University of Alabama at Birmingham

Overview

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university located in Birmingham, Alabama. It was originally established as an extension center in 1936 before it became a four-year institution in 1966. It was granted full autonomy as a university by 1969 and as such became part of the University of Alabama System.

UAB offers around 140 programs through its 12 academic divisions. They offer bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and professional degree programs across a wide range of disciplines, such as behavioral and social sciences as well as health-related disciplines including public health, medicine, nursing, optometry, and dentistry. The university also offers programs in the areas of business, liberal arts, education, and engineering.

Aside from their top-notch curriculum, the university is also affiliated with one of the biggest academic medical centers in the US, the UAB Health System. The UAB Hospital, which is the only Level 1 trauma center in the state, sponsors residency programs in various medical specialties, including neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, surgery, internal medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Because of this, UAB medical students and graduates need not go far to complete their internship and/or residency.

The University of Alabama in Birmingham was established in 1936 as a response to the rapid growth of the economy and population of the Birmingham metropolitan area. The growing population needed to have access to quality higher education that a university provides. The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa was prompted to build the Birmingham Extension Center, which initially operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham and enrolled 116 students.

In 1945, the University of Alabama’s newly established School of Medicine transferred from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, subsequently taking over the management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. By 1957, the Extension Center’s enrollment increased to 1,856. Training and research grants, as well as fellowships, exceeded $1 million by 1959. The institution also broke ground for a new Children’s Hospital.

In the next decade, it became apparent that the Extension Center was ready to become a university. In 1962, a building for the engineering department was built close to the medical center. A few years later in 1966, the Extension Center was officially merged with the School of Medicine, forming the University of Alabama in Birmingham. By 1969, a legislature for the University of Alabama System was created. The University of Alabama in Birmingham became one of the three four-year institutions in the system.

Not long after, the university experienced exponential growth, from enrolling 396 students in the early 1900s to 6,629 students at the beginning of the 1970s. As of 2018, the university accommodated a record-breaking 38,563 students.

To date, UAB continues to provide a collaborative and progressive learning experience that prepares students for rewarding careers, paving the way for opportunities to lead and promote further development.

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