Strategic Plan 

The UAB School of Public Health's Strategic Plan reflects the school-wide work of faculty and staff, with vetting that included students, during the 2018-2019 academic year. The current version is purposefully similar to the Forging the Future: UAB's Strategic Plan in order to show how the School's plan contributes to the University-wide plan. There are, however, unique attributes to the School's plan, given our focus on prevention and our work with communities. The plan presented here is a dynamic plan that will serve as a guide for our actions and will be constantly adjusted based on the metrics we follow.

  • SOPH Vision

    We aspire to fulfill the great promise of the discipline of public health: to protect and improve the health, safety, and well-being of all. We accomplish this through cutting-edge research, educating future generations of outstanding public health practitioners, and serving our community, state, region, and the world.

  • SOPH Mission

    To make positive and lasting change in the public’s health through the pursuit of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service to the larger community.

  • SOPH Shared Values

    Above all else, we value:

    • Diversity and Inclusion: Celebrating what makes us unique and what makes us one school.
    • Ethical Behavior and Integrity: Doing what is right for the right reasons.
    • Collegiality: Practicing mindfulness and accountability in the work-place and modeling professional collaborations for our students.
    • Academic Freedom: Pursuing excellence in our scholarly interests through innovation in teaching, research, and service.
    • Stewardship: Earning the public’s trust in how we engage communities and manage our resources.

  • SOPH Mission Pillars

    The School of Public Health mission is supported by three fundamental pillars. These are:

    • Education: Provide the highest level of public health education preparing our students to be the scholars, researchers, and public health leaders of the future.
    • Research and Discovery: Develop and engage in funded public health cutting-edge research and discovery and their application.
    • Public Health Practice and Community Engagement: Make a difference in our communities by working with our public health stakeholders.

  • SOPH Foundations

    The School of Public Health Mission Pillars rest on two foundations. These are:

    • Fiscal Responsibility and Resource Development: School of Public Health fiscal soundness and infrastructure.
    • Organizational Culture: An organizational culture that supports a balance of education, research, and community engagement.

  • SOPH Strategic Goals

    • Education: Increase the enrollment and graduation of interesting and capable students and improve the quality and relevance of their educational experience.
    • Research and Discovery: Facilitate and increase the discovery, integration, and application of knowledge.
    • Public Health Practice and Community Engagement: Increase and enhance engagement with our public health community stakeholders and alumni.

  • SOPH Foundation Goals

    • Fiscal Responsibility and Resource Development: Improve fiscal soundness and infrastructure, and increase resources.
    • Organizational Culture: Attract and retain excellent and diverse faculty, staff, and students, and create and promote an organizational culture of excellence that supports a balance of education, research, and community engagement.

Education Pillar

Increase the enrollment and graduation of interesting and capable students and improve the quality and relevance of their educational experience.

Student Enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment449 (AY 17 - 18)

Graduate enrollment507 (AY 17 - 18)
Master - 417
Doctoral - 90

Online Enrollment

126 (AY 17 - 18)

Degrees Awarded

205 (AY 17 - 18)
BS - 82
Master - 109
Doctoral - 14

Research and Discovery Pillar

Facilitate and increase the discovery, integration, and application of knowledge.

Research Funding Ranking

#17 (FY18) ranking in NIH funding among 63 accredited schools of public health

Research Expenditures

$35 Million (2018)

Full-Time Faculty

55% of full-time faculty are Principal Investigators (PIs) on at least one extramural reward

Public Health Practice/Community Engagement Pillar

Make a difference in our communities by working with our public health stakeholders.

Student Engagement

Increase and enhance engagement with our public health community stakeholders and alumni

Faculty/Staff Engagement

Increase and enhance faculty/staff community engagement

Community Health

Develop new strategies to impact community health

SOPH Fiscal Responsibility and Resource Development Foundation

Improve School of Public fiscal soundness, infrastructure, and resources.

Fiscal Responsibility

Improve fiscal soundness and infrastructure

Resource Development

Increase resources

SOPH Organizational Culture Foundation

Attract and retain excellent and diverse faculty, staff, and students, and create and promote an organizational culture of excellence that supports a balance of education, research, and community engagement.

Primary Full-Time Faculty

71 (AY 17 - 18)
Women - 37
Underrepresented - 14

Full-Time Staff

133 (AY 17 - 18)
Women - 96
Underrepresented - 41

Undergraduate Enrollment Diversity

(AY 17 - 18)
Women - 78.7%
Underrepresented - 39%
1st Generation - 21%

Graduate Enrollment Diversity

(AY 17 - 18)
Women - 65%
Underrepresented - 19%
1st Generation - 9%