the university of maryland: a quick and easy guide

The University of Maryland (commonly referred to as UMD, or just Maryland) is one of the most frequently searched universities in the United States, according to a recent internet keyword search of American colleges.

UMD is a public research university whose main campus is located in College Park, approximately four miles from Washington DC.

Founded in 1856, UMD currently maintains an enrollment of nearly 40,000 students each semester. Roughly three out of four UMD students are studying at the undergraduate level.

UMD offers nearly 100 undergraduate majors, as well as just as many more graduate degrees and professional certificate programs.

The undergraduate acceptance rate for Maryland is about 45%. The average student faculty ratio is about 17 to 1.

For the past three years, the Princeton Review has ranked UMD among the top 10 universities in America for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Notable graduates of the University of Maryland include many dozen political figures and a number of Nobel laureates, as well as basketball star Len Bias, TV personality Connie Chung, Seinfeld creator Larry David, and many others.

This university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Shown above: An aerial view of the UMD campus in College Park.

image credit: dcw50.com

University of maryland Q&A

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the University of Maryland.

1. Where is the University of Maryland?

The main campus of UMD is located in College Park, Maryland, although UMD has additional locations in Baltimore County.

Here is the official mailing and visiting address of the main campus of UMD:

University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland

20742

Here are the official mailing and visiting addresses of UMD's other locations:

UMD - Eastern Shore

11868 College Backbone Road

Princess Anne, Maryland

21853

UMD - Baltimore County

1000 Hilltop Circle

Baltimore, Maryland

21250

Above: The Eastern Shore campus of UMD.

image: amsterdamnews.com

2. What is the organizational structure of the University of Maryland?

UMD is academically organized into the following 12 schools:

A. James Clark School of Engineering
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
College of Arts and Humanities
College of Behavioral andS Social Sciences
College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
College of Education
College of Information Studies
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Robert H. Smith School of Business
School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
School of Public Health
School of Public Policy

3. What undergraduate studies are offered at the University of Maryland?

Undergraduate course offerings at UMD cover a wide range of topics.

Here is a list of the undergraduate areas of study available:

Accounting
Aerospace Engineering
African American Studies
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Agricultural Science and Technology
American Studies
Animal Sciences
Anthropology
Arabic Studies
Architecture
Art
Art History
Astronomy
Atmospheric and Ocean Science
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biological Sciences
Central European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Chemistry
Chinese
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Classics
Communication
Community Health
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Dance
Early Childhood Education
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Elementary Education
English
Environmental Science and Policy
Environmental Science and Technology
Family Science
Film Studies
Finance
Fire Protection Engineering
French
Geographical Sciences
Geology
Germanic Studies
Government and Politics
Hearing and Speech Sciences
History
Information Science
Information Systems
International Business
Italian Studies
Japanese
Jewish Studies
Journalism
Kinesiology
Landscape Architecture
Linguistics
Management
Marketing
Materials Science and Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Middle School Education
Music
Nutrition and Food Science
Operations Management & Business Analytics
Persian Studies
Philosophy
Physics
Plant Sciences
Psychology
Public Health
Public Policy
Romance Languages
Russian Language and Literature
Secondary Education
Sociology
Spanish Language, Literatures, and Culture
Special Education
Supply Chain Management
Theater Arts
Women's Studies

Above: Students bask near a peaceful waterfall in front of the McKeldin Library.

image: collegemagazine.com

4. What graduate programs are available at the University of Maryland?

Graduate students at UMD can take courses and earn degrees in any of the following fields:

Aerospace Engineering
African American Studies
Asian American Studies
Agricultural and Natural Resources
Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation
American Studies
Animal Science
Anthropology
Arabic
Architecture
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Arts and Humanities
Army
Air Science
Art History
Art (Studio)
Archeology
Astronomy
Atmospheric and Ocean Science
Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biological Resources Engineering
Biology
Biometrics
Biophysics
Business and Management
Business, Ethics, Regulation, and Crime
Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Chemistry
Chinese
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Physics
Civil Engineering
Classics
Chemical and Life Sciences
Communication
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
Conservation and Sustainable Development
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Dance
Decision and Information Technologies
Economics
Education
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering Science
English
Entomology
Environmental Health
Family Science
Film Studies
Finance
Fire Protection Engineering
Foreign Language
Geography
German
Government and Politics
Greek
Health and Human Performance
Health Services Administration
Hearing and Speech Sciences
Hebrew
Historic Preservation
History
Immigration Studies
Information Management
Israel Studies
Italian
Japanese
Journalism
Jewish Studies
Kinesiology
Korean
Landscape Architecture
Latin American Studies
LGBT Studies
Library Science
Linguistics
Logistics, Business, and Public Policy
Management and Organization
Marketing
Materials Engineering
Mathematics
Marine Environmental Sciences
Molecular and Cell Biology
Music
Natural Resources Management
Navy
Neuroscience
Nuclear Engineering
Nutrition and Food Science
Persian
Philosophy
Physics
Plant Sciences
Portuguese
Psychology
Public Health
Public Policy
Real Estate Development
Religious Studies
Russian
Second Language Acquisition
Slavic
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics and Probability
Survey Methodology
Systems Engineering
Teaching and Learning
Telecommunications
Terrorism Studies
Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
Toxicology
Urban Studies
Veterinary Medical Sciences
Women's Studies

Click here to see a Complete List of PhD Programs at UMD.

Above: The UMD campus in Baltimore.

image: rawnarch.com

5. How much does it cost to attend the University of Maryland?

According to the school website, the cost of tuition, fees, and other expenses for admission to the college in the upcoming school year is:

For Undergraduate admissions:

$10,594 per year for residents of the state of Maryland
$35,216 per year for enrollments from out of state.

The above cost is for tuition only, and does not include room & board, books & supplies, personal expenses, and mandatory fees.

For Graduate school admissions:

$717 per credit hour for residents of the state of Maryland
$1,548 per credit hour for enrollments from out of state.

The above costs do not include room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, or mandatory fees.

Other fees may also apply, such as application fees, parking fees, technology fees, health fees, insurance fees, registration fees, exam prep fees, and others.

Financial aid is available to many incoming and continuing students who fill out the FAFSA form. Aid may come in the form of grants, loans, scholarships, work study programs, or private donations.

Above: Fans gather to watch the Terrapins play at Maryland Stadium.

image: umterps.com

Above: The UMD School of Nursing.

image: nursing.umaryland.edu

6. What is the University of Maryland campus like?

The main campus of UMD spans about 1,250 acres in College Park, with a 400-acre "urban forest" right next to the campus. College Park is conveniently located just about ten miles northeast of Washington DC.

The central lawn of the College Park campus (known as McKeldin Mall) is surrounded by stunning, white-columned buildings of red brick Georgian architecture. The campus has so many trees (7,500+), that the American Public Gardens Association has officially designated the College Park campus of UMD as an "arboretum and botanical garden."

Campus landmarks and attractions include the McKeldin Library, the UMD Art Gallery, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, among others.

Just east of the campus is Baltimore Avenue, featuring many conveniences and affordable eateries. The campus is bordered on the west by University Boulevard.

Student housing is available at UMD, both on and off campus.

The Baltimore campus of UMD consists of 58 buildings, and is located very near Baltimore's famous Lexington Market.

The 114,000-square-foot campus center features dining facilities, recreational facilities, meeting rooms, and more.

Public transportation is made easy, by way of the Baltimore Light Rail System. The University Street station is conveniently situated at the eastern edge of the UMD campus.

The school colors are red, gold, white, and black. The varsity athletes at UMD are called the Terrapins. They play for the NCAA Division 1 - Big Ten Conference.

UMD also features an award winning dance team.

Intercollegiate sports for men and women at UMD include:

Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming (& Diving)
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling

Also available on campus are more than a few club and intramural sports, such as some of the ones listed above, as well as aerobics, badminton, dance, figure skating, and ice hockey, among others.

Aside form athletics, UMD also offers numerous on-campus student organizations, in a broad range of interests. Student activity groups include an African Languages association, a campus magazine, a campus ministry, a cooking club, a karate club, a theater group, a film society, and an ROTC club, to name only a few.