The critical perspectives of anthropology, history, justice sciences, government, psychology, social work, and sociology are represented within the School. Academic programs of SBS lead to the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
The School views research, teaching, and service not as disparate or competing goals, but rather as interrelated endeavors that ultimately offer the benefits of scholarship and research to society as a whole, and most immediately to our students. Faculty achieve these aims through a variety of means, including teaching in the classroom, supervising students engaged in research activity, participating in professional conferences, publishing regularly in respected professional outlets, acquiring extramural funds to support faculty and student research, and providing professional expertise in clinical and community affairs.

To advance the goal of understanding of the diversity of human behavior, SBS is engaged in interdisciplinary programs and research efforts extending throughout UAB and to other universities. The faculty aspires to establish a learning community within each of its departments and in the School as a whole. A learning community is founded on the principles of academic freedom and functions as continuous intellectual effort in teaching, research, and service. In addition, SBS emphasizes intellectual partnerships central to the mission of UAB, and particularly to the institution's graduate education. One partnership connects biomedical knowledge with the liberal arts. Another provides recent public-affairs scholarship to public policy makers. The former partnership seeks to expand the benefits of modern health care; the latter partnership seeks to revitalize public policy as it applies to the polity of city and state, and nation.

The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) consists of a research-oriented faculty offering both traditional and innovative programs in the arts and sciences. Some ninety faculty (excluding adjuncts) offer the following programs: Psychology (B.S., Ph.D.) Sociology (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.), Social Work (B.S.S.W), History, (B.A., M.A.), Political Science (B.A.) and Public Administration (M.P.A.), Criminal Justice (B.S., M.S.C.J.), Forensic Science ( M.S.F.S.), Anthropology (B.A., M.A.), and Economics (B.A.).

Also located in the unit are five interdisciplinary programs: Gerontology (minor certificate), Digital Community Studies (minor), Legal Studies (minor), Forensic Psychology (minor) and Environmental Studies (minor). Four other interdisciplinary programs report jointly to this unit and to the School of Arts and Humanities: International Studies (B.A.), Women's Studies (minor), American Studies (minor), and African-American Studies (major). An interdisciplinary graduate research program in Medical Sociology reports jointly to this School and to the School of Medicine.

Research-Service endeavors include the Center for Advancement of Youth Health (Psychology), the Center for Research on Applied Gerontology (Psychology), and the Center for Urban Affairs.