Welcome Message from the Dean
Dear Graduate School Family and Friends:
The 2019-20 academic year was definitely one for the books. Despite the challenges faced as a result of COVID-19, our graduate students, faculty and staff pushed past expected limitations and demonstrated resilience, creativity and dedication. We devoted significant effort in 2019-20 to looking at how to reach potential students earlier and how we can continue to improve the experiences of our graduate students during their time at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. We also continued to build upon our community reach, both in research and service.
As you navigate through the Annual Report, I hope you will see the determination and passion of our Graduate community and I hope you recognize how your support continues to change the lives of both current and future UAB graduate students. I appreciate everything you do to help us “inspire minds today to transform tomorrow” and I look forward to our continued partnership in 2021.
Sincerely,
Lori McMahon
Our Statement: “Inspiring minds today to transform tomorrow”
Our Vision: “Inspiring minds today to transform tomorrow”
The Future of Graduate Education: Our Core Values
We value an academically excellent learning environment.
Therefore we will:
- Strive for excellence in graduate programs and postdoctoral training by continually upgrading program offerings to compete with other leading graduate schools.
- Recruit students and postdoctoral fellows in a competitive manner by providing high quality and rigorous research and training programs.
We value and celebrate diversity equity and inclusion.
Therefore we will:
- Recruit and support graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and other research scholars both nationally and internationally.
- Advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in research and pedagogical philosophy to provide well-rounded educational and professional opportunities for our students and postdoctoral fellows.
We value a student-centered learning environment.
Therefore we will:
- Prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to participate successfully in both academic and other professional arenas.
- Develop and sustain interdisciplinary graduate and postdoctoral training programs that promote creative thinking across disciplines.
- Advocate for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows while serving as a liaison between trainees and the University administration.
New Graduate School Initiatives
Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) Programs
The Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) program allows undergraduate students to share credits toward both an undergraduate and graduate degree. Through ABM, an undergraduate student can take courses that count simultaneously toward their undergraduate and graduate programs. Once admitted, an ABM student can take up to 12 hours of approved 500/600-level graduate courses that will count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree. This can significantly shorten the time it takes to earn a master’s degree. Upon completion, students enter the job market with increased earnings potential and set themselves apart as a candidate with high-level critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
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Early Acceptance Program
Early Acceptance Programs are designed for academically superior high-school students. Early Acceptance Programs allow high achieving students to be conditionally admitted into a graduate program at the same time they are admitted to an undergraduate program.
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LEAD Certificate
The LEAD graduate certificate is designed to provide students with opportunities to master leadership and professional development competencies. The dynamic nature of today’s society and economy requires us all to think critically, communicate effectively, and transfer skills into multiple environments. LEAD facilitates learning and competencies required for academic, career, and personal success.
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Promoting Research at UAB
Say it in Six
Say It In 6 is a competition hosted by UAB Graduate School that challenges you to tell your story in a creative and succinct way. Based on Smith Magazine’s “Six-Word Memoirs®” concept, Say It In 6 invites you to use only six words and a visual aid to tell a story -- about your studies, your UAB experience, or your life. The possibilities are endless!
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3MT
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by Ph.D. students. Developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), the exercise cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
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Discoveries in the Making
Discoveries in the Making seeks to make amazing new discoveries more available and digestible for the public through a monthly happy hour at The Lumbar. Speakers present on a variety of topics, including eating disorders, asthma, diabetes, sea turtles, anxiety and PTSD, breast cancer, epilepsy, and more.
Read MoreReaching our Community
Ronald McDonald House Collection Drive
The Graduate School hosted its second annual Ronald McDonald House Collection Drive in January 2020, as part of UAB’s Community Month.
Discoveries Behind the Scenes
The Graduate School launched “Discoveries: Behind the Scenes” in Fall 2019. This project allowed Alabama high school students an opportunity to see firsthand the amazing research being done by our graduate students through Facebook Live.
2020 Annual Report Statistics
Total number of students enrolled
During the 2019-20 academic year, 8,851 students enrolled in graduate UAB programs. 3,110 were from under-represented minorities.
Top 10 nations represented
850 international students represented from 96 different countries.
Enrollment by gender and degree type
2,899 male and 5,952 female graduate students were enrolled.
Degrees awarded
There were 2,373 Graduate Degrees awarded. There were 2,356 graduating students.