Overview
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a comprehensive research institution located in a 7-county metropolitan area of approximately 1.1 million people. With more than 100 major campus buildings occupying 80 city blocks on Birmingham's Southside, UAB has become a nationally and internationally respected center for educational, research, and service programs.

The University is composed of schools as well as hospitals and clinics that house internationally renowned patient-care programs. UAB includes the College of Arts and Sciences along with the Schools of Business, Dentistry, Education (within the College of Arts and Sciences), Engineering, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Optometry, Public Health, and the Graduate School. The Graduate School offers a comprehensive Professional Development Program to enhance students' communication skills, to provide training for teaching at the college level, and to prepare students to compete for grants and jobs.

The Community
Birmingham is located in the lovely, rolling foothills of the Appalachian mountain range in central Alabama. Birmingham is only a few hours' drive from Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast. The city has excellent art and historical museums, theaters, libraries, ballet, symphony, zoo, and botanical gardens. A host of recreational opportunities, including camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, golf, tennis, and boating, are available year round in numerous locations.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate School offers degree programs at the doctoral and master’s level.

Doctoral degrees include administration health services, applied mathematics, biology, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, chemistry, civil engineering, computational engineering, computer and information sciences, computer engineering, early childhood education, educational leadership, electrical engineering, environmental health engineering, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health education/health promotion, materials engineering, materials science, medical sociology, nursing, nutrition science, physical therapy, physics, psychology (medical, developmental, and behavioral neuroscience), public health, and vision science. Interdisciplinary theme programs in biomedical sciences that add to traditional doctoral programs are available in biochemistry & structural biology, cancer biology, cellular, molecular & developmental biology, genetics & genomic sciences, immunology, microbiology, neuroscience, and pathobiology & molecular medicine. Combined degree programs are available in many areas, including the M.D./Ph.D., D.M.D./Ph.D., and M.P.A./J.D.

Master's degrees include accounting, anthropology, art education, art history, biology, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, business administration, chemistry, civil engineering, clinical laboratory sciences, communication management, clinical nutrition, computer and information sciences, dentistry, education (all areas), electrical engineering, engineering (construction management), engineering (information engineering management), English, forensic science, genetic counseling, health administration, health informatics, history, justice sciences, materials engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, nurse anesthesia, nursing, nutrition sciences, occupational therapy, oral biology, physics, public administration, public health, sociology, surgical physician assistant studies, and vision science.
In 2008-09, there were more than 5,000 graduate students enrolled in UAB's 38 doctoral programs and 48 master's programs. Many of these programs unite different disciplines and cross departmental and school lines, illustrating the strong interdisciplinary character of the University.

Facilities & Resources
UAB is one of the leading research universities in the country, annually receiving more than $400 million in research and training grants. UAB ranks 22nd in the nation in support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). UAB is responsible for garnering 77 percent of all NIH funding to Alabama institutions.

The University's research enterprise is highly interdisciplinary. University-wide research centers house active basic and translational research programs in the areas of aging, arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases, AIDS, biophysical sciences and engineering, cancer, clinical nutrition, cystic fibrosis, free radical biology, metabolic bone disease, outcomes and effectiveness research and education, women's health, and vision science. Other schoolwide centers focus their research efforts on Alzheimer's disease, biomatrix engineering and regenerative medicine, neuroimmunology, nanoscale materials and biointegration, urban affairs, telecommunications, and educational accountability. Many centers house special research facilities, such as the transgenic animal/embryonic stem cell facility, the hybridoma core facility, the digital microscopy facility, and a 4.1 Tesla magnet for functional NMR imaging. Two major research libraries, the Mervyn H. Sterne Library and the Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, provide online access to the research literature in all areas of graduate study.

A major thrust of UAB research is moving technology into the marketplace. The UAB Research Foundation serves as a conduit of information, discoveries, and inventions from researchers to business. In partnership with industry, it guides technology through laboratory observation, product development, and marketing. Other University-industry partnerships include student organizations such as UAB’s Graduate Career Awareness and Trends (GCAT), which introduces students to career options outside academia by providing information and networking opportunities with business and industry.

Expenses and Aid
Costs: Basic tuition for 2009-10 is $227 per semester hour for Alabama residents and $568 per semester hour for nonresident students.

UAB offers a number of reasonably priced apartments (efficiencies to two-bedroom units) for on-campus residence. The Housing Office also provides information on off-campus housing, including listings for short- and long-term lease facilities. Many reasonably priced apartments are located within easy walking distance of UAB.

Financial Aid: Each year, approximately 175 students are appointed as Graduate School fellows or assistants. Stipends range from approximately $10,000 up to $25,000, plus full payment of tuition and fees. The individual graduate programs also offer similar awards. Some programs need teaching or laboratory assistants, some have federal and state research grants that are budgeted to include student assistants, and many need graders or lab tutors. UAB currently has substantial training support from federal agencies. The Comprehensive Minority Faculty and Student Development Program offers three years of support to minority students enrolled in doctoral programs.

How to Apply
UAB's admission process has two levels of review. The Graduate School sets general admission requirements, and each graduate program specifies its particular requirements. In general, the Graduate School welcomes applications from students who have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited academic institution, have good letters of evaluation, and have scored well on a recognized standardized test (usually the Graduate Record Examinations General Test). Each application is evaluated by the program faculty on the basis of all information available about the applicant.

Applications for admission are not processed until all credentials required by the Graduate School have been received. Prospective students can submit an application via the Internet from the Graduate School's Web page.

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