About the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama was founded in 1831 and has offered graduate degrees from the outset. We currently enroll over 31,500 students, of whom about 4,750 are pursuing graduate degrees. Our students and over 800 graduate faculty members come to us from every part of the United States and from fifty foreign countries.
The University is located in the city of Tuscaloosa (population about 100,000), which is in west central Alabama. Our warm-temperate climate features short, mild winters (January average highs/lows 55°/35° F or 12.8°/1.7° C) and long, hot summers (July average highs/lows 93°/72° F or 33.9°/22.2° C). The cost of living in Tuscaloosa is well below that of most metropolitan areas of the United States, yet facilities and opportunities for recreation and entertainment are plentiful. The University's music, English, and theater departments frequently sponsor concerts, lectures, plays, and films, and the University of Alabama Art Gallery displays both permanent collections and traveling exhibits. Athletic facilities include three swimming pools, tennis, racquetball and basketball courts, and a 28 acre athletic play-field complex. Nearby lakes, and parks provide excellent boating, water-skiing and hiking.
The region of the United States in which Alabama is located is known as the Deep South and our culture emphasizes traditional values, hospitality, religion and family life. This is a culture in which an international student can feel at home.
From using the Hubble Space Telescope to discern the inner workings of a galaxy 200 million light years away to using computer games to identify the learning patterns of children with autism in remote neurological worlds, the research of the University of Alabama faculty and graduate students pushes past the boundaries of current knowledge and opens new vistas of possibility.
The University of Alabama Libraries holds more than 1,000,000 books and journals. In addition, the library contains extensive collections of microforms, government documents, phonograph records, maps and manuscripts. It receives more than 14,000 periodicals and newspapers from around the world. In addition to the Main Library, there are four divisional libraries: Business, Education, Engineering, and Science. The libraries maintain an on-line catalog and automated circulation system. On-line research services are available in all libraries. In addition, the libraries are party of the OCLC, the greatest bibliographic database in the world. The libraries are open every day of the week.
The English Language Institute offers a year-around course of study which prepares students for successful academic work at U.S. colleges and universities. Classes of 20 to 25 hours per week are arranged in five levels to provide intensive language instruction in speaking and listening, grammar, reading, vocabulary development and writing. PLEASE NOTE: Admission to the English Language Institute does not constitute admission to The University of Alabama, or any other college or university in the United States.
- Calendar: The University operates on a semester system. In a 12-month year there are two semesters, each containing fifteen weeks of classes, plus an examination period. The fall semester, which is considered the start of the academic year, begins in late August and ends in mid December; the Spring semester begins in early January and ends in early May. Summer classes are available for some degree programs.
Most of our graduate programs admit new students for either the fall of the spring semester, but the MBA and the Psychology programs admit new students only in the fall. International students are not admitted to any program for the summer term.
- Class Level: Students who have excelled at the undergraduate level may apply to the Graduate School. Application is made after receiving a bachelor's degree or during the final year of undergraduate study. The master's degree may be completed in one year, but it generally requires two years of work after the bachelor's degree. The doctorate is the highest degree awarded in the United States, and it may be completed in three or more years of work after the master's degree. However, students generally require more time to complete the doctorate because of the exacting requirements of course work, original research, and the dissertation.
- Housing. If you are a single
student and wish to live in University housing, you should contact
Alicia Browne, Associate Director for Assignments, Information & Communication;
Housing and Residential Communities at
abrowne@sa.ua.edu or
(205)348-5990. If you are a student moving here with a family, contact
Julie Elmore, Assistant Director for Off-Campus Housing; Housing and
Residential communities at
jelmore@sa.ua.edu or (205)348-9647. For information about our
Graduate Parent Support (GPS) program, visit
http://www.gps.ua.edu. There are
apartment complexes within walking or bicycling distance of the campus.
Upon arrival to campus Capstone International services will assist you
with housing arrangements.
The Rotary International Organization sponsors the Rotary House with housing accommodations for a small number of male international students. The Rotary House may be used for social events and organized meeting which bring together faculty, students and members of the community.
- Capstone International Programs and Services. 135 B.B. Comer Hall, Box 870254, This office provides special support and programs for international students, scholars and their dependents. It sponsors special orientation sessions, provides registration assistance, processes immigration documents, offers academic support services, and counsels students on any of a variety of topics. The office will assist new students with housing, banking, health insurance, and other matters of special concern.
Application Procedures (for International Students)
If you have earned a high academic standing and acceptable test scores, you may submit the application materials. Please do not complete an application if the degree program in which you are interested is not offered by The University of Alabama (see Graduate Degree Programs). Direct your request and all subsequent correspondence and credentials concerning your application to
- Graduate School
- The University of Alabama
- Box 870118
- Tuscaloosa AL 35487-0118
- U.S.A.
or e-mail: intergradapply@aalan.ua.edu
>> ALSO VISIT: Graduate Applicant Page | Application Center | Application Forms
Completing Your Application
Application
Additional time is required for admission decisions and processing of immigration documents for international applicants. International applicants residing outside the United States are encouraged to submit your completed application six months to one year in advance of your proposed date of enrollment (or by departmental deadlines if earlier). All international applications must be completed at least four months before the desired date of enrollment. Special effort should be made to be consistent with the use of the same first name and family name on all application materials. The Graduate School should be notified of all variations of your name on required documents. Click here to see application deadlines.
Application Fee
Online applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee (Please check the application instruction page for the appropriate fee based on the type of application). The application fee may be paid online at the time of application submission by credit card or electronic check. If you do not wish to pay the fee electronically, you will need to submit the print version of the application along with a check or money order for $60.00 made payable to the University of Alabama.
Transcripts
Arrange for two official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to be sent directly to this office. Also, send a certified copy of Diploma in original language and one in English translation. All documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
Standardized Test Scores
All students whose first language is not English must submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), PTE (Pearson Test of English) or IELTS (International English Testing System) score report. TOEFL, PTE or IELTS scores are required to be less than two years old at the time of enrollment. Applicants who have completed a degree program in the United States within the past three years may waive the TOEFL, PTE or IELTS. In addition, applicants to the Graduate School of Business must submit an official GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) report. Applicants to all other schools and colleges must submit an official GRE (Graduate Record Examination) report.
The minimum acceptable scores on these tests are:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Minimum score required for TOEFL is 550 on the paper based test or 79 on the internet based test.
- International English Testing system (IELTS): Minimum score is 6.5
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): Minimum score is 59.
- GRE: Minimum score is 1000 (verbal + quantitative).
- GMAT: Minimum score is 500.
Note: Individual divisions or departments may set higher standards. The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is recommended for international students who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships.
Optional
- An international graduate applicant to the University of Alabama may be considered for "provisional language admission" if he or she does not meet the minimum TOEFL ,IELTS or PTE requirement (i.e., he or she has a lower score or has not taken any of the tests). The applicant must meet all other admissions criteria, as stated for regular or conditional admission in the Graduate Catalog, meet all financial and immigration requirements, and be recommended by the individual University of Alabama graduate department to receive provisional language admission . Students who have provisional language admission are accepted to the Graduate School, but must attend full-time intensive English language instruction at the English Language Institute (ELI). The student must complete the ELI's Intensive English Program with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the advanced levels (Levels 4, 5, and 6) or earn the minimum score on the TOEFL, PTE or IELTS before he or she will be allowed to enroll in graduate courses and/or be awarded a graduate assistantship.* When a student with provisional language admission begins enrollment in graduate courses, he or she must meet all other requirements for conditional admission, as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
- *In special circumstances, the Graduate School, department, and ELI may grant permission for a student who has completed Level 4 or higher of the ELI with a 3.5 GPA to enroll in one graduate course per semester while completing the remaining levels of the ELI. The specific course must be approved by the instructor and department prior to enrollment.
- Arrangements for taking standardized tests can be made through:
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Additional Requirements for International Non-Degree Applicants
- Must have earned the minimum acceptable score in one of the tests: TOEFL, PTE or IELTS.
- Limited to a total of 12 credits while enrolled as a non-degree student (enrollment in any additional non-degree credits will be allowed only with department approval and if the students has obtained a "B" average or higher on non-degree credits.)
- Must meet any and all requirements dictated by immigration regulations.
Financial Document
Applicants must verify the availability of funding by submitting a financial document that has been signed and notarized. Financial aid from the University is extremely limited and is awarded on the basis of merit, not need. No student should expect financial assistance without an official award notification. The University will not issue official letters of admission nor immigration documents until proof of the student's funding has been received.
>> MORE INFORMATION: Graduate Applicant Page | Application Center | Application Forms | Application Deadlines
- See details of cost of attendance for Graduate Study
- For up-to-date data, please visit: UA's Cost of Attendance page.
Upon arrival in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, students must report to the Office of Capstone International Programs and Services (135 B.B. Comer Hall), Phone: (205)348-5402. Information on arrival assistance is available through the Capstone International Services.