Incoming Freshmen Graduating from Schools Outside the U.S.
The University of Alabama employs a competitive admission process that includes reviewing and evaluating each application on an individual basis for an applicant’s abilities as a student and a scholar.
The undergraduate international admissions office will review the students’ transcripts within the context of the school, curriculum, and country. Successful candidates to The University of Alabama will have completed a college preparatory curriculum including:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Language: 4 units | ||
| Mathematics: 3 units, including algebra I, algebra II, and one unit of either geometry, trigonometry or calculus | ||
| Social Studies: 4 units | ||
| Natural Science: 3 units, including 2 units with a laboratory | ||
| Other academic courses: 5 units (courses recommended are in fine arts or computer literacy, with additional courses in mathematics, science and foreign language) | ||
To prepare for admission to UA, applicants are encouraged to take maximum advantage of their high school experiences by accumulating as many academic units as is practical.
GPA will be calculated on ALL coursework, not just core subjects. The University considers applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for admission.
For academic admission, students must meet the English proficiency requirement. For detailed policy requirements, please visit: https://admissions.ua.edu/international/english-language-proficiency/
Students who meet the academic and financial qualifications, but do not meet the English proficiency requirement may apply for conditional admission. Conditionally admitted students will begin their studies in the English Language Institute and then enter directly into their academic coursework once they have satisfied English proficiency. For more information about conditional admission, visit: https://admissions.ua.edu/international/conditional/
SAT/ACT are not required for admission for students graduating from overseas schools, but will be required for applicants who would like to be considered for scholarships.
Students requiring F-1 and J-1 visas must also send documentation in order to secure an I-20 / DS-2019.
Incoming International Freshmen Graduating from a U.S. High School
International freshmen graduating from U.S. high schools must meet the same admissions criteria as domestic applicants. Please review the admission requirements here.
In addition to meeting the admission requirements, international students graduating from U.S. schools seeking an F-1 or J-1 visa must submit their I-20 / DS-2019 request form and proof of finances before a Form I-20/ DS-2019 can be issued. For more information, please read the Securing an I-20 / DS-2019 page.
International Transfer Students
Transfer in U.S.:
To transfer to UA from a U.S. college or university, the student will need the current school to submit an official copy of the college transcripts either electronically or via post. If the student has completed 24 or more credits (about 1 year of college courses), then the student will apply as a transfer student.
To be admitted to UA as a transfer student, a student must have earned an overall GPA of “C” (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher on all university-level work attempted. GPA will be calculated on ALL coursework, not just core subjects.
If the student has completed fewer than 24 credit hours at the university level, then the student will need to apply as a transfer student with fewer than 24 hours. In this instance, we will also need to see copies of the student’s high school diploma and transcripts. Applicants with fewer than 24 earned credit hours of university-level coursework will also need to meet the freshman admission requirements as listed above.
Please note that technical, remedial, vocational, and ESL classes are not accepted.
Transfer outside U.S.:
Any applicant with post-secondary study completed outside the U.S. is required to submit those credentials for a course-by-course evaluation to an accredited evaluation agency.
UA will accept evaluations from any NACES member agency, http://www.naces.org/members.htm.
Applicants that wish to receive transfer credit from an overseas post-secondary institution must provide course descriptions or syllabi for EACH subject considered for transfer. These descriptions should include a list of required readings, the number of class hours required for each course, and the length of the academic term(s) when enrolled. Since the academic departments at UA determine whether credits earned abroad will be accepted as equivalent to courses offered at UA, credit is awarded on a subject-by-subject basis.
Please note that admissions decisions will be made by the international admissions team, but credit transfer decisions are made by the department. Questions regarding credit transfer should be addressed to the academic department.
In addition to meeting the admission requirements, international students requiring an F-1 or J-1 visa who are transferring from another U.S. institution should have their SEVIS record transferred to UA. Contact International Student & Scholar Services for questions about this process.
Students transferring from outside of the U.S. requiring F-1 and J-1 visas must also send documentation in order to secure an I-20 / DS-2019.
Transient Students
International transient students are international students who are currently studying at another U.S. university, and would like to take classes at UA as a visitor. Admission as a transient (visiting) student may be granted for any term. Transient status may be granted for only one term. Students must apply online and adhere to all international application deadlines. As part of the application, all international students must submit a copy of their passport and any current visa.
Approval may be given on the basis of an official statement of good standing from the current institution’s office of the registrar, OR an official copy of a transcript showing good standing progression of academic courses. International students must also have a letter of transfer credit approval from the current institution’s immigration advisor.
Please note, all application materials must be received by the application deadline for the term applied for. https://admissions.ua.edu/international/special-groups/
International Student Orientation and Registration
Orientation and immigration check-in is required for all international students. You can access all Orientation materials and videos as well as the check-in access on International Student & Scholar Services main Orientation and Check-in Page.
The mandatory International Orientation and Check-in is required for students to activate their F-1 or J-1 student visa status with Homeland Security’s Student Exchange Visitor Program, and the process must be completed by the end of the first week of classes of a student’s first semester.
In addition to International student orientation, Freshman and Transfer international students should register and attend a Bama Bound new student orientation session that is within the timeframe in which they are allowed to enter the U.S. on their student visa prior to their term of enrollment. Each orientation session gives students the opportunity to learn about the University, as well as academic programs and services offered to students. Students also enroll in classes for their first term at the University. Several orientation sessions are provided each year. For more information, visit orientation.ua.edu.
Students who are admitted conditionally to the University will NOT register and attend Bama Bound orientation until they have completed their English language courses in the English Language Institute.
English Placement for Non-native Speakers of English
To ensure that new international undergraduate students have the greatest chance of success at UA, the scores of students who meet admission minimum scores on IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE, or another accepted English proficiency test will be analyzed further.
Those students not meeting the Duolingo cutoff score or those students with low sub-scores on the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, or PTE will be required to enroll in one or two English language support courses in their first semester of study, depending on the score descriptions below. These English language support courses are administered by the English Language Institute (ELI).
Who Is Required to Enroll in English Courses?
You must enroll in the Undergraduate Academic Writing course (ELC111) in addition to your other undergraduate courses, if your English Test Scores for admission are as follows:
- TOEFL iBT Writing sub-score is 17 or lower;
- TOEFL Essentials Writing 8.0 or lower;
- IELTS Writing sub-score is 5.5 or lower
- PTE Writing sub-score is 50 or lower
- Overall Duolingo (DET) Score is 115 or lower
NOTE: Enrollment in the Academic Writing course will count toward your overall minimum full-time enrollment requirement and carries 3 hours of academic credit.
You must enroll in the Undergraduate Academic Speaking course (ELC 110) in addition to your other undergraduate courses, if your English Test Scores for admission are as follows:
- TOEFL iBT Speaking sub-score is 17 or lower;
- TOEFL Essentials Speaking is 6.0 or lower;
- IELTS Speaking sub-score is 5.5 or lower
- PTE Speaking sub-score is 50 or lower
- Overall Duolingo (DET) Score is 115 or lower
NOTE: Enrollment in the Undergraduate Academic Speaking course will count toward your overall minimum full-time enrollment requirement and carries 3 hours of academic credit.
Exemptions from the ELC 110 and ELC 111 English Course Requirements
- You are exempt from the Undergraduate Academic Writing (ELC 111) course requirement if:
- your Writing sub-score is 18 or higher on the TOEFL iBT, or
- your Writing sub-score is 8.5 or higher on the TOEFL Essentials, or
- your Writing sub-score is 6.0 or higher on the IELTS, or
- your Writing sub-score is 51 or higher on the PTE, or
- your Duolingo overall score is 120 or higher on the new DET scale for tests taken after July 15, 2019, or
- you have completed ELI Reading/Writing 6.
- You are exempt from the Undergraduate Academic Speaking (ELC 110) course requirement if:
- your Speaking sub-score is 18 or higher on the TOEFL iBT, or
- your Speaking sub-score is 6.5 or higher on the TOEFL Essentials, or
- your Speaking sub score is 6.0 or higher on the IELTS, or
- your Speaking sub-score is 51 or higher on the PTE, or
- your Duolingo overall score is 120 or higher on the new DET scale for tests taken after July 15, 2019, or
- you have completed ELI Speaking/Listening 6
- You are exempt from both the Undergraduate Academic Writing (ELC 111) and Undergraduate Academic Speaking (ELC 110) course requirements if you have an ELI Proficiency Certificate or if you were admitted to UA with an English proficiency waiver.
Students who are required to enroll in either Undergraduate Academic Writing (ELC 111) or Undergraduate Academic Speaking (ELC 110) courses must complete this coursework in their first year of attendance and must complete all coursework prior to enrolling in EN 120/121.
Students will be notified during Bama Bound Advising if they must enroll in either Undergraduate Academic Writing (ELC 111) or Undergraduate Academic Writing (ELC 111) and will be able to register for ELC 111/110 instead of of EN 120/EN 121.