university-of-maryland

University of Maryland Degree Programs Available

The University of Maryland appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable MPH Online Programs.

A college degree opens up many doors, allowing individuals to advance in their current career or move into a new career. Not only does a degree open doors for people, research indicates that college graduates are less likely to be unemployed than those with a high school diploma. They also report being more satisfied in their job. The University of Maryland offers several degree programs that can help people advance in their careers or learn a new skill to move into a new career.

The University of Maryland has 12 colleges with a wide range of academic programs available. In addition to strong academics, programs at the University are researching alternative energy, homeland security issues, reductions in children’s obesity and other issues facing society today. Colleges at the University include:

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

The A. James Clark School of Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection Engineering is for those who are interested in protecting people as well as the environment. Using computer simulations, students learn to design systems, create products and develop fire-safe materials. The program begins with a strong background in engineering that includes fundamentals of physics, mechanics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer. This is followed by instruction related to the application and design of engineering systems, allowing students to design engineering systems that protect people, homes, workplaces and more from the devastating effects of fire. They also gain an understanding of suppression and detection, fire-resistant materials, fire dynamics and behavior, smoke, soot, and gases. They also learn about human behavior and life safety.

The University of Maryland offers a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources that is available completely online. The program provides an understanding of developing innovations in the agricultural, pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. There is instruction in many of humanity’s problems, including failing crops and bioterrorism. Students must have some technical and scientific knowledge in biotechnology either through direct experience or transfer credit. Courses required may include Inquiries in Biological Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology as well as electives in biological and physical sciences.

The College of Arts and Humanities offers a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities that offers a solid base of critical thinking which broadens their understanding of themselves as well as their interaction with the world. It provides a perspective on cultural and intellectual heritage as well as the tools that provide knowledge in the real world. The program is available online and offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses on skills valued by employers. Students gain an understanding of global culture through the analyzation of art, philosophy, literature, religion, film, theater, music and technology.

The Master of Science in Cloud Computing Architecture, available through the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, equips students with the technical and management skills to design, operate and maintain cloud computing systems as well as methods to organize transitions to cloud-based solutions. Students learn to strategically transform the current infrastructure of an organization to one that is more efficient and delivers better services via the cloud. The program is available completely online.

About the University of Maryland

In 1856, the Maryland Agricultural College was chartered and, two years later, 428 acres of land on the Riversdale Plantation, owned by Charles Benedict Calvert, a wealthy planter, was purchased for $20,000 in order to build a campus for the new school. The school opened in 1859 with a formal dedication. Four out of the 34 enrolled students were the sons of Calvert.

After President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act in 1862, the Maryland legislature agreed to accept the grant, designating the Agricultural School as the state’s land-grant institution. The school was required to teach agriculture, mechanical and military arts. After the Civil War, the school was in financial ruin. From 1864 to 1866, it operated as a prep school until money was appropriated by the Maryland legislature in 1866 and reopened in 1867.

Over the next 15 years, only 49 students graduated from the institution and the school struggled financially. In an effort to build the financial health of the school, the state legislature awarded several powers to the struggling university. The school worked to control disease on farms, created a state weather bureau, inspected feeds, conducted the state geological survey and handled the board of forestry. In 1887, the Hatch Act created agricultural experimental stations and the Agricultural College established a station at the Rossborough Inn, creating a college farm.

The state of Maryland took over the college in 1916, changing the name to the Maryland State College of Agriculture. The University of Maryland was established in 1920 when the College Park and Baltimore campuses were linked.

Today, the University of Maryland College Park is one of the nation’s preeminent public research universities, serving more than 37,000 students. It is ranked 21st among public universities by U.S. News & World Report and 14th by Forbes Magazine. The Institute of Higher Education, which ranks the top universities based on research, ranks Maryland 38th in the world.

University of Maryland College Park Accreditation Details

The University of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Accreditation indicates that the school has the resources to meet its goals and objectives. It also indicates that they offer programs that meet or exceed criteria the Commission has established that indicate excellence in higher education. In addition to university accreditation, specific programs at the college are accredited by the following organizations:

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET)
  • Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Accrediting Council on Education on Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)
  • American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • American Library Association (ALA)
  • American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
  • American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education
  • Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
  • Council on Education for Public Health
  • Council on Rehabilitation Education
  • Institute of Food Technologists
  • Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB)
  • Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
  • National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
  • National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
  • National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
  • Planning Accreditation Board
  • Commission on English Language Program Accreditation

University of Maryland College Park Application Process

Applicants who have not earned college credit after high school graduation must provide official high school transcripts as well as official ACT or SAT scores. They must also provide two letters of recommendation and a resume showing any extra-curricular activities. Applicants who have earned college credit after high school graduation must submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. If they have earned less than 30 semester or 45 quarter hours, they must also provide official high school transcripts.

Graduate applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university. They must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all undergraduate work. Letters of recommendation as well as official GMAT or GRE scores. A statement of career objectives must also be provided.

University of Maryland College Park Tuition and Financial Aid

Full-time undergraduate tuition at the University of Maryland College Park is $8,152 for residents and $29,300 for non-residents. Graduate tuition is $602 per credit hour for Maryland residents and $1,298 per credit hour for non-residents.

Financial aid is available and students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify. Incoming freshmen receive an average financial aid package of $17,042 and 52 percent of students are awarded some type of gift aid, including scholarships and grants.

The University of Maryland is one of the country’s preeminent public research universities. It is a global leader in research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The University of Maryland is home to more than 41,000 students and over 377,000 alumni.