Until 1976, UAB's graduate program in public health and epidemiology was located within the School of Medicine.  The chairman of that department also served as chairman of the public health division in the School of Community and Allied Health Resources.  In 1976, the joint Department of Public Health was formed between the Schools of Medicine and Community and Allied Health Resources.  In 1977, the department notified the Council on Education for Public Health of its intention to qualify for status as an accredited School of Public Health.  By 1978, the Department of Public Health had achieved full accreditation as the nation's 20th School of Public Health.

The school remained a joint department of the Schools of Medicine and Community and Allied Health until 1981.  In that year, the board of trustees approved the creation of the School of Public Health as the sixth and youngest health professional school at UAB.