Admission FAQs

Please see the webpages about M.S. admission and Ph.D. admission.

Please see the webpages about M.S. admission and Ph.D. admission.

Applications are reviewed as they are received. Depending on the time of year, it takes approximately one month to process an application after it is complete (GRE received, TOEFL received if appropriate, transcript received, letters received, etc.).

For the M.S. program, there is no a priori limit/acceptance rate. Applicants are accepted/rejected based upon their credentials.

For the Ph.D. program, the number of offers depends on the number of new slots opened through graduation or new grant funding. There are always some slots each semester.

No, but if you do take it, please report your score to us as it may enhance your chances for admission and financial aid.

Previously earned graduate credit that has not been applied toward another degree (either at UAB or elsewhere) is eligible for transfer into the student's current degree program. Ordinarily no more than 12 semester hours of transfer credit can be applied to a degree program. Acceptance of more than 12 hours will require approval by the program director, department chair, and Graduate School Dean. All credit transfer requests must be initiated by the student and require the approval of the graduate program director and the Graduate School Dean.

Transfer of Credit forms are available online. An application for transfer of credit will not be considered until the student has completed at least 9 semester hours of graduate credit in their current UAB program and is in good academic standing. Once transfer credit has been accepted, it will be included in the calculation of the grade point average in the student's current UAB program. Graduate credit earned with a grade of B or above while a graduate student in another regionally accredited graduate school may be considered for transfer. In programs offered jointly by UAB and other universities, all graduate credits earned in the program at a cooperating university are eligible for transfer to UAB. If a student earns credit in one UAB graduate program and is later admitted to another program, unused credits from the previous program, if applicable, are eligible for consideration for transfer into the current program.

We expect this to be the case for all continuing students. You should submit the most up-to-date transcripts available along with a list of courses you are currently enrolled in. If admitted, it will be contingent upon providing a completed transcript once you arrive.

Please follow the application instructions on the UAB Graduate School website. You can mail documents to the Graduate School at:

UAB Graduate School
LHL G03
1700 University Boulevard
Birmingham, AL 35294-0013

You do not need to formally apply for financial aid. All accepted applicants are automatically considered for financial aid.

Hourly paid TAship is available to top performing MS students. Please see Assistantships, Fellowships & Financial Aid for more information.

Yes.

This is very important, as it will determine the faculty advisor you will be assigned to and how competitive your application is for financial aid. It is acceptable to have interests in more than one area, especially if there is documented research or project work in each area. It is rarely appropriate, and certainly not useful, to be interested in all areas.

You may contact faculty to learn more information about their research. Once admitted we will assign you a specific faculty advisor whose research interests are closest to those you have indicated on your application.

Note: You should not ask individual faculty members for financial aid or send them a detailed resume. Such e-mail is considered spam. Financial aid is coordinated through the department, not individual faculty members. Incoming students are not supported on research assistantships as they enter.

Visit the UAB Class Listing site, enter the term you want to search and 'CS-Computer Science' as the subject, and click 'Submit.' On the class list page returned by the search, those courses with a location shown as 'ONLINE' are online courses.

A student on an F-2 visa is allowed to study, but they cannot attend full time while they are still on the F-2 visa. Once they are ready to change to the F-1 status they will work with UAB's immigration office to file the appropriate paperwork. They can be in country and studying while this application is processed.