-In 1936, the Birmingham Extension Center of Alabama University was opened, having 116 students. In 1945 the University of Alabama School of Medicine was moved here from Tuscaloosa, and in 1966, along with the Extension Center, it was merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. The name was changed into University of Alabama at Birmingham, in 1984, with the approval of The University of Alabama Board of Trustees, and remained the same today.

-The university covers over 80 blocks in the Southside of Birmingham. It is focused on medical research, and is constantly developing construction projects across the campus, such as the newly Shelby Biomedical Research Building and Southern Bio-Safety Lab Alabama Birmingham. In 2007 the Campus Green Park was finished, after a long planning that started in 2000, today considered a popular meeting point for the students.

-The university has 150 student organizations, including 16 fraternities and sororities. The University of Alabama at Birmingham community has exclusive access to the Campus Recreation Center, a facility that provides aerobics classes, swimming pools and nutrition education. UAB offers professional counseling for the students who want to learn more about their major, also providing a trained counselor in order to guide them and discuss about what career to follow. The university has 3 libraries: The Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, The Mervyn H. Sterne Library and The Reynolds Historical Library, each one holding essential information for students in any study area.

-The University of Alabama at Birmingham is home of the UAB Blazers, involved in 12 different sports. The athletic department covers sports areas, such as football, baseball, and volleyball, providing activities for both men and women, including basketball and soccer.