In Fall 2010, UA's overall enrollment crossed 30,000, which includes about 4,500 graduate students.

Tuscaloosa is located in Tuscaloosa County situated in west central Alabama, about 57 miles southwest of Birmingham. Northport and Brookwood are other municipalities in the county. Tuscaloosa is comprised of over 90,000 residents and its main industries include: health care, educational institutions, and manufacturing. The University of Alabama was founded in 1831 and was the first public university in the state. The University has ranked in the top 50 public universities in U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years. For more information about the city of Tuscaloosa, please visit the website at http://www.ci.tuscaloosa.al.us.

Students interested in off-campus or distance education may visit the Distance Education website at http://academicoutreach.ua.edu/ or the College of Continuing Studies website at http://continuingstudies.ua.edu.  Students may also contact the Distance Education office at (205) 348-9278 or toll free at 1-800-452-5971.

Graduate students are considered full time if they are enrolled in at least nine credit hours for the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.

The University assists graduate students through fellowships and assistantships totaling more than $21 million each year. Around 1400 Teaching and Research Assistantships are awarded annually through departments.

The Graduate School awards three different types of fellowships: Graduate Council Fellowships, McNair Graduate Fellowships, and the National Alumni Association Graduate Scholarships. The Graduate School also has a robust Graduate Student Travel and Research Support Fund.

Financial aid information for graduate students is available online at http://graduate.ua.edu/financial/index.html. The Financial Assistance Handbook is also available in the Office of the Graduate School. You may also visit the Financial Aid Office located at 106 Student Services Center, online at http://www.financialaid.ua.edu For more information, please contact your academic department.

The Graduate School understands that applying to a graduate program can be overwhelming. For this reason, we want you to know that applying to the University of Alabama does not have to be a stressful task. Our application is simple, yet precise, and can conveniently be completed online. You will find all pertinent information on the UA Graduate School's Application Center website at http://www.graduate.ua.edu/application.

What materials are required to be considered for admission? Action cannot be taken on an application until the following have been received:

Domestic Applicants:

• Application Data Sheet
• Statement of Purpose form
• Two Official transcripts of all colleges attended
• Official score reports of entrance examinations (if required by the department)
• Letters of recommendation (if required by the department)
• Nonrefundable Application fee
• Any other application materials required by the specific department

• Application Data Sheet
• Statement of Purpose form
• Two official transcripts and diplomas for all higher education institutions attended
• Official score reports of entrance examinations (if required by the department)
• Letters of recommendation (if required by the department)
• Nonrefundable Application fee
• TOEFL score (for applicants whose native language is not English)
• Any other application materials required by the specific department

In order to be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to the Graduate School by the registrar of the issuing institution.  Transcripts issued to students, must be in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution. We must have transcripts from all institutions attended.

You may check your application status online through the UA website (see http://graduate.ua.edu/application/appstatus.html) or by contacting the Graduate School at (205) 348-5921.

You can access your departmental website from the graduate school home page: http://graduate.ua.edu or, by going to Links to Departments: http://graduate.ua.edu/academics/departments.html

Please consult your academic department for any entrance exam requirements. In order to schedule an entrance exam at the University of Alabama or at a location nearest you, please contact the Testing Service (205) 348-6760.

Contact the program in which you are interested to find out departmental deadlines. Domestic students must have their applications to the Graduate School six(6) weeks prior to departmental deadlines. International students must submit their application to the Graduate School four(4) months prior to departmental deadlines.

On-Campus

The University does not have on-campus housing for graduate students. However, Residential Life can help you find affordable housing within walking distance to campus.

There are two free apartment guides for the Tuscaloosa area: Tuscaloosa Apartment Guide and Apartment Finder. Students can reach the Tuscaloosa Apartment Guide online at http://www.apartmentsalabama.com and the Apartment Finder at http://www.ApartmentFinder.com.