Counseling and Business Administration.
Athens State University
Athens State University is located approximately forty miles outside of Florence in the city of Athens. Athens State's College of Education program offers degrees in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education and Health Education. In January 2010 Athens State added a major in Acquisitions and Contract Management in response to the Base Realignment and Closure Initiative expected to add jobs to the nearby Huntsville area.
Northwest-Shoals Community College
Florence and Muscle Shoals are approximately six miles apart; the area is frequently referred to collectively as the "shoals area" and has one chamber of commerce known as the "Shoals Chamber of Commerce." Florence residents may choose to attend Northwest-Shoals Community College's Muscle Shoals campus. Merged into one school from Northwest Alabama Community College in Phil Campbell and Shoals Community College in Muscle-Shoals in 1993, this school offers an Associate of Arts degree with concentrations in Pre-law, Music and Teacher Education. Associate in Science degrees are offered with concentrations in Agriculture, Computer Information Systems, Pre-Medicine and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. In the technical field, Calhoun offers Associate in Applied Science degrees in Criminal Justice, Drafting and Design, Emergency Medical Services and Office Administration. The school also offers long-term certificate programs which may be completed within one to two years in Automotive Collision Repair, Cosmetology and Welding. Short-term certificates scheduled for completion with fewer than 27 semester hours are offered in Carpentry, Energy Management and Water and Wastewater Management.
Calhoun Community College
Another community college approximately 43 miles from Florence is Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama. Calhoun Community College offers 49 degree programs and 52 certificate programs as of February 2011. Calhoun offers a two-year degree in Paralegal Studies and Aerospace Technology as well as an Associate of Applied Science in Applied Technology with an Automation major. Calhoun has a dual enrollment program which allows high school students to attain college credits before high school graduation.
Tags: Community College, Athens State, Calhoun Community, Calhoun Community College, Muscle Shoals
