<p>I am currently a graduate student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the Physics Department.</p>
<p>Admissions & Acceptance
My situation was unusual. I held an internship at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center before I applied, so I had connections to people who wanted me back and who could fund me. I was as close to a guaranteed acceptance as there is one.</p>
<p>The UAH website describing how to apply to the graduate program and answering prospective grad student’s questions was awful when I applied. They’ve redone the whole UAH portal now, but I doubt it’s any better; that site is a mess. Luckily, they listed the Physics Dept. phone number, and between the secretary and a really helpful professor, I had all my questions answered. I applied in December and was accepted in January.</p>
<p>As is standard with science grad students, I was offered an assistantship. My research assistantship package includes full tuition, minimal health care, and a living stipend. The stipend is less than average, but the cost of living in Huntsville is also less than average, so it ends up evening out. (Currently, I have a NASA fellowship, which pays a bit more than a regular RA stipend.)</p>
<p>Orientation
There is no orientation for graduate students! I felt a little lost. There is a workshop for teaching assistants, but I was never a teaching assistant, so it didn’t apply to me. I attended some of freshman welcome events because I felt I needed some kind of introduction to the school. From what I’ve seen, the orientation and the welcome events are a bit on the lame side, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Dorms & Apartments
I never lived on-campus at UAH, but I have seen four-person dorm rooms. They didn’t seem too bad. However, I’ve heard nothing but complaints about them, ranging from the apparently terrible on-campus computer network to forced evacuations for extended periods of time to lack of maintenance.</p>
<p>Those stories makes me very glad for my apartment. It is cheaper to live off campus, and I’m allowed to own my cat. Apartments within a five minute drive from campus are cheap but shady; live there at your own risk. Nicer apartments can be found a ten-minute or longer drive away, for an increased price.</p>
<p>Classes & Academics
I’ve only taken classes within the Physics Dept., so my scope is very limited. Some professors are better than others. I’ve had some professors who couldn’t teach even the simplest topics without messing up. I’ve also had the best teacher I’ve ever had at UAH, who was completely clear, helpful, and even fun. Because I’m a graduate student, my average class size is small, numbering no more than 15 for a typical grad class.</p>
<p>Overall, UAH is known for engineering and the “hard” sciences the best. It’s certainly the best university in the state to do astrophysics (and one of the best places in the world to study my sub-field), but I can’t speak for the other disciplines.</p>
<p>Activities
The UAH student body is very largely nonactive in extracurriculars. I’ve never seen a group of people so apathetic as a whole. There are some (like I) who try to encourage student activities, but the lack of student involvement is a real detriment to the student life on campus. There are things to do, but overall trend is that there’s not enough going on and too few students participating in what is going on. Ice hockey is the dominant sport (not football!).</p>
<p>Research
Research is fantastic! Research is the bright glowing star on UAH’s report. Being in Huntsville, UAH has very close ties to NASA, military R&D branches, and large and small technical companies. It is very common for students of all years and majors to get involved in research.</p>
<p>I research high-energy astrophysics at NASA. I’m part of a team working on hot research topics and brand new instrumentation. It’s very exciting! I would not be here working a job I love if I wasn’t given the opportunity to work as a Graduate Research Assistant at UAH.</p>
<p>Surrounding Area
Huntsville is a unique city. It’s pretty much it’s own little bubble, disconnected from the rest of Alabama. It’s very international and technology-oriented, containing NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, a huge number of technology companies, a couple hospitals, and several colleges. The city has a rich history in the nation’s early rocket program developed by German rocket scientists and engineers, the precursor to NASA and the military space programs. More recently, the Army’s Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) has and will continue to increase the population and military presence in the city.</p>
<p>Transportation
I’m not 100% sure, but I believe all students are allowed to have cars. The cost of an on-campus parking permit is dirt cheap - $15 for a full year. Bicycles are used somewhat infrequently on campus. A car is almost a must for traveling off-campus; Huntsville is spread out with multiple highways and many high-speed roads. I have never seen public transportation, but apparently it exists somewhere.</p>
<p>Huntsville has a small airport located 15 minutes from the campus.</p>
<p>Student body
It’s a small technology-oriented school. Most American students are from Alabama, which sometimes makes my Pennsylvanian self seem out-of-place. There are also a good number of international students.</p>
<p>There are bound to be topics I didn’t cover that you want to know about. Unfortunately, as a grad student, I’m not qualified to answer most questions about the undergrad programs. But I will try to answer any questions asked.</p>