University of North Alabama

Overview

University of North Alabama

University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama. The oldest public university in the state, it was founded in 1830 by the Methodist Church as the LaGrange College in 1830. It received its current name and structure as a comprehensive, regional university in 1974. One of America’s pioneering co-educational tertiary institutions, it is recognized for its programs in the fields of biomedical sciences, public administration, and business and management.

University of North Alabama Key Statistics

UNA comprises four colleges, namely, the College of Nursing and Allied Health, the College of Education, the College of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences. The university offers around 220 bachelor's programs, 45 master's programs, and one doctoral degree program, including four micro-credentials and three education specialist degree programs. Its programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

University of North Alabama's student population is approximately 8,361, with 6,105 undergraduates. It employs around 365 academic staff and has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1.

The other University of North Alabama key statistics include various academic and campus facilities. These include a women's center, health service, placement service, a greenhouse, nonremedial tutoring, the Planetarium-Observatory, and three campus libraries: the main Collier Library, the Kilby School Library, and the Music Library.

University of North Alabama Research

UNA is classified as among America’s M1: Master's Colleges and Universities, for its ‘larger’ academic and research programs. Its research projects are generally funded by U.S. funding institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and the National Science Foundation.

The top fields of University of North Alabama research are psychology, medicine, and social psychology. Its research outputs have been published in prestigious journals like Physical Review A, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and Journal of Physics B. Its researchers have attended major scholarly conferences such as CCWC: IEEE Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference, ACMSE: ACM Southeast Regional Conference, and JCIS: Joint International Conference on Information Sciences.

The most cited University of North Alabama research publication is MacNell et al.'s (2015) “What’s in a name: Exposing gender bias in student ratings of teaching.” This article was published in Innovative Higher Education and has received 701 citations. The university’s second most cited publication is Williams’s (2003) “Women on corporate boards of directors and their influence on corporate philanthropy,” which appeared in the Journal of Business Ethics and has been cited 571 times to date.

Moreover, the university’s third most cited publication is Williams and Barrett’s (2000) “Corporate philanthropy, criminal activity, and firm reputation: Is there a link?” This article has received 473 citations from students and researchers worldwide and was featured in the Journal of Business Ethics.

In addition, UNA is home to several research centers and institutes. These include the Freddie Wood Geographic Research Center, the Center for Women’s Studies, and the joint research facility, the Auburn University - North Alabama Horticulture Research Center.

You can also learn more about the educational performance of University of North Alabama in our ranking of US universities & colleges.