<p>It seems that UAB has more resources in the sciences, particularly Biology/Chemistry, than UA-Tuscasloosa. Anyone care to offer an opinion. Please don’t knock either school.</p>
<p>It's true that UAB has excellent resources and facilities in the sciences, especially biology and biomedical engineering. But that's really about it. UAB was essentially built around the UA School of Medicine, and while it also has good programs in engineering and business, it's merely okay in other area. I don't think UAB "deserves" more recognition than UA and Auburn, but it certainly deserves as much as the two older schools in Alabama.</p>
<p>UA-Huntsville also has a good engineering school that is underrated.</p>
<p>UAB is one of the best med schools in the South, and deserves more recognition than all schools in AL except for UA.</p>
<p>So it sounds like UAB has a superior undergraduate Biology Department. How is the undergraduate experience overall?</p>
<p>Martha...are you kidding? Auburn is a better school than UA! UAB is great...if you want to be a doctor. Otherwise I would choose Auburn or UA.</p>
<p>Umm, no. A dog could get into Auburn nowadays--there has even been talk of it losing its accreditation! Sure, it has a great vet program and is the leader in agricultural studies, but that's about it.</p>
<p>A dog could get into Alabama as well, but that really doesn't matter with UA and Auburn since these two school have good community colleges (Shelton and Southern Union, respectively) close by for people who quite can't make it in yet or need some maturation time. And Auburn's probation had to do with administrative issues (it's board of trustees) as opposed to anything academic.</p>
<p>Lake, UAB is trying to build itself into a nice residential college (the school's just completed a rec center and a dining center), but the truth is it's still more a commuter school that it isn't. If you want some semblence of a real college feel at UAB, I'd suggest joining the Honors Program and living in the honors dorm on campus.</p>
<p>Auburn--anything agricultural, vet school, engineering
Alabama--business, education, engineering, the humanities, sciences</p>
<p>Martha,</p>
<p>How are UAB's attempts to create a more traditional campus coming along? I understand that the new student recreation/fitness center is fantastic. Has the city allowed UAB to permanently close any streets so as to incorporate them into the university campus?</p>
<p>Well, UAB now has a quasi-campus, and is getting more residential as people find out that it really is a good school for less and come from farther away. However, there's still the "I'm just randomly stuck here in the middle of Birmingham" feeling.</p>
<p>LakeWash - UAB is definitely trying. They are scraping together some reasonable merit money, and have built some nice residence halls. They also have an honors program with core classes taken as a group (something along those lines). Those 2 things have attracted students from our private high school. Great for kids who don't have the grades to get into many honors programs, but would benefit from the small classes. I don't know how successful UAB has been. In my day 20 years ago, it was basically a nursing and allied health school, with a smattering of pre-meds, teachers and social workers. The pre-meds tended to have a tough go of it, because it was thought the med school did not look favorably on UAB undergrad. BUT, students and parents I know who have visited in the past 2 years have been impresssed. I believe some streets have been closed, although I'm not sure which - ?8th Avenue near the interstate and part of 7th???</p>
<p>UAH is definitely underrated.</p>
<p>The med school is also quickly getting the respect it deserves.</p>
<p>Thanks Martha and Cangel. Please pass along further UAB news in the future. By the way, did you read that a UAB anthropology professor is one of the "witnesses" who are complaining that Virginia Senator George Allen was a bit prejudiced back in his college days?</p>
<p>I read that. Oh, college scandals!</p>