University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland is one of the world’s top-ranked public research institutions. With more than 100 majors as well as customized programs, UMD has something to match everyone’s interests. You’ll find high-tech labs, world-class performing arts, a hugely popular athletics program, and school spirit that can’t be beat. The campus is a 1,250-acre oasis in suburban College Park, with green lawns, shady oak trees, and stately architecture. įWith a metro stop on campus, College Park is minutes from downtown Washington, D.C.  As the nation’s capital and home of the federal government, Washington, D.C. is a truly international city hosting foreign embassies, large governmental organizations, and dozens of free museums to visit. į 

Available exchanges

The University of Maryland hosts the University-wide exchange and Subject-specific Computer Science exchange

Restricted subject areas

You can find the academic restrictions by scrolling down on the Maryland webpage for academics  – please see the section on Limited Enrolment Programmes on the below link.  

Students are expected to select their first-choice classes and an alternative class list with their application.  We cannot guarantee that students will be able to register for particular classes at UMD.  

The following departments or schools have high enrolment demand and limited space in classes.  

Consequently, students will need to have maximum flexibility in course choices from these departments: 

  • Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry, & Environmental Sciences and Policy-Biodiversity and Conservation 
  •  (only business majors from institutions that have a specific exchange agreement with the Smith School of Business may pre-register for business classes) 
  • Communication 
  • Computer Science (priority is given to students who are Computer Science majors at their home institution. Students cannot enroll for more than two, maybe 3 CS classes per semester) 
  • Criminology & Criminal Justice 
  • Economics (priority is given to students who are Economics majors at their home institution. Students cannot enrol for more than two, maybe 3 ECON classes per semester) 
  • Government & Politics 
  • Information Studies 
  • Journalism 
  • Neuroscience 
  • Psychology 

In addition to restrictions, you may encounter in the Limited Enrollment programs, exchange students do not have access to the following programs: 

  • College Park Scholars 
  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program 
  • Global Communities (BSGC) 
  • Hinman CEOs 
  • Honors College (only students from institutions that have a specific exchange agreement with the Honors College may take Honors courses) 
  • Quest Honors Program 
  • Any courses taught on the Shady Grove or DC campuses   

Please note this institution is currently not an option for the following subject areas: Business, Marketing, Finance, Criminology, Criminal Justice, Neurology, Architecture, Computer Science. 

Your responsibilities

  • The information provided here serves as a guide.
  • It is your responsibility to research whether the partner provides appropriate courses for your degree programme.
  • Even if there are no restrictions on your degree subject, this does not mean that there are appropriate courses for you. 

Exchange students can select from thousands of course offerings over 12 colleges.  

A complete list of current course offerings can be found in the UMD Class Schedule. 

See details on how to register in the registration guide. 

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**Please be aware, there may not be an up-to-date course catalogue available at this exchange destination. Please use the information available to get an idea about what you can study while on exchange** 


Guaranteed accommodation? 

Yes (in most cases if students apply on time) 

University accommodation

Undergraduate students should be able to secure housing as long as they complete the online housing application through the Department of Resident Life. 

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Full-year students sign an academic year lease and may not move out of on-campus housing at the change of the semester. Housing fees and costs depend on the type of housing that is assigned. 

 

Some on-campus accommodations do not have kitchen facilities.  In these cases, students are required to purchase a dining plan and do not have the option of waiving out of an on-campus dining plan. 

Students who are assigned to on-campus accommodations with a kitchen (apartment-style residence) can opt out of a dining plan. 

Language House Living and Learning Community: Students studying at Maryland for a full academic year are eligible to participate in the Language House Living and Learning program. This program places students in shared apartments that focus on target languages, and commit to speaking only that language in common areas. Language House fosters cultural connection between local Terps and speakers of other languages. 

Learnmore about Language House and the program:

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Private accommodation

For help with finding off-campus accommodation nominated students can consult the: 

  


Immigration/Visa requirements

In order to get a visa, you will need to prove you can access the average cost of living at Maryland. This is calculated based on average costs for accommodation, meals, health insurance etc. This includes proving access to funds through personal funds, or family or sponsorship funds. The amount to show is around $22,000 in total. This can be across multiple sources. You will need to provide sponsorship letters from personal funds/family members/sponsor funds/Sponsor organisations etc. 

Please bear this in mind. If you cannot prove this, you will not be able to get a visa and therefore not be able to go on exchange.  

How much it will cost to go on exchange to Maryland?

The detailed budget provides estimated costs for a semester at UMD. 

Items include: 

  • SEVIS fee and visa fee 
  • Transportation to campus 
  • US SIM card or phone plan (required for J-1 visa) 
  • Housing 
  • Meals 
  • Books/supplies 
  • Personal expenses 
  • Student Activity Fee 
  • Student Health Insurance Plan 

Health insurance

SHIP - the University of Maryland mandatory health insurance plan costs around: $2,334 per full-year exchange.  


Semester 1 (Fall): August to December į 

Semester 2 (Spring): January to May  


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UMD has provided the following documents for prospective exchange students.