[7] UAB offers 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees.

In 1945, UA's newly established four-year School of Medicine moved from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals.

In September 1966, the Extension Center was renamed the College of General Studies and elevated to a full four-year program.

The campus has more than 216 academic, residential, and recreational facilities spread across around 636 acres, or roughly 16 million square feet of building area.

The Science and Engineering Complex's second phase project, the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building, the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center, Biomedical Research and Psychology Building, Unity Park, Department of Art and Art History, Cooper Green Mercy Health, University Emergency Department, Rehabilitation Pavilion, 14th Street Parking Deck, and the Southern Research Biotechnology Building are among the ongoing constructions in the university.

Since 2013, about 1.1 million gross square feet of new facilities have been added to UAB's footprint through the completion or ongoing development of 17 major university construction projects.

The university's long-term master plan, which describes Campus Green as "the signature open space and the center of the academic core," includes the quadrangle as a key element.

The Green is a part of a centuries-old higher education tradition that offers a serene outdoor space for introspective thought and communal gathering.

UAB has inaugurated some new programs in bioinformatics, cancer biology genetics and genomic sciences, digital forensic immunology and neuro-engineering that are the first of its kind in the US.

The institution is also training future medical professionals and advancing medical science through study and research at health-related professional schools of UAB; Dentistry, Health Professions, Nursing, Optometry, Public Health and the Heersink School of Medicine.

Ascension St. Vincent's and UAB Health System have formed a collaborative partnership to expand access to healthcare through numerous locations and wellness initiatives.

Additionally, it maintains close relationships with other public and private nonprofit organizations that are housed on and around the UAB campus, such as the Children's of Alabama and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

[56] UAB graduate programs was ranked in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report "Best Graduate Schools" including Healthcare Management (1st), Nursing; Masters (10th) and Doctoral (11th), Nursing-Anesthesia (29th), Medical School in Primary Care (24th) and in Research (35th), Physician Assistant (8th), Public Health (18th), Biostatistics (31st), Occupational Therapy (37th) and Physical Therapy (21st).

[66] It is creating novel treatments for the most debilitating diseases that affect humans, such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease; developing new materials for everything from stronger military equipment to bio-coatings for cardiac stents; fighting cybercrime committed worldwide via computers in a unique cyber forensics center in partnership with the FBI, Homeland Security, and corporate partners like Facebook and Google; and making important strides in climatology, marine biology, and medicine in remote areas of Antarctica.

For 48 years, the center has been continuously funded, enabling it to conduct state-of-the-art cancer research and provide patient care in the four-state area.

The institution has employed a multifaceted approach to foster innovation in the living sciences, with a special focus on biotechnology, and has assisted in the creation of startups.

More than $115.4 million in community impact is produced by UAB academics, staff, and students through donations and volunteer work to nearby NGOs.

Furthermore, the UAB Health System provides charitable care worth about $363.1 million to underprivileged communities in Birmingham and around the state.

[72] UAB's students also run media outlets, including a weekly newspaper, a radio station, and a semi-annual magazine.

[77] Under the guidance of Dr. Clifford "Ski" Winter, the 135-member UAB Marching Blazers made their debut at a home football game on September 17, 1994.The Marching Blazers went to Ireland in 2013 to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin and won the title of "Best International Band" competing in the Limerick International Band Competition.

[78] With more than 200 members, the Marching Blazers add to UAB campus life by performing at football games, pep rallies, and numerous other campus-wide events.

[79] The Kaleidoscope is the official student-run newspaper of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that published breaking news to quizzes on campus.

[citation needed] It produced weekly printed newspaper but transitioned to digital and online news outlet starting in Fall 2020.

In December 2014, the university announced that the programs for football, bowling and rifle were being eliminated at the end of the 2014–2015 academic year, citing soaring operating costs.

UAB was able to entice Gene Bartow to leave his position as UCLA's head coach in order to launch the Blazers program.

The Blazers have made 17 appearances in the NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament and have reached the Elite Eight, and the Sweet Sixteen 3 times.