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 Capstone International 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
International students are required to attend an additional International Student Orientation and Check-In by the Capstone International Services office. In this check-in and orientation, the International Services office will make copies of documents for their files. Please bring a copy of the following documents:
- Passport
- F-1 I-20 or J-1 DS-2019
- I-94 Arrival/Departure Record (if a student has an electronic I-94 card and not a paper card, please print a copy of the current card from https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search)
- Any other immigration documents
- If there is a spouse or children, also bring their documents for check-in
For more information about International Check-In and Orientation dates, please visit: http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/
In addition to International student orientation, Freshman and Transfer international students should register and attend the last available dates of Bama Bound new student orientation. The last dates of Bama Bound are within the time frame that international students are allowed to enter the U.S. on their student visas. 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, those students with low sub-scores on the TOEFL iBT or IELTS will be required to enroll in an English language course in their first semester of study.
Who Is Required to Enroll in English Courses?
• If a student's TOEFL iBT Writing sub-score is lower than 18 or IELTS writing score is lower than 6.0, or Duolingo overall score is lower than 120, the student must enroll in the credit bearing Undergraduate Academic Writing course through the English Language Institute (ELI) in addition to other undergraduate courses.
• If a student's TOEFL iBT Speaking score is lower than 18 or IELTS speaking score is lower than 6.0, or Duolingo overall score is lower than 120, the student must enroll in a credit bearing Undergraduate Academic Speaking course through the English Language Institute (ELI) in addition to other undergraduate courses.
Exemptions from the English Course Requirement
• Students are exempt from the Undergraduate Academic Writing course requirement if their Writing sub-scores are 18 or higher on the TOEFL iBT or 6.0 or higher on the IELTS on the writing/speaking sections, a 120 or higher overall Duolingo score, or if they have completed ELI Reading/Writing 6.
• Students are exempt from the Undergraduate Academic Speaking course requirement if their Speaking sub-scores are 18 or higher on the TOEFL iBT or 6.0 or higher on the IELTS on the writing/speaking sections, a 120 or higher overall Duolingo score, or if they have completed ELI Speaking/Listening 6.
• Students are exempt from both the Undergraduate Academic Writing and Undergraduate Academic Speaking course requirements if they have an ELI Proficiency Certificate or if they were admitted to UA with an English proficiency waiver.
Students who are required to enroll in either Undergraduate Academic Writing or Undergraduate Academic Speaking courses must complete this coursework in their first year of attendance and must complete all coursework before enrolling in EN 120/EN 121.
Students will be notified during International Student Check-in and Orientation if they must enroll in either Undergraduate Academic Writing or Undergraduate Academic Speaking and will be directed to the English Language Institute (ELI) for placement and registration on the day of International Student Check-in and Orientation.