UC Berkeley Immunology Online Extention Class

Well, I concur with what CrazyFox says here about pharmacy schools (also med, dental, etc.), often refusing to accept science prerequisites taken by distance learning. I would only do this with an advance decision, or pretty well close, from the only professional school or schools I would be interested in attending, that this source of credit would be acceptable. I am generally a really big fan of distance education... in its place. But this often isn't it.

PharmGuy05 said:

I have to take the immunology class this summer. I'm considering UCBerkeley online Extension class. Any advice for this class? What is the class like? What should I do to be successful in the class?

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i contacted my school and it was fine so u should do the same. I am still waiting for my first grade so i can't say how it's going but its ok. I can also use this class and apply the credit to my current university but i would need to do some paper work which is fine but nevertheless its worth it rather than moving somewhere far to take it.

Hello there. I know this thread is a little older, but I thought I might respond nonetheless. I've actually taken the course (taking the final tomorrow, so no help there I'm sorry to say--perhaps will update tomorrow), and I must say if there is any chance that you can take another immunology course, do that instead of going through this one. Dr. Amy Morgan is in my opinion one of the most self-important, unhelpful, unprofessional teachers I have ever had. I have a degree in biochemistry from Oberlin College, and some of the "corrections" I received on homework assignments flat out did not make sense regarding protein structure and Ig function.

Her corrections themselves are more like "I can't believe you're that stupid!" than helpful nudging in the right direction. I was able to make five A's , three B's, and one C on the assignments--this is mostly due to the fact that in order to get her questions correct you have to answer from the book verbatim. It's nigh impossible to receive all the points in a question. The questions themselves appear simplistic, but can indeed be daunting since the answers may not be in the book, and there is not enough information in the text to critically think about it, as she desires her students to do on some assignments. I did my paper on an autoimmune disorder, received a C-. That's the first C- I've ever gotten on a science paper, and I thought I had done a very thorough job. Her instructions for the paper were vague--basically something like "write a paper on a topic in immunology". Period. No other help or guidance. My first topic was turned down because it was too "microbiological" and not "immunological". I found out from her comments to me on the paper when she mailed it back, that I should have focused on a very specific topic regarding the autoimmunity, and not a general overview. But what she wanted in the paper was neither blankly stated in the syllabus, nor subtly implied in any of her correspondence with me.

I took the class partly out of a desire to learn more about the subject since I never got to take immunology in my undergraduate studies and partly because I was thinking about possibly moving into medical technology as a side before attending medical/graduate school, since the class is a requirement for a nearby program. If you push yourself hard, read the text thoroughly, and think long before you answer her questions (as mentioned whose answers may or may not be in the book; be prepared to scour Google for other texts), you will learn a heaping load, but it will in no way be from this teacher--it will be all you, which is comforting to think about, though may be difficult to convince a graduate school admissions board of.

Ack, sorry about the wall o' text.

Wow, thestealthpoet really nailed it. I am in the same ship and taking the final most ricky-tick. I would have to strongly concur that this class leaves quite a bit to be desired. The text used in the online course is weak at best, organized very poorly and not at all well written; and given the fact that it will be your ONLY connection to the class if you take it online like I did, that's a very important consideration. Worst of all is, like the wordsmith said, don't EVEN plan on finding even half your answers in the book 'cause they ain't there!! The most disappointing part of the class had to be the complete lack of any kind of connection with the "professor". I could never get a reasonable answer to a very clear question. The amount of information is quite overwhelming as I'm finding out studying for the final. I fear this will be one of the hardest won Bs of my life as depending on how I did on my term paper, I'm right on the cusp of an A but will definitely need to nail the final which will be exceedingly difficult to do. My honest assessment is the class is reasonable IF you're an outstanding book learner. If not, this one is not for you. I hope someone out there finds this helpful as I'm writing it as a diversion to my final marathon study session.
Regards, and I too apologize for my verbosity.

OK, Here it is for those who are lucky enough to unearth this post. Having recently taken the final for Immunology I want to offer advice that I feel should have been offered in the first place but wasn't and further, advice that is completely fair with respect to the prof. The single most important word of advice I can offer is MEMORIZE THE "LECTURES" ! ! ! I forgot to mention initially that this advice is coming from someone who took the class ONLINE. So, those who also took the class online will know what I mean by lectures. You could throw the book away and if you know the lectures by heart you will do very well on the final. The biggest problem with taking this class online is the lack of any type of guidance from the prof. as to what points are more salient and relevant than others, i.e., no emphasis on the avalanche of info. in the text in terms of what to actually focus on. KNOW THE LECTURES. Second, make sure you can answer all the questions from the course verbatim as many of them will be on the final verbatim. I spent way too much time taking notes out of the book and it was more or less a waste of time. Focus on the questions at the end of the chapters in terms of the book info. I hope this helps as I studied way too much for this final and it did very little good. Focus on the lectures, the class questions you answered in each unit, and the questions at the end of each chapter and you'll do very well. All in all, this info is not that much different than what the prof. gave us with respect to the final except for the very important caveat that focusing on the lectures will allow you keep the volume of material to memorize at a manageable level because if you try to memorize everything that came out of the text like I did, you'll be in for a miserable experience on the final. Also, with respect to answering the questions for each unit, be sure to include all relevant info. from the lectures in your answers as that's where the material you won't find in the book comes from. Good Luck.

I had to take this class as my last pre-req for school. My advice would coincide with the previous posters in that you should only take this course if it is a last resort. I had no other option for an immunology class since I needed to have one completed before I could begin school otherwise I would have to wait to begin until 2010.

This class was insane and drove me crazy. I had a solid "B" until the final and ended up passing with a "C". I probably should have studied a bit more but I had just moved and had a lot on my plate. The final was horrible, at least for me. I absolutely detest multiple choice questions where they have A, B, C, D and then each question has "none of the above" or "all of the above".

Luckily this class did not count for anything for me except a pre-req since I was already accepted to the school and only needed a "C" or higher to begin. This is the only capacity where I would recommend taking this class. Take it after you've already gotten accepted or find a local immunology course.

As for the homework assignments, always remember to read the lectures as most of the answers come from them. The book is of minimal help and you definitely don't need it for the final as previously stated.

I just completed the online immunology course and wanted to offer an update. Many of the people in this forum make it seem like its impossible to get an A in this class. At least that's how I felt when I read the posts before I took the class. However, getting an A is definitely possible. I just got an A- in the class. The only thing is, you have to be willing to spend a LOT of time and effort. I took this class during the summer, when I was not taking any other classes.

The class grade is based on quizzes, homeworks, midterms, and a final. There is no longer a paper. The quizzes are really easy. I would suggest getting as close to perfect as possible on them as they will be a cushion when you do bad on something else. The homework is pretty annoying, especially from middle to end of class. She requires researching papers online, so if you don't have access to journals its pretty difficult. I didn't and spent hours and hours on homework. Towards the end of the course, I discovered pubmed central which has free journals. That helped out a lot. The midterms are not too bad since you have access to notes and textbook. Generally there is one or two application questions for which you have to come up with an answer on your own. It is really important to do well on midterm, since the final is really really hard. The final is in the form of written essays. You do not have access to any notes or text book. It's 3 hours, but I barely finished. I had thought I failed it when I came out, but managed to make an A-. My advice is don't freak out on final. I think she is pretty generous with points if you write an answer for everything and write as much as you can for it. My suggestion for studying for the final is to make sure you can answer all the lecture objectives, study her notes, look over all the homework and look at the end of chapter questions. Although I had read all the chapters from the text book during the course, I did not look at the text book (aside from end of chap questions) for the final at all. The final will be very overwhelming if you do not bother to study as you are going through the course. It's really easy to put aside studying until the end since we have access to everything while doing quizzes and midterms.

I know there have been some complaints above about Dr. Morgan. I have to say that I had a very different experience. She always promptly replied to all my questions within a couple of hours. At most she took a day. Generally I sent her emails instead of posting my questions on discussion board. Her answers were mostly very helpful (90% of the time). There were a couple of times that I felt she was unclear. I also noticed that if you posted something on student discussion board she usually replied as well. If you have trouble understanding her questions on homework or midterm (i did sometimes) just ask her to clarify. She will even give you hints on how to search for homework stuff.

Basically if you want to do well in this class, you have to devote a lot of time to it. It is definitely one of the harder classes I have ever taken even though it is online. I think the final is what gets you. The good news is getting an A is not impossible.

Thanks for the update, Epicute. I'd be curious to know how the class is received by pharmacy schools to which you're applying.

Passion4Sci said:

Thanks for the update, Epicute. I'd be curious to know how the class is received by pharmacy schools to which you're applying.

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Sorry for the late reply. Just saw your question. I am actually a pre-med student, not pre-pharm. I just posted on the pharmacy forum to give update on the class. Also this class was accepted by all the schools I applied to and by the school I got into. I called the schools before I took the class and everyone said it was fine.

pearljam5a1 said:

I had to take this class as my last pre-req for school. My advice would coincide with the previous posters in that you should only take this course if it is a last resort. I had no other option for an immunology class since I needed to have one completed before I could begin school otherwise I would have to wait to begin until 2010.

This class was insane and drove me crazy. I had a solid "B" until the final and ended up passing with a "C". I probably should have studied a bit more but I had just moved and had a lot on my plate. The final was horrible, at least for me. I absolutely detest multiple choice questions where they have A, B, C, D and then each question has "none of the above" or "all of the above".

Luckily this class did not count for anything for me except a pre-req since I was already accepted to the school and only needed a "C" or higher to begin. This is the only capacity where I would recommend taking this class. Take it after you've already gotten accepted or find a local immunology course.

As for the homework assignments, always remember to read the lectures as most of the answers come from them. The book is of minimal help and you definitely don't need it for the final as previously stated.

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Did anyone take this online course recently? There has been a long time no update here.
I want to take this course, but found so many negative reviews here and on ratemyprofessors.com for this teacher.
Any sugguestions?
Thanks!

I didn't take Dr. Morgan's course but I took Dr. Ranes-Goldberg's. Recently took the immunology final and have some tips for anyone else interested in the online course through UC Berkeley Extension.
Since it's an online course, you need the discipline to pace yourself and do the work. It's a 3 unit course so they give you 180 days. The textbook by P. Parham is essential for doing well in the course.
Her quizzes, midterm, and final are focused on the lecture information she gives. However, doing the questions at the end of each textbook chapter will definitely help you assess your understanding of the concepts and memorization of certain molecules, cytokines, etc. A lot of the information in the textbook is not tested on the midterm and final.
She is very nice and gives feedback within 2 days after you complete a quiz or post a discussion reply. I definitely recommend taking this course!

Have to disagree with you, Chewy. The textbook is great, but for the sake of getting an A in this course, it is a complete waste of time. The lectures might be poorly-worded, mistake-filled, and utterly lacking in lucidity, but they do hone in on the information you need to do well. If you're taking this course, I recommend you make flashcards of all the questions listed at the end of each lecture, and for the answers just paste information only from the lectures. Read the textbook after you've taken the final if you want.

I have an A for this course and I definitely do NOT recommend taking it. It was a very inefficient course and you will not get a lot of knowledge given the amount of time you must invest.

NeeChee said:

Have to disagree with you, Chewy. The textbook is great, but for the sake of getting an A in this course, it is a complete waste of time. The lectures might be poorly-worded, mistake-filled, and utterly lacking in lucidity, but they do hone in on the information you need to do well. If you're taking this course, I recommend you make flashcards of all the questions listed at the end of each lecture, and for the answers just paste information only from the lectures. Read the textbook after you've taken the final if you want.

I have an A for this course and I definitely do NOT recommend taking it. It was a very inefficient course and you will not get a lot of knowledge given the amount of time you must invest.

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I agree that the textbook is not a requirement to get an A, but it does really help to solidify the information that the professor gives in the lectures. Personally, I need to learn more about the context before I can get the lecture information into my long-term memory. Maybe you can remember or memorize the lectures easily without the textbook, but it helps me to read the textbook because it gives more meaning. As it's an upper division biology course, I find that encountering the information multiple times (previewing, reviewing) helps me remember.

Although there was a lot of work and research to do in this course, I did learn a lot from her lectures and discussions. I received an A- which is fine with me. However, I was interested in learning more about immunology and it seems that Dr. Ranes-Goldberg was the most fair professor compared to the other UCB Extension professors according to ratemyprofessors.com. I don't regret taking this course, but if anyone is interested in taking an easy course, this is not a good suggestion.

Spore said:

Did anyone take this online course recently? There has been a long time no update here.
I want to take this course, but found so many negative reviews here and on ratemyprofessors.com for this teacher.
Any sugguestions?
Thanks!

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2016 update! I just finished this course last week. Thanks to everyone's advice in this post, I was able to pull a 95% on the final and 93% overall. This class is NOT easy, but it seems like Dr. Morgan may have lightened up over the years, especially with grading.

The breakdown of the course: There are 10 "modules" which cover anywhere from 1-3 chapters in the book. Each requires either a discussion of a current immunology-related website of your choice (150-400 words), OR an in-depth discussion of a subject that was covered in that module (300-400 words). There are 4 quizzes and a midterm that are suggested to be closed book. There are also 4 Case Studies that have to be done about a disease from a list you can choose from. These are all manageable, but they definitely require quite a bit of time. I never got less than a 95% on any of them, and let's just say I tried harder in the beginning and kind of tapered off toward the end, but my grades stayed the same. Whenever I missed points, she would tell me why.

The book sucks. I don't think it's well organized and it was hard for someone like me who hasn't taken any higher level bio courses yet. Also, try to pirate it- it's definitely not worth spending money on. What I would suggest is being able to answer her list of module objectives, take notes on her lectures, and be able to answer the end-of-chapter questions. I started the course reading the chapters and taking notes and it was sooo time consuming and not productive. So, I would skip it. Just read what you have to to clarify information.

To study for the final I made flashcards of every end-of-chapter question and went back over my lecture notes. The final was pretty tough- 3 hours, drawing diagrams of structures, fill in the blank from a word bank, multiple choice and some short answer. Some questions were worth 50 or 40 points out of 300! :/ I studied pretty intensely for 2 weeks straight. But an A is possible.

This was my first ever online course, so I don't have much to go off of, but I guess I was pretty happy with it overall. Dr. Morgan grades stuff quickly, gives feedback, and emails back really quickly, usually within a couple hours, even on the weekends. But just be prepared to work!