With the assistance of his/her academic advisor, the student is responsible for selecting and registering for courses necessary for reasonable progress toward a degree or certificate and which will enable the student to satisfy requirements by the expected time of graduation.
Preprofessional students enrolled in UAB who are completing coursework leading to any SHRP program should seek academic advisement from the specific SHRP program of study for the prerequisites and preprofessional courses. Students should consult with their academic advisors or program directors each term for proper scheduling of courses.
The Office of Registration and Academic Records is responsible for registration, recording and reporting grades, maintaining current and permanent records on all students, enforcing rules on academic warning and suspension, certifying students for graduation, and issuing transcripts. The office is located in the Hill University Center, Room 207, 1400 University Boulevard, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1150. Telephone: (205) 934-8222.
Information concerning graduate degree requirements may be obtained from the specific programs and the UAB Graduate School Catalog.
General Regulations Governing Graduation
Requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UAB include at least 120 semester hours of appropriately distributed courses, a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) in all credit hours attempted at all institutions attended (including UAB), a UAB GPA of at least 2.0, and satisfaction of the Core Curriculum, requirements specified by SHRP and the SHRP program of study, and residency requirements. The requirements of the Alabama General Studies Curriculum and the UAB Core Curriculum are described below. Since some programs restrict the selection of courses in certain areas, students are advised to refer to the specific program outlines (see
SHRP Programs of Study) before enrolling for courses intended to satisfy the following Core Curriculum.
Area I. Written Composition. Requirements include six semester hours in written composition; UAB students must complete EH 101 and 102 with the grade of C or better.
Area II. Humanities and Fine Arts. Requirements include at least 12 semester hours in humanities with a minimum of three semester hours in literature, three semester hours in the fine arts, and the remaining hours from the humanities and/or fine arts. In addition to literature, disciplines in the humanities include, but are not limited to, philosophy, religious studies, speech, foreign languages, art, music, theatre, and dance. As part of the common Core Curriculum, students must complete a six-semester hour sequence either in literature (Area II) or in history (Area IV).
Area III. Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Requirements include at least 11 semester hours with at least three semester hours in
mathematics at the precalculus algebra level or higher as required by the specific program and at least eight semester hours in the natural sciences. All courses in the natural sciences must include laboratory experiences. Disciplines in the natural sciences include, but are not limited to, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
Area IV. History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences. Requirements include at least 12 semester hours with a minimum of three semester hours in history and at least six semester hours from among other disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Disciplines include, but are not limited to, anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology. As part of the common Core Curriculum, students must complete a six-semester hour sequence either in literature (Area II) or in history (Area IV).
All courses must be acceptable toward the requirements of the specific program of study, and at least 40 semester hours must be at the level of 300 or above. No more than 14 semester hours in clinical education can be accepted toward degree requirements. See
Grading Policies and Practices: Cumulative Credits and Grade Point Average for definitions of credit hours earned, credit hours attempted, and grade point average.
Certain courses may not satisfy particular program requirements. Such requirements may necessitate a student's taking more than 128 hours for graduation. Each student should obtain a formal evaluation of completed and approved coursework. Further, the program in which a student is registered may require repetition or compensation for any course required in which a grade below C has been earned.
For some types of credit, there are limitations on the amount that can be applied toward the minimum hours required for a baccalaureate degree.
- For credits transferred from a two-year college, the limit is no more than one-half the number of hours required for the baccalaureate degree provided that the work is freshman (100) or sophomore (200) level (60 semester hours for a program that requires a minimum of 120 hours for graduation).
- For alternative credit (see Grading Policies and Practices: Alternative Credit Opportunities), the limit is no more than 45 semester hours.
At least 25 percent of the total semester hours required for graduation, including at least 21 of the last 30, must be taken at UAB. Courses taken as alternative credit or as a non-degree student (excluding post-baccalaureate students) may not be used to satisfy the residency requirement. A minimum of nine semester hours required for the major (at or above the 400 level) must be completed at UAB.
A student may earn a second bachelor's degree by completing in residence, with an average of C or better, at least 30 semester hours of work over and above the work done for the first degree, including a new major. The first degree must be based on at least 120 hours of fully accredited work. The student must also meet all program prerequisite requirements for the SHRP major.
Students who wish to double major must maintain an affiliation with SHRP and graduate under the SHRP program's core curriculum and degree requirements. In addition, the student must complete the requirements for the second major, including all prerequisites. It is the student's responsibility to maintain contact with advisors of both majors so that requirements are completed for both majors.
Students who complete their degree requirements with a cumulative grade point average between 3.50 and 3.69 will receive their degrees designated
cum laude. Those with cumulative grade point averages between 3.70 and 3.89 will receive their degrees designated
magna cum laude. Students with cumulative grade point averages of 3.90 or above will receive their degrees designated
summa cum laude.
The requirement for the UAB baccalaureate certificate earned through SHRP is satisfactory completion of all courses and clinical experiences required to receive the baccalaureate degree.
Degrees and certificates will be conferred during the regular graduation exercises of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Students planning to graduate are advised to file an official application for degree at least two terms prior to completing work for the degree. This will allow time for the application to be processed and completion of degree requirements to be verified. The absolute deadline to apply for a degree is the tenth day of the term in which the student plans to graduate. Graduation fees will be billed after the application for degree is filed. Application forms are available in the UAB Office of Registration and Academic Records (Hill University Center, Room 207) and may also be obtained from the SHRP Office of Student Services (Scrushy Building, Room 475).
Official UAB graduation ceremonies are held in May for graduates of the preceding spring semester and in December for graduates of the preceding summer term and fall semester. Graduates are listed in the commencement program. All students completing the requirements for baccalaureate degrees and certificates are urged to attend. Those receiving doctoral and master's degrees are expected to attend graduation unless excused by the dean. Although degrees are officially conferred in May and December, students receive their diplomas approximately four weeks after the end of the regular term in which they complete their degree requirements.