Colleges University of Maryland

University of Maryland www.umd.edu

University of Maryland, College Park is a public institution that was founded in 1856. Located on a 1,340-acre campus between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, the University offers students a suburban lifestyle within easy reach of big-city experiences. As the only public research university inside Washington, DC’s beltway, UMD gives students unparalleled opportunities to work with nearby federal agencies and labs, such as NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. There are more than 800 clubs and organizations on campus, including nearly 60 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen and all other students are not required to live on campus. Students looking for additional activities can visit the University’s “SEE UMD” website, which stands for “Student Entertainment Events” and offers movie screenings, comedy shows, lectures and more.

Academics

The University of Maryland is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among R1 Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activities and has been labeled a “Public Ivy.” UMD has 13 schools and colleges that offer over 200 degree-granting programs, including 127 undergraduate majors, 107 master’s programs, and 83 doctoral programs. The University has a highly ranked graduate program in education and the noted A. James Clark School of Engineering, as well as well-regarded offerings through the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The student-faculty ratio at UMD is 18:1, and the school has 47% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Computer Science, Information Science, and Biology.

Special Highlights

Living-Learning Programs. The University hosts “living-learning” programs (LLPs) that allow students with similar academic interests to live in the same residential community take specialized courses and perform research in those areas of expertise. These include CIVICUS, focused on politics and community service; Hinman CEOs, an entrepreneurship program; and the Language House, where students learning a shared target language live together. Several LLPs exist under the university’s Honors College, with focuses in topics including cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and life sciences.  College Park Scholars is another LLP umbrella that includes programs in the arts, public health, and legal thought, among other things.

The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. AIE engages students, staff and faculty in design work in order to build their capacities as change-makers and innovators both within their field and as contributors to the UMD experience more broadly. We do this work by offering courses, programs, workshops and collaborative working sessions designed to the meet the specific needs of our various audiences. We also collaborate and work side-by-side with groups and teams across campus that are looking for a “partner-in-experimentation” in moments where they are reimagining aspects of their work.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

Members of the UMD community embrace learning as essential for bettering ourselves as individuals and as a community. We encourage and assist one another to become our best selves. The mission of UMD is to provide excellent teaching, research, and service. The University is committed to being a preeminent national center for research and for graduate education, and the institution of choice for undergraduates of exceptional ability and promise. The university’s campus is noted for its red-brick Georgian buildings and its large central lawn, named McKeldin Mall and nicknamed “The Mall,” which is the largest academic mall in the United States. White columns decorate many buildings, with around 770 columns on campus. Situated on a forested urban campus, UMD offers arboretum tours, such as the centralized Tree Walking Tour, which is based around McKeldin Mall and features 56 specimen trees.

Student Reviews…

“I’ve enjoyed a rich blend of academic rigor, vibrant campus life, and supportive community. The strong computer science program, with knowledgeable and dedicated faculty, provides a solid foundation in theory and practice. The modern facilities, extensive library resources, and beautiful green spaces like McKeldin Mall enhance the learning environment.”