University of Alabama at Birmingham
Encyclopedia
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public university in Birmingham
in the U.S. state
of Alabama
. Developing from an extension center
established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System
. UAB offers some 140 programs of study through 12 academic divisions leading to various bachelor's
, master's
, doctoral
and professional degrees.
UAB offers over 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's
, master's
, doctoral
and professional degrees in the social
and behavioral sciences, liberal arts
, business
, education
, engineering
, health-related fields such as medicine, dentistry, optometry and nursing and public health. The school is highly renowned for its medical research and natural sciences programs.
The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical center
s in the United States, is affiliated with the university. UAB Hospital
sponsors residency programs in various medical specialties, including internal medicine
, neurology, surgery, radiology
, and anesthesiology. UAB Hospital is the only ACS verified Level I trauma center in Alabama, as rated by the American College of Surgeons
Trauma Program.
UAB is the state's largest employer, with more than 18,000 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university and in the health system. An estimated 10 percent of the jobs in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area
and 1 in 33 jobs in the state of Alabama are directly or indirectly related to UAB. Overall, the university's overall annual economic impact was estimated to be $4.6 billion annual impact in 2010.
In the Fall of 2011, the University of Alabama at Birmingham enrolled 17,575 students from over 110 countries, including 1,605 freshmen. The university president is Dr. Carol Z. Garrison
.
created a Birmingham Extension Center. The center initially operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham at 2131 6th Avenue North and enrolled 116 students. In 1945, the newly-created four-year University of Alabama School of Medicine
moved from the Tuscaloosa campus
to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. In the post-war boom, enrollment at the extension center increased steadily; it stood at 1,856 by 1957. The medical center also grew. By 1959, research grants, training grants, and fellowships exceeded $1,000,000, and ground was broken for a new Children's Hospital.
By the 1960s, it grew readily apparent that the extension center was becoming a university in its own right. An engineering building was built close to the medical center in 1962. In 1966, the Extension Center and the School of Medicine were merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. An Advisory Board for UAB was created in 1967. In 1969, the legislature created the University of Alabama System
and elevated UAB to the status of an autonomous institution within the system, which also included UA (in Tuscaloosa
) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville
(UAH) in Huntsville
. Dr. Joseph Volker was named the first president of UAB.
In the 1970s, the university began a period of rapid growth. Enrollment at the beginning of the decade stood at 6,629, including 2,724 women. To accommodate the growing student population, UAB acquired much land in the Southside (Birmingham)
Southside and began a steady expansion of the physical plant. UAB Mini Park (the predecessor to UAB Green) was dedicated in 1977. The university created an intercollegiate athletic program, joined the NCAA
and began fielding teams beginning with golf in 1970 and men's basketball in 1978. The university's name was changed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984.
By 1990, UAB had awarded its 50,000th degree. In 1992, U.S. News and World Report named UAB as the #1 up-and-coming university in the United States. In 1993, UAB's economic impact on the Birmingham region was estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year (the figure would be $2 billion per year by 1998). In 1994, UAB became the first Alabama university to achieve "Research University I" status in the Carnegie Foundation classification.
UAB celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent university in 2009. When classes began, UAB had the largest enrollment in the school’s 40-year history. Freshman enrollment was up 19% and graduate student enrollment hit its largest number ever. A record 18,047 students enrolled in courses at UAB.
The campus can be divided into three sections. The medical center occupies most of the campus east of Campus Green. The medical center is the home to the various health science schools and their teaching facilities, including the UAB Health System (UABHS). The medical center overlaps with the larger Birmingham Medical District where, in addition to UABHS, non-UAB affialiated hospitals such as the VA Medical Center Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama and Cooper Green Mercy Hospital are located.
The part of campus from Campus Green west and University Boulevard south is the academic center of the campus, as well as the center of student life on campus. The majority of the university's academic, student life, residential and cultural facilities are located on this part of campus. It is anchored by Campus Green, which was developed between 2000 and 2007 as the centerpiece of the move to convert the school from its traditional commuter school feel into a traditional residential campus.
Athletics facilities, including Bartow Arena
, are located on the far western side of campus. Legion Field
, located a few miles west of campus, is the current home of the football team, but planning is underway for an on-campus football stadium adjacent to Bartow Arena.
Since 1969, UAB has undergone extensive growth and is sometimes jokingly referred to as "The University that Ate Birmingham" , and construction projects are common across campus. Current projects that are in planning, recently completed, or under construction include:
UAB is an autonomous institution within the University of Alabama System
, which is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and headed by Chancellor of the University of Alabama. The board is self-nominating and composed of 15 elected members and two ex officio members. The makeup of the Board is dictated by the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and requires that the board be made up of three members from the congressional district
that contains the Tuscaloosa campus, and two members from every other congressional district in Alabama. Board members are elected by the Board and are confirmed by the Alabama State Senate
. Board members may serve three consecutive six-year terms.
The President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the principal executive officer of the university and is appointed by the chancellor with approval of the Board of Trustees. The president reports directly to the chancellor, and is responsible for the daily operations of the university. The president also acts as chairman of the board of the UAB Health System. The sixth and current president of UAB is Carol Garrison
, who has served since 2002.
Prior to 2010, the schools of Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and Education were separate, degree-granting units within the university. The schools were merged into a single college (the first at UAB): the College of Arts and Sciences, with Education retaining its identity as a distinct unit within the new college. University leaders cited efficiency, curricula, and more opportunity for interdisciplinary research and cooperation for the restructuring.
In 1999, the university launched a capital campaign with a goal of $250 million. When it ended in 2003, the UAB Capital Campaign had raised over $388.7 million raised.
UAB is a large, four-year primarily residential research university. UAB has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Education
. Undergraduates comprise a majority of the total university enrollment. Part-time and transfer student comprise a sizable portion of the undergraduate student body. The undergraduate instructional program provided a balance between professional programs of study and the liberal arts (meaning the number of degrees awards in the two areas were similar), and there a high level of co-existence between the graduate and undergraduate programs (meaning that the majority of undergraduate program had graduate degree program counterparts). The university has a "very high level" of research activity and has a graduate instructional program heavily emphasizing doctorates in STEM fields
as well as health and veterinary sciences professional programs. UAB is only one of 108 universities (and the only one of two in Alabama) with the "very high level" research rating in the nation.
The academic calendar is based on the semester system, which divides the academic year, lasting from mid-August to early May, into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and the summer. The fall semester ends in early December and the spring term beings in early July. The summer, which lasts from mid-May to August, is divided into a number of sessions: a 12-week session, a 3-week "mini-semester" in May, a nine-week session in June and July, and two four-week sessions in June and July, respectively. The schools of medicine and dentistry follow an academic calendar beginning in July and ending in late May/early June.
In academic year 2009-2010, UAB awarded a total 1,942 bachelor's degrees and post-bachelor certificates; 1,339 master's degrees, educational specialist degrees, and post-master's certificates; 229 research doctorates; and 171 professional doctorates.
In fall 2011, the UAB student body consisted of 11,128 undergraduates, 4,019 graduate students and 2,428 professional doctoral students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states and more than 110 foreign countries. 28.7% of students were enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (excluding Education), 10.6% in Education, 11.5% in Business, 1.5% in Dentistry, 6.7% in Engineering, 11.0% in Health Professions, 2.4% in Joint Health Sciences, 3.5% in Medicine, 10.3% in Nursing, 1.1% in Optometry, 2.0% in Public Health, while 10.7% were undecided.
Of the undergraduate student body, 43% are from Jefferson County
, 17.5% are from other counties in the Birmingham metropolitan area (specifically Blount
, Shelby
, St. Clair
and Walker
counties. 31% come from the rest of Alabama, 6.5% from the rest of the United States, while international students comprise 1.9%. The male-to-female ratio among undergraduates is 0.7:1. Reflecting one of the core reasons for UAB's founding, a large percentage of undergraduates are from non-traditional demographics. One quarter of undergraduates are part-time students, and 23% are above the age of 25. (The average undergraduate is 23 years old.)
The average entering freshman ACT score for the Class of 2013 is 24.3 with a 3.5 high school GPA. Average undergraduate class size of 31 students. Since 2000, UAB has produced 7 Fulbright Scholars, 6 Phi Kappa Phi
Fellows, 8 Goldwater Scholars, 5 National Science Foundation
(NSF) Graduate Fellows, 6 Truman Scholars, 1 Marshall Scholar, and 1 Rhodes Scholar.
In addition to the undergraduate curriculum, the Graduate School at UAB has experienced significant growth. In the past 3 years, graduate enrollment is up 19.5%. There has also been a 30 point increase in the mean GRE score of applicants with an average GRE Verbal score of 530 and Quantitative score of 690.
. The student-faculty ratio at UAB is 18:1.
UAB ranks among Top-20 nationally in federal research and development funding and 1st in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined. UAB received over $416 million in external grants and contracts in fiscal 2007–2008.
As of 2009, UAB is 4th in the Southeast for NIH
research funding behind only Duke University
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, and Vanderbilt University
.
In the Taiwanese Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers in World Universities, UAB ranked 94th in the world in 2011.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally ranked among Top-20 in total federal research funding and key areas of health sciences receiving more than $433 million dollars in funding. The Scientist magazine recently ranked UAB No. 24 on its Top 40 “Best Places to Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow” list, up from its No. 56 ranking in 2008. In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" and one of the top 371 colleges/universities in the US. In addition, out of the 371 Best College Rankings, UAB was ranked #3 in race/class interaction, #11 for happiest students, and #14 for best athletic facilities. In the 2011 US News and World Report, UAB is listed as a "more selective" institution and 151st overall (public or private) among 572 universities in USA. In 2009, the Scientist Magazine ranked UAB as 5th in the Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions and up from 47th in 2007.
In the most recent ranking of graduate programs by the US News & World Report, several UAB programs in the health and natural sciences were highly ranked. The School of Medicine is ranked 30th in the research category and 10th in the primary care category. Four medical specialties at UAB are ranked in the top 20 nationally by the magazine: AIDS, 6th; geriatrics, 12th; rural medicine, 15th; and internal medicine 20th. The School of Nursing is ranked 21st. Programs within the nursing school ranked highly as well: nurse practitioner (adult) program, 10th; nursing service administration program, 10th; nurse practitioner (family) program, 12th. The School of Public Health ranks 16th.
In graduate science programs, UAB ranked 34th in biological science, 123rd in chemistry, 111th in mathematics, and 133rd in physics.
In the School of Health Professions, the Master of Science in Health Administration program is currently ranked 5th, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is ranked 17th, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked 29th, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is ranked 25th and is one of only two programs in the nation that has a surgical focus. The School of Health Professions is #1 in the nation in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and holds the record for 26 consecutive years in either first or second place. The UAB Medical Scientist Training Program has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health since 1992. According to NRC rankings, Department of Biostatistics is ranked 55th among all Statistics and Biostatistics departments in the nation. The Section on Statistical Genetics (SSG) in the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health is one of the largest" in United States.
The UAB School of Business was ranked 7th in metropolitan state business schools by US News and World Report in 2004 and is accredited by AACSB International. The UAB MBA program is recognized by The Princeton Review in its 2010 edition of "Best 296 Business Schools" as one of the best in the nation. The UAB accounting program graduates first-time pass rates on the CPA exam that are 30% higher than the national average. During the past 11 years, a UAB graduate has achieved the highest score in Alabama on the CPA Exam 9 times. UAB School of Business finance graduates pass the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam at a rate 20% higher than the national average.
The biomedical engineering program is ranked 40th in the nation by US News and is the only biomedical engineering program in the state. A UAB School of Engineering student has been named by the ASPE (Alabama Society of Professional Engineers) as the state of Alabama's Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year from 2004–2009 and 9 of the past 12 years.
The UAB Model Arab League team is among the best government model teams in the nation with over five years of expansion and award winning achievement including multiple "outstanding delegation" awards. The UAB Mock Trial team is consistently among the nation's best as a perennial Top 25 program. The program enjoyed its greatest success in 2006, when the team won the national title in the Silver Division defeating the defending national champions of Harvard University
.
Opened in 2005, the UAB Recreation Center serves the students, faculty, and alumni of UAB as well as the surrounding Birmingham community. The 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) covers three floors: housing four basketball/volleyball courts, five racquetball courts (one of which can be converted to squash and four for wallyball), four aerobics studios, 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) of weight and cardio-fitness areas, game room, KidsZone, aquatics center with both lap and leisure components, CenterCourt gym used for indoor soccer, floor hockey and badminton, juice bar, indoor track, and a climbing wall. The center includes free weights, court sports, swimming pools, group fitness classes, nutrition education, fitness areas, and a climbing wall.
UAB has five dormitories on campus. Blazer Hall opened in Fall 2006 and is a new 753-bed freshman residence hall located adjacent to the Commons on the Green. Blount Hall serves upperclassmen, Camp Hall serves freshmen only, Denman Hall serves seniors only, and Rast Hall serves upperclassmen.
The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs men's GLOs (also known as fraternities). Current members are ΔΣΦ
, ΛΧΑ
, TKE
and ΠKΦ
.
The Panhellenic Council (NPC) governs women's GLOs (also known as sororities). Alpha Gamma Delta
(colonized at UAB in 1978), Alpha Omicron Pi
(1987), Alpha Xi Delta
(1996) and Delta Gamma
(1991).
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) governs historically black GLOs. Currently-active member fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha
(Iota Nu chapter, founded at UAB in 1974), Kappa Alpha Psi
(Kappa Kappa chapter, 1980), Omega Psi Phi
(Kappa Delta chapter, 1972) and Phi Beta Sigma
. Currently-active member sororities are Alpha Kappa Alpha
(Iota Phi chapter, 1975), Delta Sigma Theta
(Iota Lambda chapter, 1972), Sigma Gamma Rho
(Xi Mu chapter, 1996) and Zeta Phi Beta
(1990).
Aura Literary Arts Review is a twice-yearly student magazine featuring fiction, creative non-fiction, art, photography, poetry and reviews. It was awarded the highest honor in student media, the Pacemaker from ACP, in 2006.
This program does not have any minimum requirements for admission. Applicants are considered if they demonstrate particular academic or creative talent and after having a personal interview.
The University Honors Program represents a unique program. The interdisciplinary fall course consists of a 9 hour block (equivalent to three classes) taken the fall of freshman and sophomore years. These classes have an overarching theme such as "Bottom Up, Top Down," "The Anatomy of Desire," and "Paradigm Shifts" and are team taught by at least five faculty members from varying disciplines. These courses have in the past featured faculty from psychology, literature, visual arts, physics, Egyptology, and applied neuroscience just to name a few. This class combines freshman and sophomores together in a small learning environment allowing them to explore curiosities and form friendships across age groups. The remaining portion of the honors curriculum is made of 5 seminars. These are also very diverse in subject and are taught in small class sizes of approximately 15.
The first two years of the program focus primarily on teaching the methodologies and techniques used in scientific research, while the last two years are spent on developing the student’s Honors Thesis, consisting of an individual research project and report that will be submitted for publication.
The program also encourages collaboration amongst students and boasts its tight-knit learning community, which is facilitated by numerous program meetings, activities, and summer retreats. In order to promote these ideas, the program only accepts a maximum of 50 students each year. The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and an ACT or SAT score at or above the 90th percentile in math and science. However, all applications are individually reviewed and there is no definite cut-off based on ACT or SAT scores.
EMSAP is a combination of three separate programs: the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP), the Early Dental School Acceptance Program (EDSAP), and the Early Optometry School Acceptance Program (EOSAP). Currently, EMSAP accepts only 10 students per year into its program while EDSAP and EOSAP, both of which are new programs starting Fall 2008, are anticipated to accept only 1–2 students each per year.
The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and at least a 30 ACT or 1320 SAT (out of 1600). However, the average ACT score of those accepted ranges from 32 to 36.
The minimum academic requirements for remaining in good standing are a 3.5 GPA in natural science and math courses and a 3.6 GPA overall. Should a student’s GPA drop below these minimums, the student is placed on probation and has one year to bring their GPA back up to the minimum, or be expelled from the program. In addition, EMSAP students must achieve a minimum score of 28 on the MCAT examination before their matriculation into the School of Medicine, while EDSAP and EOSAP students must make at least average scores on the DAT and OAT.
The program is currently mentored by Gregory Pence
, a renowned bioethicist and both an undergraduate and medical school professor.
The UAB Health System (UABHS) is a partnership between UAB and the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF), a private not-for-profit medical practice made up of the faculty of the UAB School of Medicine. UABHS is governed by a board of directors which has representatives of UAHSF, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, and UAB administrators. The UAB president is the ex officio chairperson of the UAB Health System. The CEO of the UABHS reports directly to the UAB Health System board and is appointed by the chairman of the board.
UAB Hospital
is the central institution of UABHS. It was formed as University Hospital in 1945 from the merger of Jefferson Hospital and Hillman Hospital, two private hospitals in the Southside of Birmingham acquired by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. University Hospital was created to serve as the primary teaching hospital
for the School of Medicine.
The other major institutions of UABHS include:
In addition UABHS manages, but does not operate, Medical West in Bessemer
and Baptist Health in Montgomery
. UABHS also has affiliations with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Alabama, and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville
.
UAB's athletic teams are known as the Blazers
. The school athletic colors are forest green and old gold athletic teams at UAB. The school is one of the twelve member institutions of Conference USA
and participates in Division I of the NCAA. The UAB football team, which competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is led by Neil Callaway
and plays its home games at 71,594-seat Legion Field
. The school's men's basketball team, coached by Mike Davis, plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena
.
The school started its intercollegiate athletic program in 1978. The program was inaugurated with men's basketball by Gene Bartow
, who was John Wooden
's successor at UCLA. Bartow left UCLA after several exceptional seasons (52–9 over three seasons, including a berth in the Final Four
in 1976) to head up the founding of the first UAB men's basketball team. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director
for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT
in the program's second year of existence, and followed that with seven straight NCAA Tournament
appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996, and in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue from UAB Arena to Bartow Arena in his honor. Bartow continues to support the university as an influential booster and currently lives in Memphis
, Tennessee
where he serves on the staff of the Memphis Grizzlies
as a Special Advisor. In 30 years UAB has made 13 NCAA appearances, 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances, 1 Elite Eight appearance, has had 27 winning seasons, of which 19 of those were 20+ wins seasons.
In addition to football
and basketball
, UAB also has programs in men's sports for baseball
, golf
, soccer, and tennis
. Women's sports programs include softball
, basketball, golf
, soccer, tennis, track and field
(indoor and outdoor), cross country
, rifle
and volleyball
. On November 11, 2010 UAB announced the addition of sand volleyball
and bowling
beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.
, has multiple structural, repair, and upgrade issues leading to the AHSAA football state championships to abandon the site and move to separate facilities in 2010. Since the early 2000s, UAB has considered building a new 45,000 seat stadium on campus to replace the aging, city-owned, and off-campus Legion Field. A preliminary study for an on-campus facility began in November 2009. System approval of the structure could come as early as February 2011. As of November 2011, the University of Alabama education system denied the on-campus stadium. This occurred with controversy as there was not a board meeting to discuss the matter.
At UAB in Birmingham
All Hail our players bold
We are the mighty Blazers
Who wear the Green and Gold (Fight, Fight, Fight)
Tonight let's light the Golden Flame
For Blazer victory
Go Blazers! Go Blazers!
Win for UAB!
WIN FOR UAB!
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Developing from an extension center
Agricultural extension
Agricultural extension was once known as the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education...
established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System
University of Alabama System
The University of Alabama System consists of three public universities in Alabama, USA: The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa , The University of Alabama at Birmingham , and The University of Alabama in Huntsville...
. UAB offers some 140 programs of study through 12 academic divisions leading to various bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
and professional degrees.
UAB offers over 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
and professional degrees in the social
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and behavioral sciences, liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, health-related fields such as medicine, dentistry, optometry and nursing and public health. The school is highly renowned for its medical research and natural sciences programs.
The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical center
Academic Medical Center
The Academic Medical Center , or AMC, is the university hospital affiliated with the Universiteit van Amsterdam ....
s in the United States, is affiliated with the university. UAB Hospital
UAB Hospital
The University of Alabama Hospital , is a Level I trauma center hospital located in Birmingham, Alabama....
sponsors residency programs in various medical specialties, including internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, neurology, surgery, radiology
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
, and anesthesiology. UAB Hospital is the only ACS verified Level I trauma center in Alabama, as rated by the American College of Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
Trauma Program.
UAB is the state's largest employer, with more than 18,000 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university and in the health system. An estimated 10 percent of the jobs in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area
Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area
The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Birmingham, is a metropolitan area composed of seven counties in central Alabama centered around its primary city of Birmingham. The population of this metropolitan area as of the 2009 census estimate was about 1,131,070....
and 1 in 33 jobs in the state of Alabama are directly or indirectly related to UAB. Overall, the university's overall annual economic impact was estimated to be $4.6 billion annual impact in 2010.
In the Fall of 2011, the University of Alabama at Birmingham enrolled 17,575 students from over 110 countries, including 1,605 freshmen. The university president is Dr. Carol Z. Garrison
Carol Garrison
Dr. Carol Z. Garrison is the 6th and current President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System unanimously voted to appoint her to the office on July 23, 2002.-Prior Employment:...
.
History
In 1936, in response to the rapid growth of the Birmingham metropolitan area and the need for the population to have easy access to a university education, the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
created a Birmingham Extension Center. The center initially operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham at 2131 6th Avenue North and enrolled 116 students. In 1945, the newly-created four-year University of Alabama School of Medicine
University of Alabama School of Medicine
The University of Alabama School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public medical school located in Birmingham, Alabama. The UAB School of Medicine has branch campuses in Huntsville and at the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences in Tuscaloosa...
moved from the Tuscaloosa campus
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. In the post-war boom, enrollment at the extension center increased steadily; it stood at 1,856 by 1957. The medical center also grew. By 1959, research grants, training grants, and fellowships exceeded $1,000,000, and ground was broken for a new Children's Hospital.
By the 1960s, it grew readily apparent that the extension center was becoming a university in its own right. An engineering building was built close to the medical center in 1962. In 1966, the Extension Center and the School of Medicine were merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. An Advisory Board for UAB was created in 1967. In 1969, the legislature created the University of Alabama System
University of Alabama System
The University of Alabama System consists of three public universities in Alabama, USA: The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa , The University of Alabama at Birmingham , and The University of Alabama in Huntsville...
and elevated UAB to the status of an autonomous institution within the system, which also included UA (in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
(UAH) in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. Dr. Joseph Volker was named the first president of UAB.
| Presidents of UAB | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Joseph F. Volker | 1969–1976 | ||||
| Dr. S. Richardson Hill Jr. | 1977–1987 | ||||
| Dr. Charles A. McCallum | 1987–1993 | ||||
| Dr. J. Claude Bennett | 1993–1996 | ||||
| Dr. W. Ann Reynolds W. Ann Reynolds Wynetka Ann Reynolds is a zoologist and university administrator who has served as provost of the Ohio State University , chancellor of the California State University system , chancellor of the City University of New York , and president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham... |
1997–2002 | ||||
| Dr. Carol Z. Garrison Carol Garrison Dr. Carol Z. Garrison is the 6th and current President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System unanimously voted to appoint her to the office on July 23, 2002.-Prior Employment:... |
2002– | ||||
In the 1970s, the university began a period of rapid growth. Enrollment at the beginning of the decade stood at 6,629, including 2,724 women. To accommodate the growing student population, UAB acquired much land in the Southside (Birmingham)
Southside and began a steady expansion of the physical plant. UAB Mini Park (the predecessor to UAB Green) was dedicated in 1977. The university created an intercollegiate athletic program, joined the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and began fielding teams beginning with golf in 1970 and men's basketball in 1978. The university's name was changed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984.
By 1990, UAB had awarded its 50,000th degree. In 1992, U.S. News and World Report named UAB as the #1 up-and-coming university in the United States. In 1993, UAB's economic impact on the Birmingham region was estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year (the figure would be $2 billion per year by 1998). In 1994, UAB became the first Alabama university to achieve "Research University I" status in the Carnegie Foundation classification.
UAB celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent university in 2009. When classes began, UAB had the largest enrollment in the school’s 40-year history. Freshman enrollment was up 19% and graduate student enrollment hit its largest number ever. A record 18,047 students enrolled in courses at UAB.
Campus
UAB is located in the Southside neighborhood of downtown Birmingham. Spanning around 83 blocks, the UAB campus blends seamlessly with the urban character of the Southside. The campus is roughly rectangular in shape with University Blvd serving as the main axis of the rectangle and Campus Green serving as the center of the campus.The campus can be divided into three sections. The medical center occupies most of the campus east of Campus Green. The medical center is the home to the various health science schools and their teaching facilities, including the UAB Health System (UABHS). The medical center overlaps with the larger Birmingham Medical District where, in addition to UABHS, non-UAB affialiated hospitals such as the VA Medical Center Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama and Cooper Green Mercy Hospital are located.
The part of campus from Campus Green west and University Boulevard south is the academic center of the campus, as well as the center of student life on campus. The majority of the university's academic, student life, residential and cultural facilities are located on this part of campus. It is anchored by Campus Green, which was developed between 2000 and 2007 as the centerpiece of the move to convert the school from its traditional commuter school feel into a traditional residential campus.
Bartow Arena
Bartow Arena is an 8,508-seat multi-purpose arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's volleyball team. The arena is named after Gene Bartow, the coach who largely built the school's men's...
, are located on the far western side of campus. Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
, located a few miles west of campus, is the current home of the football team, but planning is underway for an on-campus football stadium adjacent to Bartow Arena.
Since 1969, UAB has undergone extensive growth and is sometimes jokingly referred to as "The University that Ate Birmingham" , and construction projects are common across campus. Current projects that are in planning, recently completed, or under construction include:
- Shelby Biomedical Research Building
- Southern Bio-Safety Lab Alabama Birmingham
- Alumni Affairs House
- UAB Softball Complex
- Campus Green Project
- Women's and Infants Center
- Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Facility
Organization and administration
| Academic Divisions of UAB | |
|---|---|
| College/school | Year founded |
| College of Arts and Sciences | 2010 |
| School of Business | 1971 |
| School of Dentistry | 1945 |
| School of Education | 1971 |
| School of Engineering | 1971 |
| School of Health Professions | 1969 |
| School of Medicine | 1945 |
| School of Nursing | 1967 |
| School of Optometry | 1969 |
| School of Public Health | 1981 |
| Graduate School | 1970 |
UAB is an autonomous institution within the University of Alabama System
University of Alabama System
The University of Alabama System consists of three public universities in Alabama, USA: The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa , The University of Alabama at Birmingham , and The University of Alabama in Huntsville...
, which is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and headed by Chancellor of the University of Alabama. The board is self-nominating and composed of 15 elected members and two ex officio members. The makeup of the Board is dictated by the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and requires that the board be made up of three members from the congressional district
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
that contains the Tuscaloosa campus, and two members from every other congressional district in Alabama. Board members are elected by the Board and are confirmed by the Alabama State Senate
Alabama Senate
The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens...
. Board members may serve three consecutive six-year terms.
The President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the principal executive officer of the university and is appointed by the chancellor with approval of the Board of Trustees. The president reports directly to the chancellor, and is responsible for the daily operations of the university. The president also acts as chairman of the board of the UAB Health System. The sixth and current president of UAB is Carol Garrison
Carol Garrison
Dr. Carol Z. Garrison is the 6th and current President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System unanimously voted to appoint her to the office on July 23, 2002.-Prior Employment:...
, who has served since 2002.
Colleges
UAB is composed of 1 college, 9 schools, the Graduate School, and the Division of General Studies. Together, these divisions offer 51 bachelor's degree programs, 46 master's degree programs, and 36 doctoral programs.Prior to 2010, the schools of Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and Education were separate, degree-granting units within the university. The schools were merged into a single college (the first at UAB): the College of Arts and Sciences, with Education retaining its identity as a distinct unit within the new college. University leaders cited efficiency, curricula, and more opportunity for interdisciplinary research and cooperation for the restructuring.
Endowment
UAB's endowment stood at just over $325 million in 2009.In 1999, the university launched a capital campaign with a goal of $250 million. When it ended in 2003, the UAB Capital Campaign had raised over $388.7 million raised.
Academics
| - | Alabama Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | $5,192 | $11,528 |
| Graduate | $6,116 | $14,216 |
| Medical | $18,140 | $51,394 |
UAB is a large, four-year primarily residential research university. UAB has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. Undergraduates comprise a majority of the total university enrollment. Part-time and transfer student comprise a sizable portion of the undergraduate student body. The undergraduate instructional program provided a balance between professional programs of study and the liberal arts (meaning the number of degrees awards in the two areas were similar), and there a high level of co-existence between the graduate and undergraduate programs (meaning that the majority of undergraduate program had graduate degree program counterparts). The university has a "very high level" of research activity and has a graduate instructional program heavily emphasizing doctorates in STEM fields
STEM fields
STEM fields is a US Government acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym is in use regarding access to work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields...
as well as health and veterinary sciences professional programs. UAB is only one of 108 universities (and the only one of two in Alabama) with the "very high level" research rating in the nation.
The academic calendar is based on the semester system, which divides the academic year, lasting from mid-August to early May, into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and the summer. The fall semester ends in early December and the spring term beings in early July. The summer, which lasts from mid-May to August, is divided into a number of sessions: a 12-week session, a 3-week "mini-semester" in May, a nine-week session in June and July, and two four-week sessions in June and July, respectively. The schools of medicine and dentistry follow an academic calendar beginning in July and ending in late May/early June.
In academic year 2009-2010, UAB awarded a total 1,942 bachelor's degrees and post-bachelor certificates; 1,339 master's degrees, educational specialist degrees, and post-master's certificates; 229 research doctorates; and 171 professional doctorates.
Student Profile
| Undergraduate | Graduate | Professional | Alabama | U.S. Census | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic Hispanic and Latino Americans Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins... |
2.0% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 3.9% | 14.7% |
| Asian Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
4.1% | 3.3% | 12.0% | 1.1% | 4.8% |
| White White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
60.6% | 69.7% | 75.1% | 68.5% | 72.4% |
| Black African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
26.3% | 14.4% | 8.9% | 26.2% | |
| Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
0.3% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander Pacific Islander American Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population... |
0.1% | 0% | 0% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Two or more Races | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1.5% | 2.9% |
| Unidentified | 3.5% | 2.1% | 9.8% | 2.0% | 6.2% |
| International | 1.9% | 7.5% | 0.8% | -- | -- |
In fall 2011, the UAB student body consisted of 11,128 undergraduates, 4,019 graduate students and 2,428 professional doctoral students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states and more than 110 foreign countries. 28.7% of students were enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (excluding Education), 10.6% in Education, 11.5% in Business, 1.5% in Dentistry, 6.7% in Engineering, 11.0% in Health Professions, 2.4% in Joint Health Sciences, 3.5% in Medicine, 10.3% in Nursing, 1.1% in Optometry, 2.0% in Public Health, while 10.7% were undecided.
Of the undergraduate student body, 43% are from Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
, 17.5% are from other counties in the Birmingham metropolitan area (specifically Blount
Blount County, Alabama
Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 57,322. Its county seat is Oneonta.Blount County is a dry county.-History:...
, Shelby
Shelby County, Alabama
Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2010 U.S. Census the population was 195,085. Shelby...
, St. Clair
St. Clair County, Alabama
St. Clair County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.It is a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. Its name is in honor of General Arthur St...
and Walker
Walker County, Alabama
Walker County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John Williams Walker, a member of the United States Senate. As of 2010 the population was 67,023...
counties. 31% come from the rest of Alabama, 6.5% from the rest of the United States, while international students comprise 1.9%. The male-to-female ratio among undergraduates is 0.7:1. Reflecting one of the core reasons for UAB's founding, a large percentage of undergraduates are from non-traditional demographics. One quarter of undergraduates are part-time students, and 23% are above the age of 25. (The average undergraduate is 23 years old.)
The average entering freshman ACT score for the Class of 2013 is 24.3 with a 3.5 high school GPA. Average undergraduate class size of 31 students. Since 2000, UAB has produced 7 Fulbright Scholars, 6 Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
Fellows, 8 Goldwater Scholars, 5 National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
(NSF) Graduate Fellows, 6 Truman Scholars, 1 Marshall Scholar, and 1 Rhodes Scholar.
In addition to the undergraduate curriculum, the Graduate School at UAB has experienced significant growth. In the past 3 years, graduate enrollment is up 19.5%. There has also been a 30 point increase in the mean GRE score of applicants with an average GRE Verbal score of 530 and Quantitative score of 690.
Faculty and Staff
UAB has 18,619 employees, including 2,244 faculty. 91.3% of the faculty at UAB hold an academic or professional doctorate. Eight faculty members from UAB have been elected to the National Institute of MedicineInstitute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
. The student-faculty ratio at UAB is 18:1.
Library
UAB has two libraries: the Mervyn H. Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. Sterne Library holds 1,700,000 million print volumes while Hill Library holds just under 350,000.Rankings
The 2011 US News & World Report Top United States Universities and Colleges ranks UAB overall as the 143rd best national university.UAB ranks among Top-20 nationally in federal research and development funding and 1st in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined. UAB received over $416 million in external grants and contracts in fiscal 2007–2008.
As of 2009, UAB is 4th in the Southeast for NIH
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
research funding behind only Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
In the Taiwanese Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers in World Universities, UAB ranked 94th in the world in 2011.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally ranked among Top-20 in total federal research funding and key areas of health sciences receiving more than $433 million dollars in funding. The Scientist magazine recently ranked UAB No. 24 on its Top 40 “Best Places to Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow” list, up from its No. 56 ranking in 2008. In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" and one of the top 371 colleges/universities in the US. In addition, out of the 371 Best College Rankings, UAB was ranked #3 in race/class interaction, #11 for happiest students, and #14 for best athletic facilities. In the 2011 US News and World Report, UAB is listed as a "more selective" institution and 151st overall (public or private) among 572 universities in USA. In 2009, the Scientist Magazine ranked UAB as 5th in the Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions and up from 47th in 2007.
In the most recent ranking of graduate programs by the US News & World Report, several UAB programs in the health and natural sciences were highly ranked. The School of Medicine is ranked 30th in the research category and 10th in the primary care category. Four medical specialties at UAB are ranked in the top 20 nationally by the magazine: AIDS, 6th; geriatrics, 12th; rural medicine, 15th; and internal medicine 20th. The School of Nursing is ranked 21st. Programs within the nursing school ranked highly as well: nurse practitioner (adult) program, 10th; nursing service administration program, 10th; nurse practitioner (family) program, 12th. The School of Public Health ranks 16th.
In graduate science programs, UAB ranked 34th in biological science, 123rd in chemistry, 111th in mathematics, and 133rd in physics.
In the School of Health Professions, the Master of Science in Health Administration program is currently ranked 5th, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is ranked 17th, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked 29th, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is ranked 25th and is one of only two programs in the nation that has a surgical focus. The School of Health Professions is #1 in the nation in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and holds the record for 26 consecutive years in either first or second place. The UAB Medical Scientist Training Program has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health since 1992. According to NRC rankings, Department of Biostatistics is ranked 55th among all Statistics and Biostatistics departments in the nation. The Section on Statistical Genetics (SSG) in the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health is one of the largest" in United States.
The UAB School of Business was ranked 7th in metropolitan state business schools by US News and World Report in 2004 and is accredited by AACSB International. The UAB MBA program is recognized by The Princeton Review in its 2010 edition of "Best 296 Business Schools" as one of the best in the nation. The UAB accounting program graduates first-time pass rates on the CPA exam that are 30% higher than the national average. During the past 11 years, a UAB graduate has achieved the highest score in Alabama on the CPA Exam 9 times. UAB School of Business finance graduates pass the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam at a rate 20% higher than the national average.
The biomedical engineering program is ranked 40th in the nation by US News and is the only biomedical engineering program in the state. A UAB School of Engineering student has been named by the ASPE (Alabama Society of Professional Engineers) as the state of Alabama's Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year from 2004–2009 and 9 of the past 12 years.
Student life
There are over 150+ student organizations on the UAB campus.The UAB Model Arab League team is among the best government model teams in the nation with over five years of expansion and award winning achievement including multiple "outstanding delegation" awards. The UAB Mock Trial team is consistently among the nation's best as a perennial Top 25 program. The program enjoyed its greatest success in 2006, when the team won the national title in the Silver Division defeating the defending national champions of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Recreation Center
Housing
70% of the entering UAB freshman Class of 2013 are living in campus housing.UAB has five dormitories on campus. Blazer Hall opened in Fall 2006 and is a new 753-bed freshman residence hall located adjacent to the Commons on the Green. Blount Hall serves upperclassmen, Camp Hall serves freshmen only, Denman Hall serves seniors only, and Rast Hall serves upperclassmen.
Greek life
Seventeen Greek Letter Organization (GLOs) are currently active on campus, with one additional in process of colonizing. Three governing bodies oversee the operations of university-sanctioned GLOs. These bodies act as umbrella organizations over the member GLOs. Among the differences between the governing bodies, the most important distinction are recruitment process and policies.The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs men's GLOs (also known as fraternities). Current members are ΔΣΦ
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, ΛΧΑ
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, TKE
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
and ΠKΦ
Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
.
The Panhellenic Council (NPC) governs women's GLOs (also known as sororities). Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
(colonized at UAB in 1978), Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
(1987), Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
(1996) and Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
(1991).
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) governs historically black GLOs. Currently-active member fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
(Iota Nu chapter, founded at UAB in 1974), Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
(Kappa Kappa chapter, 1980), Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
(Kappa Delta chapter, 1972) and Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
. Currently-active member sororities are Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
(Iota Phi chapter, 1975), Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
(Iota Lambda chapter, 1972), Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
(Xi Mu chapter, 1996) and Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
(1990).
Student Media
Kaleidoscope is the official student newspaper of The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Started in 1967, the weekly 8,000 circulation paper is a broadsheet published on Tuesdays during Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. The student editorial staff of the newspaper is lead by the editor, elected twice per year by the Board of Student Media. The Kaleidoscope online is updated weekly.Aura Literary Arts Review is a twice-yearly student magazine featuring fiction, creative non-fiction, art, photography, poetry and reviews. It was awarded the highest honor in student media, the Pacemaker from ACP, in 2006.
Intramurals
The school also has an intramural program that runs year-round. Students and staff compete for league trophies in sports such as basketball, bowling, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball, or play to win special tournaments in billiards, racquetball, tennis, and other sports.University Honors Program
The University Honors Program (UHP) is UAB’s core liberal arts honors program. This program provides students with a variety of interdisciplinary courses that are designed to be more challenging, innovative, and personal than normal courses. The program only accepts a maximum of 50 students per year that represent a diverse range of majors and disciplines in order to create a unique and cultivating learning environment.This program does not have any minimum requirements for admission. Applicants are considered if they demonstrate particular academic or creative talent and after having a personal interview.
The University Honors Program represents a unique program. The interdisciplinary fall course consists of a 9 hour block (equivalent to three classes) taken the fall of freshman and sophomore years. These classes have an overarching theme such as "Bottom Up, Top Down," "The Anatomy of Desire," and "Paradigm Shifts" and are team taught by at least five faculty members from varying disciplines. These courses have in the past featured faculty from psychology, literature, visual arts, physics, Egyptology, and applied neuroscience just to name a few. This class combines freshman and sophomores together in a small learning environment allowing them to explore curiosities and form friendships across age groups. The remaining portion of the honors curriculum is made of 5 seminars. These are also very diverse in subject and are taught in small class sizes of approximately 15.
Science and Technology Honors Program
The Science and Technology Honors Program, otherwise known as Sci-Tech Honors or S&T Honors, is UAB’s research based honors program. This program prepares students for research careers and graduate school by connecting them with labs and mentors in their undergraduate years.The first two years of the program focus primarily on teaching the methodologies and techniques used in scientific research, while the last two years are spent on developing the student’s Honors Thesis, consisting of an individual research project and report that will be submitted for publication.
The program also encourages collaboration amongst students and boasts its tight-knit learning community, which is facilitated by numerous program meetings, activities, and summer retreats. In order to promote these ideas, the program only accepts a maximum of 50 students each year. The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and an ACT or SAT score at or above the 90th percentile in math and science. However, all applications are individually reviewed and there is no definite cut-off based on ACT or SAT scores.
Experiential Learning Scholars Program
ELSP is a new program on the UAB campus, started in the fall of 2009. The program is based around learning through experiences based on the students future goals. The program has only a few required courses allowing many different majors to be in this honors program. Like most of the other honors programs it has no definite cut-off for ACT requirements. All students accepted into ELSP must maintain a 3.0 GPA to graduate with honors.Global and Community Leadership Honors Program
The Global Community and Leadership Honors Program (GCL Honors) is composed of students interested in community and global issues. Students in this program are commonly study foreign languages, culture, and international studies. The program is designed to facilitate student interest in being leaders in their community and in the world and to help them explore the issues facing the world today and apply them to their own goals. This program provides specialized curriculum and incorporates Study Away/Study Abroad programs into its required courses.Early Medical School Acceptance Program
The Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) is the most competitive honors program available at UAB. EMSAP serves as a magnet for academically superior high-school seniors, attracting them to UAB’s undergraduate programs by offering guaranteed acceptance into the School of Medicine, Dentistry, or Optometry, after completion of their undergraduate degree at UAB.EMSAP is a combination of three separate programs: the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP), the Early Dental School Acceptance Program (EDSAP), and the Early Optometry School Acceptance Program (EOSAP). Currently, EMSAP accepts only 10 students per year into its program while EDSAP and EOSAP, both of which are new programs starting Fall 2008, are anticipated to accept only 1–2 students each per year.
The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and at least a 30 ACT or 1320 SAT (out of 1600). However, the average ACT score of those accepted ranges from 32 to 36.
The minimum academic requirements for remaining in good standing are a 3.5 GPA in natural science and math courses and a 3.6 GPA overall. Should a student’s GPA drop below these minimums, the student is placed on probation and has one year to bring their GPA back up to the minimum, or be expelled from the program. In addition, EMSAP students must achieve a minimum score of 28 on the MCAT examination before their matriculation into the School of Medicine, while EDSAP and EOSAP students must make at least average scores on the DAT and OAT.
The program is currently mentored by Gregory Pence
Gregory Pence
Gregory E. Pence is a professor in the department of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is an expert in the field of medical ethics who has written several books and has testified before the United States Congress and the California Senate about cloning and reproductive...
, a renowned bioethicist and both an undergraduate and medical school professor.
Health System
UAB Hospital
UAB Hospital
The University of Alabama Hospital , is a Level I trauma center hospital located in Birmingham, Alabama....
is the central institution of UABHS. It was formed as University Hospital in 1945 from the merger of Jefferson Hospital and Hillman Hospital, two private hospitals in the Southside of Birmingham acquired by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. University Hospital was created to serve as the primary teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
for the School of Medicine.
The other major institutions of UABHS include:
- Kirklin ClinicKirklin ClinicThe Kirklin Clinic is an outpatient facility of UAB Hospital. It was named for heart surgeon, John W. Kirklin, and was designed by noted architect, I. M. Pei.-Further reading:-External links:...
, the outpatient clinic of UAB Hospital - Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, founded independently as the Eye Foundation Hospital in 1963 and merged into UABHS in 1973,
- UAB Women and Infants Center
- UAB Highlands. Formerly HealthSouthHealthSouthHealthSouth Corporation , based in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitative hospitals. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals , outpatient...
's flagship medical center in the Southside, UABHS acquired it in 2006. Highlands now serves as an acute care hospital (there is no emergency room). In 2010, UABHS announced plans to merge Highlands completely into UAB Hospital. - Spain Rehabilitation Center
- UAB Health Centers, clinics operated and staffed by UABHS located throughout central Alabama
- Viva Health, a health maintenance organizationHealth maintenance organizationA health maintenance organization is an organization that provides managed care for health insurance contracts in the United States as a liaison with health care providers...
(HMO) which is a subsidiary of Triton Health Systems, a limited liability corporation based in Birmingham and owned by the UABHS
In addition UABHS manages, but does not operate, Medical West in Bessemer
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
and Baptist Health in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. UABHS also has affiliations with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Alabama, and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
Athletics
UAB Blazers
The UAB Blazers are the forest green and old gold-swathed athletic teams at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The school is one of the twelve member institutions of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA...
. The school athletic colors are forest green and old gold athletic teams at UAB. The school is one of the twelve member institutions of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
and participates in Division I of the NCAA. The UAB football team, which competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is led by Neil Callaway
Neil Callaway
-External links:**...
and plays its home games at 71,594-seat Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
. The school's men's basketball team, coached by Mike Davis, plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena
Bartow Arena
Bartow Arena is an 8,508-seat multi-purpose arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's volleyball team. The arena is named after Gene Bartow, the coach who largely built the school's men's...
.
Gene Bartow
Gene Bartow is a former men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.-High school:...
, who was John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
's successor at UCLA. Bartow left UCLA after several exceptional seasons (52–9 over three seasons, including a berth in the Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1976) to head up the founding of the first UAB men's basketball team. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
in the program's second year of existence, and followed that with seven straight NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996, and in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue from UAB Arena to Bartow Arena in his honor. Bartow continues to support the university as an influential booster and currently lives in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
where he serves on the staff of the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
as a Special Advisor. In 30 years UAB has made 13 NCAA appearances, 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances, 1 Elite Eight appearance, has had 27 winning seasons, of which 19 of those were 20+ wins seasons.
In addition to football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, UAB also has programs in men's sports for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, soccer, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Women's sports programs include softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, basketball, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, soccer, tennis, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
(indoor and outdoor), cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, rifle
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. On November 11, 2010 UAB announced the addition of sand volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
and bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.
Future On-Campus Stadium
The current football home field, Legion FieldLegion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
, has multiple structural, repair, and upgrade issues leading to the AHSAA football state championships to abandon the site and move to separate facilities in 2010. Since the early 2000s, UAB has considered building a new 45,000 seat stadium on campus to replace the aging, city-owned, and off-campus Legion Field. A preliminary study for an on-campus facility began in November 2009. System approval of the structure could come as early as February 2011. As of November 2011, the University of Alabama education system denied the on-campus stadium. This occurred with controversy as there was not a board meeting to discuss the matter.
Fight song
The Fight Song for UAB is the "UAB Fight Song". It sometimes is also known as the "WIN FOR UAB". The lyrics for the song are:At UAB in Birmingham
All Hail our players bold
We are the mighty Blazers
Who wear the Green and Gold (Fight, Fight, Fight)
Tonight let's light the Golden Flame
For Blazer victory
Go Blazers! Go Blazers!
Win for UAB!
WIN FOR UAB!