The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is one of the largest universities in Alabama, with more than 20,000 students and dozens of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Between the university and its excellent affiliated research hospital and health-related professional schools, UAB is also the state's largest employer.
UAB has an extensive number of courses and degree programs available for students who are interested in returning to school, whether to start earning a degree after a period away from school altogether, completing a degree after beginning and then pausing their schooling, going after an advanced degree after entering the “real world” for a while or earning continuing education credits to satisfy professional licensing requirements.
Earning a Degree or Certificate From UAB
For those interested in earning a diploma or certificate, UAB has dozens of online degree programs, which require students to satisfy the school's entrance requirements. These include undergraduate majors and minors, graduate degrees, and certificate programs. Many programs are 100% online, some are blended with online and in-person components, and others are in-person only.
UAB has a separate admissions process for “Adult Learner” students, which UAB defines as someone who graduated from high school three or more years before applying to UAB and has not yet attended college. The university looks for a minimum high school GPA of 2.75 or GED scores above a certain level (depending on when the GED test was taken), though it notes that some programs may have different admission requirements.
Transfer students – those who have earned credits at another college or university – have their own admissions requirements. They need to have at least a GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale after 24 semester hours of “transferable college-level work.” Because not all credits may transfer, if you're considering transferring to UAB it's a good idea to find out ahead of time which of your existing credits will transfer and which won't. Transfer students with fewer than 24 credit hours must “also meet the minimum admission requirements for entering freshmen.”
Graduate students must have earned a bachelor's degree from a US school or its equivalent from a non-US school in order to be considered for admission. Depending on the program, there may also be a requirement that the applicant has taken a standardized test such as the GRE or GMAT. Some programs may also require recommendation letters, personal essays, and a current resume or curriculum vitae.
Continuing Education at UAB
In addition to the degree and certificate programs, UAB can be an excellent choice for someone considering taking continuing education classes, particularly in the medical field. Its schools of Medicine, Public Health, Optometry, Health Professions, and Dentistry each regularly offer continuing education classes (which UAB sometimes calls “professional studies” classes). Other continuing education classes are offered by UAB's Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation, the Collat School of Business, the Division of eLearning and Professional Studies, and UAB's Office of the Vice President for Research.
For the most part, the non-degree continuing education courses do not require students to apply to the university itself for admission, and, as a result, they usually do not count for academic credit. Depending on the course, however, they may satisfy continuing education requirements for professional licensing purposes.
UAB's many continuing education classes vary between online and in-person studies, with the trend being toward online education. This makes many classes a convenient option for continuing education students located well beyond Birmingham, though committing to an online course can introduce its own set of challenges. You need the personal discipline to focus on attending scheduled sessions or, where the classes are recorded, to log in and complete the required learning modules.
Tuition at UAB
UAB tuition varies depending on whether you are considered to be an Alabama resident or not. For undergraduate in-person courses, tuition in 2023 ranged from $368 to $434 per credit hour for in-state students and $884 to $1045 per credit hour for out-of-state students. International students paid even more: $962 to $1123 per credit hour. For online courses, the tuition was the same for in-state and out-of-state students and ranged from $458 to $525 per credit hour. The school offers a flex-pay plan for undergraduates that spreads the semester's total out over three monthly payments. It's important to keep your account as current as possible; the school warns that students who have an unpaid balance of $500 or more at the end of a semester will have their next semester's classes canceled.
Tuition for continuing education courses generally is on a per-course basis, with some courses offered at no cost.
Academic Requirements
UAB requires undergraduates to maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and graduate students to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, though standards may be higher for each depending on the course of study. And whether you are an online or in-person student, you also need to make sure that you are aware of and observe all of the requirements that apply to those attending classes at UAB. Whatever the GPA standard that may apply to you is, if you fall below it, you'll be placed on what UAB calls “WARN-Warning, Failing SAP” status. This lasts for one semester, and if you fail to raise your GPA to the minimum, you will be ineligible for any financial aid. If you fail to raise your GPA for another semester, you'll be placed on “FAIL – Failing SAP” status, which makes you ineligible for federal financial aid.
In limited circumstances, you may be able to appeal either a WARN or FAIL designation. Generally, a successful appeal requires there to have been extenuating circumstances beyond your control, such as a medical issue that prevented you from attending classes, submitting assignments, or taking tests. In these kinds of cases, due to the amount of documentation required for a successful appeal, it can be tremendously helpful to seek the advice of an experienced education attorney-advisor before submitting your appeal materials. Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team have helped college students all over the country appeal academic probation designations in situations where circumstances beyond their control prevented them from doing as well as they normally would in their studies. They understand what schools are looking for when appeals of this type are made and can help you gather, organize, and submit your arguments and supporting material in a way that will make your request as convincing as possible.
Academic Misconduct Procedures at UAB
UAB has a detailed Academic Integrity Code that applies to all students – whether enrolled in a degree or certificate program or signed up for a non-degree continuing education class, and whether the work is in-person or online.
The Integrity Code prohibits cheating, helping others cheat, plagiarism (including “self-plagiarism,” which is “Resubmitting your own previously submitted work without proper citation and permission”), fabricating citations or evidence, and falsifying or misrepresenting information for purposes of gaining an academic advantage.
Anybody at the school with knowledge of “an apparent act of academic dishonesty” is “expected” to report it. UAB's integrity code then has a specific process that applies to the investigation and resolution of claims of academic dishonesty.
The first stage is a meeting between the student and the instructor; if this resolves the matter (for example, if the meeting results in a determination that there was no violation of the integrity code), the matter ends there. If it doesn't resolve the matter, and the student is still suspected of violating the integrity code, the instructor meets with an Academic Integrity Coordinator to review the evidence and to determine whether there is enough evidence to move forward. If there is, the student and instructor may have another meeting at which the matter may be resolved with agreed sanctions against the student.
If the instructor and the student are not able to resolve the matter, then the issue returns to the Coordinator, and a “hold” may be placed on the student's account to prevent the student from withdrawing from the class until the misconduct resolution process is complete. After that, the Coordinator will hold a conference with the student, and if that doesn't resolve things, the matter will proceed to a hearing before an Academic Integrity Hearing Panel.
The student has specific rights in connection with the hearing, including the right to examine the case file, to respond to evidence introduced against them, to call and question witnesses, and to be represented by an advisor.
Sanctions can range from a reprimand to suspension for a defined period of time, to expulsion from the university.
Findings issued by an Academic Integrity Hearing Panel may be appealed to the Dean of the relevant school or college.
If you find yourself accused of any academic misconduct at UAB and have been unable to resolve it by meeting with your instructor, it's important that you seek the help of an experienced and qualified attorney-advisor who can help you fight for your rights and prevent an outcome that could seriously affect your ability to earn a degree or finish the study program you've enrolled in at the university. These are serious situations that you should not face alone. Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team have years of experience helping students accused of academic misconduct in schools across the US. They understand how the academic misconduct resolution process works and can help you gather evidence and discuss your situation with school officials. Where necessary, they can advise you in any hearing situation and can help craft an appeal if a decision has been made against you.
Disciplinary Misconduct Procedures at UAB
UAB has a separate Student Conduct Code that covers non-academic behavior. As with the Academic Integrity Code, it applies to all students. It covers most of what you would expect a comprehensive code of conduct to address: threats, harassment, discrimination, endangering others, physically injuring others, and invading others' privacy. It also covers alcohol-related misconduct, violations of UAB's computer-use policies, possession of a firearm without authorization, disorderly conduct, gambling, hazing, having a fake ID, and a range of other acts that would generally be considered criminal behavior.
Consequences for violating UAB's Student Conduct Code range from a written warning to probation, to suspension, to expulsion. Students can also be expelled from university housing, banned from all or part of the university, required to perform community service, or “any other appropriate sanction as determined by the University Official appointed to resolve the case.”
The school also has the right to impose temporary sanctions where it believes that the student's behavior may pose a continuing threat of harm to others or to school property, pending resolution of the matter through the school's conduct resolution procedures.
UAB has a detailed and extensive investigation and hearing process for resolving Student Conduct Code violation accusations. These follow many of the requirements put in place under the school's Title IX policy and apply a “preponderance of the evidence” standard to find that a student has committed a specific act of misconduct. This is a lower standard than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard applied in criminal cases.
Accused students have a number of rights in this process, similar to what they would have in a criminal situation. Notably, they can have a “Support Individual” present who can help them defend themselves during the process. Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento has served as such a “Support Individual” for students defending themselves against disciplinary charges in colleges and universities all across the country.
Joseph D. Lento Can Help You Navigate Your Return to Education
Whether you are dipping a toe back into the education pond by taking a single continuing education course at UAB or have decided to jump back in by returning to get or complete a degree or a certificate, you may find yourself in a situation where you are at odds with school policies. Whether it's a relatively simple matter, such as a tuition payment problem, or something more serious such as an academic or disciplinary misconduct accusation, attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team are there to help. They have years of experience helping students all across the US with a wide range of school-related problems and understand how important your education is to you. If you find yourself in a situation where all of your hard work is at risk because of an academic or disciplinary misconduct allegation, then call Joseph D. Lento at 888.535.3686 or reach out to the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team online as soon as possible.
