The Vision and Mission of the Institution and Unit

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) began as an academic extension center of a residential campus, The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  In 1969, The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama charted UAB as an independent campus within The University of Alabama System, and an administration was appointed to oversee the institution.  Located in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama, the campus covers  82 city blocks and has a student enrollment of  more that 17,000 from around the state, nation and the world.  UAB is known for its outstanding research, its patient care, and its innovative educational programs.  In addition to its reputation for biomedical programs, UAB’s expertise extends to business, education, music technology, engineering, social sciences and many other fields.  The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a research university and academic health center and is positioned to attain its vision of being an internationally renowned research university  a first choice for education and health care.

Institution Mission Statement

UAB is a comprehensive urban university comprised of twelve schools: Arts & Humanities, Business, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Health Related Professions, Medicine, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Nursing, Optometry, Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and home to a large graduate school, a world-renowned health care complex, and more that 70 research centers.  UAB is committed to providing undergraduate programs that are broad-based and designed to serve the needs of a diverse student body without sacrificing a strong general educational foundation.  Graduate programs are designed to serve the career needs of educators and business leaders, as well as those involved in advancing the frontiers of the health sciences.  The central mission of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is to discover, teach and apply knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state and beyond. 

UAB recognizes that teaching and research are mutually supportive activities.  Therefore, while a high priority is the development of student potential through excellent teaching, the promotion of research that is recognized at national and international levels is also of major significance.   The goals of the University of Alabama at Birmingham are: 

  Undergraduate Education – We will achieve a highly effective undergraduate educational experience to give students the best possible preparation for productive and meaningful careers and lives that benefit society.

  Graduate and Professional Education – We will ensure that graduate and professional programs are exceptional in preparing students to lead, teach, conduct research, and provide professional services.

  Research and Scholarship – We will expand and improve UAB’s research and scholarship capability to acquire and disseminate new knowledge that benefits society and that further positions UAB as an internationally recognized research university.

  Service to the Community and State – We will enhance our value and reputation in the state by working effectively with partners to help advance community and state goals in education, health, quality of life, and economic development.

  Community and Financial Support –We will aggressively pursue and secure community and financial support.

  Positive Work Environment – We will create a positive, supportive, and diverse work environment in which faculty and staff can excel.