The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) traces its roots to the 1859 founding of the Medical College of Alabama and the 1936 opening of the Birmingham Extension Center of The University of Alabama. In 1945 the Medical College of Alabama was moved from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and the University's Medical Center was founded. Later, in November of 1966, the Extension Center and the Medical Center were merged to form the "University of Alabama in Birmingham," an organizational component of The University of Alabama (in Tuscaloosa). In 1969 UAB became an independent institution, one of the autonomous universities within the newly created three-campus University of Alabama System.

Today, UAB is a comprehensive urban university with a nationally recognized academic health center. UAB is the only public, four-year degree granting university in the state's largest metropolitan area. UAB is the largest research institution in the state of Alabama and the university is the largest employer in Birmingham.

Why the University of Alabama, Birmingham

Shakespeare described the future as an “undiscovered country.” But at UAB, we have never settled for merely finding what’s next — we have helped build the future through new ideas and initiatives in the classroom, the laboratory, the studio and the clinic.

To usher in the future, the planned goals and objectives for UAB's four mission pillars are as follows: 

1. Education: Offer a world-class, socially conscious education to diverse students to prepare the next generation of citizens and leaders. 
2. Research, Innovation and Economic Development: Empower innovative research, scholarship and creative activities that drive knowledge creation focused on improving society.
3. Community Engagement: Engage with the community in meaningful and mutually beneficial collaborations that contribute to the public good.
4. Patient Care: Lead in the delivery of the highest-quality patient-centered integrative care that reflects our ability to translate discoveries into revolutionary therapies in one of the nation’s premier academic health care centers.

Note: This school offers both pathway and direct entry programs. Pathway programs are designed for students who meet the academic requirements for the program but do not meet the required English language proficiency scores. In this case, the student will study English in combination with their academic program. If the student meets both the program’s academic and English language proficiency requirements for direct admission, apply to the direct entry program.