Improving undergraduate education in immunology through assessment of interdisciplinary scientific knowledge.

The interdisciplinary nature of immunology can make studying not only engaging but also challenging, as understanding immunologic processes and immune system components requires foundational knowledge from several science disciplines. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a unique, 4-year, Undergraduate Immunology Program (UIP) that provides a comprehensive curriculum in immunology that includes five core courses starting in the second year, at which point, students are in the process of completing basic science sequences. For this study, students in courses across the UIP curriculum were asked to identify basic science topics that relate to four immunology concepts.