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ON THIS PAGE: About UA | Academic System | Services | Application Procedures | Cost of Attendance & Explanation | Arrival Info

The University of Alabama was founded in 1831 and has offered graduate degrees from the outset. We currently enroll over 25,500 students, of whom about 4,000 are pursuing graduate degrees. Our students and over 650 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, which is in the state of Alabama. Our climate is not extreme: winters are mild (average temperature: 9° C.), and summers are long and warm (average temperature: 27° C.) The cost of living in Tuscaloosa is well below that of the northern, 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 an 18-hole golf course, 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.

Academic System

1. 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.

2. 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.

Services

1. Housing. Students may live in one of the 19 University-operated residence halls, or in one of the 15 large University-operated apartment complexes. The residence halls are located on the campus, and all apartment complexes are within walking or bicycling distance of the campus. Specific information and housing reservation forms are sent along with the official notification of admission.

   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.

2. 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.

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

All applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of U.S. $30.00 (U.S. $35.00 for paper applications). Checks and postal money orders are acceptable. Please do not send cash.

Transcripts

Arrange for two official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to be sent directly to this office. Also, send a 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) or IELTS (International English Testing System) score report. TOEFL 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 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.

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 score requirement of 550 or IELTS requirement of 6.5 (i.e., he or she has a lower TOEFL or IELTS score or has not taken either test). 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 a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the 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:

The minimum acceptable scores on these tests are TOEFL, 550, or IELTS 6.5; GRE, prior to October 2002, 1500 (verbal [minimum 300] + quantitative + analytical), after October 2002, 1000 (verbal + quantitative); GMAT, 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.

Additional Requirements for International Non-Degree Applicants

• Must have earned a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based or 213 on the computer based test or earned a IELTS score of at least 6.5
• 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

Estimated Cost of Attendance

• Estimated Cost of Attendance for International Students | See explanations
• See details of cost of attendance for Graduate Study
• For up-to-date data, please visit: UA's Cost of Attendance page.

Arrival to Campus

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.