General Information

Role Statement

UAB’s graduate offerings are shaped by its location in the state’s largest metropolitan area, by its mandate to serve a large and heterogeneous constituency, by its responsibility to contribute to the economic and professional development of Birmingham and the state, and by its role of providing support to a nationally recognized academic health sciences center.

At the graduate level, programs serve the career needs of educators and business leaders, as well as those involved in advancing the frontiers of the health sciences. Training for health professionals is available through programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and professional degree levels.

UAB also has the primary responsibility for meeting the state’s health professional needs. It offers a comprehensive range of programs which encompass both basic preparation and sophisticated graduate and specialty training in medicine, dentistry, optometry, nursing, health professions, and public health.

As one of the nation’s leading research institutions, UAB emphasizes both basic and applied research. Although the majority of the university’s research effort is in the biomedical sciences and related areas, all instructional programs are expected to participate in research activities. UAB’s urban setting necessitates the development of research programs that are responsive to the city’s economic, social, and cultural needs. Much of the research conducted at UAB is interdisciplinary in nature and is organized through centers that bring together experts in a number of related fields to concentrate on a particular problem or issue. UAB attracts more than $400 million annually in research funding and currently ranks 10th among public universities in funding from the National Institutes of Health. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has named the University of Alabama at Birmingham to its list of colleges and universities to receive its 2015 Community Engagement Classification. UAB is one of 51 universities nationally and the only college in Alabama to be classified for high research activity and community engagement.

As the senior public doctoral-level institution in the state’s major urban area, UAB is committed to providing comprehensive programs in continuing education consistent with the quality and diversity of its other offerings. The university’s faculty, staff, and students also serve as resources to the area through activities related to professional, economic, and cultural growth and development.

Cultural Opportunities

UAB’s urban location offers students unique cultural opportunities. Located within walking distance of the campus is the Five Points South district, where local and unique restaurants, shops, art galleries, and music clubs are located. Not far from campus are the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Civil Rights Institute, the historic Alabama Theater, and the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Other nearby sites include Sloss Furnace, a post-Civil War iron foundry which has been converted into a museum and informal music hall, and Coca-Cola Amphitheater, an outdoor facility in downtown Birmingham that features music-industry headliners.

UAB has a flourishing arts program. As many as 30 major music events are produced each season at UAB, in addition to numerous theater productions and student and professional art exhibitions. The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art facility featuring 4 formal performance spaces: the 1,300-seat Jemison Concert Hall, the 350-seat Morris K. Sirote proscenium theater, the 170-seat Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall, and the Odess Black Box Theater, which can seat up to 120.

Student Life

Graduate students at UAB have many opportunities to become involved in the life of the university. Information about student organizations can be found on the Engage site.

Schools and Degrees

This catalog contains information about graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Dentistry, School of Education and Human Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing, School of Optometry, School of Public Health, and the Joint Health Sciences.

Most UAB graduate students are working toward a degree; however, some have other educational goals. Graduate level degrees are usually characterized by the level of master's, specialist or doctoral.

Visit Find Your Degree to search available graduate programs.