We welcome your application to the University of Alabama Graduate School! The list below contains some suggestions and other information about applying to our Graduate School.

1. The graduate degree programs of the University of Alabama are described in the Graduate Catalog. You may want to contact the Program Director for the degree in which you are interested and get more information about program activities.
2. Please review the admission criteria for the Graduate School in the Graduate School Prospectus and the requirements for individual departments in the Graduate Catalog before completing an application.
   NOTE: Application to two programs is allowed provided that the applicant submits two separate and complete applications.
3. You may elect to use our Electronic Application if you are seeking regular admission to a graduate degree program at The University of Alabama or you may request printed application materials from the Graduate School. You may also download application related forms here. Please do not use the electronic application if you are seeking admission, irregular post graduate (IPG -undergraduate classification only), University of Alabama senior wanting to use an expedited application, or University of Alabama graduate student wanting to use an expedited application. Please contact the Graduate School if you require these special application materials.
4. Applications for admission to the Graduate School at The University Alabama are valid for a period of one year. All materials submitted in support of an application become the property of the Graduate School and cannot be returned, copied or transferred to a third party.
5. You will need to complete the following materials for your application:

In order for the application to be processed, please complete each field/portion of this form. Applicants who elect to print and mail in their Application Materials should provide three(3) copies of this completed application form. Or, you may request printed application materials from the Graduate School.

After your online submission of the Electronic Application Form, you will be instructed to submit your credit card information online or mail the completed Application Fee Form to pay the non-refundable/non-waiveable application fee of U.S. $30.00 (U.S. $35.00 for paper applications). If you elect to use printed application materials, mail your application fee to the Graduate School with your other materials. The application process will not begin until your fee is received.

This assessment of your potential as a graduate student and of your aims and aspirations as they relate to graduate study is one of the most important parts of your application. Departmental and Graduate School admissions directors read this statement with care and regard it as a self-evaluation and formal example of your writing skills that may say a lot about your potential for success in a program. Download or fill up online the Statement of Purpose and make the statement of purpose a detailed and carefully edited document that shows you at your best.

Two copies of each transcript are required (one is held in the Graduate School office and the other in the appropriate department office). These must be official copies from the issuing institution.

Make sure you submit a score on the test or combination of tests required by the department or program to which you are applying. Scores must be sent directly from the testing services (ETS:GRE, PearsonVue:GMAT, Harcourt:MAT) to the Graduate School. Remember that admission decisions are based on a composite of information. While test scores are useful for comparing students from different colleges-who took different courses from different professors, have different people recommending them, and are applying to different graduate programs- test scores are not the sole basis of admission. Each application is evaluated as a whole.
Prepare for the test by reviewing the test booklet thoroughly and examining each sample question. You can also check college or other bookstores for publications or electronic resources designed to help you prepare for a particular standardized graduate school admission test.

Every graduate program tries to review an application as a totality. Applicants are more than bundles of data; they are complex, multifaceted persons. Letters of recommendation are carefully reviewed by admission committees and directors as important sources of detailed personal information. Therefore, make sure your supporting letters are written by appropriate people who take them seriously. Generally, letters should come from individuals, especially professors, who have direct and detailed knowledge of your academic abilities. It can be helpful if the writers also know you personally. On the other hand, purely personal references are not particularly desirable and are regarded as supplemental to other information at hand. Choose people willing to write the kind of recommendation required.

Applicants must submit three (3) Letters of Recommendation.

See, instructions for preparing Letter of Recommendation and how to have recommenders submit their letters.

Please mail a resume to the Graduate School, Box 870118,Tuscaloosa, AL 65487 or email your resume as a Word Document to usgradapply@aalan.ua.edu .

Some departments require additional materials. Check the Graduate Catalog to review departmental application requirements.

All application materials and records, including academic records from other institutions, become the property of The University of Alabama and may not be returned to the applicant or forwarded to other institutions.

6. Submission Dates: Please complete your application at least six weeks before the anticipated date of registration. However, some departments have established earlier deadlines for receipt of application materials. In those cases, please complete your application with the Graduate School six weeks prior to the departmental deadline. Please see the Graduate Catalog for more information about department deadlines. If you are requesting admission and financial aid for the fall semester, your application should be completed before the deadline.

 

7. Financial Supports: Many types of financial support are available, including Graduate Council Fellowships, Graduate Council Research Fellowships, departmental teaching assistantships, and departmental research assistantships. Please contact the department in which you are interested to obtain information and application procedures for assistantships and fellowships. Information for financial assistance for minority students is available through the Graduate School Office of Minority Student Assistance, Box 870118, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0118. Applications for loans and workstudy assignments must be made through the Office of Student Financial Aid, Box 870162, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0162. Additional information about financial support for Graduate School can be found in our Financial Assistance Handbook or through our links to other financial assistance sites.

The University of Alabama
Office of The Graduate School
P.O. Box 870118
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0118

The University of Alabama
Office of The Graduate School
801 University Blvd

102 Rose Administration
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0118

Questions about applications should be sent to

• usgradapply@aalan.ua.edu (for US Citizens or Permanent Residents)
• intergradapply@aalan.ua.edu (for International Applicants)
• or by phone: (205) 348-5921

Application Center | Graduate School | The University of Alabama | Site Map | Search | Contact | Last updated: 02/22/2008