Frequently Asked Questions
Can you send me information on Graduate Programs at the University of Maryland?
Information on the graduate degree programs offered at the University is published in the Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog. For more information on a specific program, visit the website of the program in which you are interested.
What are your Graduate admission deadlines?
Each program maintains its own application deadlines. Please contact the graduate program directly for specific information regarding those deadlines. You can find a list of our graduate programs in our online Graduate Catalog: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs.htm.
Can I transfer credits into a graduate program?
Students can transfer up to 6 credits from an accredited outside college/university into a masters program. Credits cannot be transferred into a doctoral program, but departments may adjust a student’s course expectations accordingly.
If you have taken credits within the last five years at the University of Maryland, College Park as a non-degree student or a student in another degree program you can petition to include up to 12 of those credits into your current degree program.
Please note: all inclusion or transfer of credit is dependent on department permission and the approval of the Graduate School. The require form is at available here: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/forms/Transfer_of_Inclusion_Form.pdf
Does the Graduate School maintain minimum GRE and / or TOEFL score requirements?
The Graduate School does not set minimum GRE requirements; each graduate program sets their own standards for GRE scores. There are, however, minimum Graduate School requirements for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Applicants with a score of 575 on the paper based test or 233 on the Computer based test (CBT) and above (with no sectional score below 50) may qualify an applicant for full admission. Applicants who score between 475 and 574 on the paper based test or 153-232 on the CBT may be considered for provisional admission, and will be required to take an English language proficiency examination upon arrival at the University of Maryland. Please click here for the latest IBT TOEFL and IELTS requirements
Where can I find an Application to the Graduate School at the University of Maryland?
The University of Maryland no longer prints paper applications. The Graduate School strongly encourages prospective students to apply to the University online at http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/admission. This is a general online application that must be completed. Upon completion you will receive instructions detailing how to fill out the Application Supplemental Form or (ASF). The ASF is an application designed and required by the specific department to which you are applying.
May I have a printed application mailed?
You can find a copy of the universities paper application here. Applying via our hard copy application will add 2 to 3 weeks of processing time to your application. You will also need to contact the Graduate School to request a Login ID to access your program's Application Supplemental Form (ASF) if required.
May I apply to two programs at once?
You can apply to multiple programs, but you must fill out a separate application with accompanying materials for each program to which you apply. You may not enroll, however, in more than one degree program at the same time.
A non-refundable $60 application fee must be submitted for each program in which entrance is sought.
You may use the same screen name and password to apply for multiple graduate programs. After you submit your first online application, login with the same screen name and password. Click the button labeled "Start New Application".
If you are not certain which program is right for you, before incurring the expense and effort of applying to multiple programs, we suggest you to review the comments in "Before you Apply" about how to select the right program for you.
What is the Application Supplemental Form (ASF)?
After you have completed the University's general application, your graduate degree program requires that you submit an additional application called the Application Supplemental Form (ASF). The Application Supplemental Form (ASF) is a way for graduate programs to acquire more specific academic information on each applicant, such as areas of particular interest within the discipline, faculty with whom the applicant would like to work, your academic accomplishments, and other information. The ASF also contains an online letters of recommendation feature, through which applicants can request electronic letters from their recommenders. Your Personal Statement and other application materials can be submitted using the ASF, as well. Applicants can access their ASF after they submit the general university application and can access their ASF here. Please contact your department for your program's final ASF deadline. Non-degree and some certificate programs do NOT require an ASF to be completed.
How can I pay the $60 application fee?
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the $60 nonrefundable application processing fee online with a credit card during the electronic application process.
You may access the online payment screen by logging into your online application and selecting the "Click Here To Pay" link in the Payment Status section. Make sure you have your credit card available before you start so that the system does not time out during the transaction.
If you are unable to pay your application fee online, you must print out and complete the form available here as soon as possible and send to the Graduate School at the address/fax number below. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. The fee may be paid via check or money order. Please include your full name and date of birth on the memo line. All check and money order payments must have encoded routing and transit numbers, and be drawn on a U.S. bank.
Submit payments to:
Enrollment Services Operation-Graduate Admissions
0130 Mitchell Building
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
Fax: 301.314.9693
Failure to pay your application fee will not affect the review of your application, but the fee will begin to accrue late fees and will eventually be sent to collections. Failure to pay the application fee will also prevent registration should you attend the university.
Please understand that once you submit the general on-line application you are required to make the $60 payment, even if you decide not to complete your application or submit your supplemental documents.
Where should I send my official transcript(s) and international documents?
You may send your official (in a sealed envelope) transcripts and international documents (if applicable) to:
Enrollment Services Office - Graduate Admissions
0130 Mitchell Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
To expedite the review of your application, please include your full name (including any former names that might appear on your transcripts or other documents), Date of Birth and the program to which you are applying.
Do I have to send my University of Maryland transcript as part of my application to the Graduate School at Maryland?
No. The Graduate Admissions Office accesses your transcripts directly via the student information database. We have no need for a paper copy of your University of Maryland transcripts.
Graduate Programs can also access your student record in the same manner.
How do I check the status of my application?
You may check your application and document status via your Application Supplemental Form (ASF). For any additional questions concerning your application/document status, please contact the department to which you are applying. Departmental contact information is available at http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs.htm.
I have sent application documents, but APRA says they are not received. What should I do?
Please send an email to your graduate program to confirm if we have received your documents.
When will I know my admission decision?
After an academic program's deadline for application has passed, the admissions committee will meet to review all applications, and determine which applicants will be recommended for admission. Those applicants will be forwarded to the Graduate School for review and a final decision. International applications must also be reviewed by the Office of International Education Services.
As soon as the Dean of the Graduate School makes a final decision regarding admission, a letter is generated and will be sent to the address you have provided in your application.
I'm having technical problems with my University Online Application.
Please email gradschool@umd.edu with technical issues concerning the general application. If you are having technical problems with the Application Supplemental Form, please contact megs-support@umd.edu. Please be clear in your email as to which application you are having problems with.
I have completed my application, but I am having trouble logging in to my Application Supplemental Form (ASF).
Applicants are given the option to access their ASF immediately upon completion of the application. If applicants wish to complete the ASF at a later date, they can log back into their unfinished form here: www.gradschool.umd.edu/application
Login using the screenname and password used for the general application.
Non-degree and some certificate programs do NOT require an ASF to be completed.
For issues related to the Application Supplemental Form (ASF), online letters of recommendation, or logging into your MEGS record, please contact the MEGS Support team at megs-support@umd.edu
What financial aid is available to Graduate Students at University of Maryland?
See the Tab tiled "Financial information" for details regarding financial aid.
I am interested in graduate assistantships. Where do I look?
Graduate Assistantships are awarded through the academic department to which you are applying. We encourage you to express your interest in an assistantship to the program coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies in your academic unit.
If you enroll at the University, and are still seeking an assistantship, a limited number are available. These are posted on the university’s human resources website:
http://www.uhr.umd.edu/employment/
Select “Employment Opportunities.” Then select “Graduate Assistant Positions”
Are there graduate level non-degree options at the University of Maryland? If so, how can I apply?
Non-degree seeking students wishing to take graduate classes at the University should apply as Advanced Special Students. Advanced Special Students must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and fulfill other admissions criteria, listed here along with Advanced Special Student specific FAQs: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/non_degree_admission.htm
Advanced Special Students must apply online, pay the $60 application fee, and supply official undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts. Advanced Special Students are not eligible for any form of financial aid, including fellowships, assistantships, and work study.
I am an International Graduate Student and I have questions. Where do I look?
If you have any more questions we urge all international applicants to visit the IES website for critical information about the application process here.
I am an International Graduate Student. Can I apply for Advanced Special Student status?
Generally speaking, international students may not enroll as Advanced Special Student.
In certain limited situations, students holding an F-1 and J-1 Visa, may be permitted to enroll in a non-degree seeking status. If either of the following circumstances apply:
- UM graduates, currently on OPT or academic training may apply for Advanced Special Student Status.
- Academic departments may set up special group exchange programs or courses with institutions abroad. where the students may apply for Advanced Special Student Status.
International students interested in becoming Advanced Special Students should consult with the Office of International Education Services at iesadv@deans.umd.edu or (301) 314-7740 for further information.
I am a Visiting Graduate Student and I have questions. Where do I look?
A graduate student matriculated in another graduate school who wishes to enroll in the Graduate School of the University of Maryland and who intends to return to the graduate school in which he or she is matriculated, may be admitted as a Visiting Graduate Student.
To apply, the applicant must submit a completed application and pay the $60 application fee. Transcripts, letters of recommendation and test scores are not required. In lieu of transcripts, the applicant must submit a letter from the Graduate Dean at the applicant's home institution confirming that the applicant is in good academic standing and that courses taken at the University of Maryland will be transferred to the home institution.
Golden Identification Card for Senior Citizens of Maryland
The University's services and courses are available to citizens who are residents of the State of Maryland, 60 years of age or older, and retired (retired persons will be considered those who affirm that they are not engaged in gainful employment for more than 20 hours per week). Individuals who meet these requirements may apply for graduate admission, either as degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students, and must meet all admissions criteria. Once admitted, senior citizens may register for courses in any session on a space-available basis, use the library and other University facilities during the time they are enrolled in courses. Tuition will be waived for Golden Identification Card students, but mandatory fees must be paid. Golden ID Card students may register during the first week of classes for up to 3 courses; they may not pre-register. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for more information on the Golden ID registration procedures.
I am an Advanced Special Student and I have questions. Where do I look?
For more information regarding applying as a non-degree student please visit our Advanced Special Student summary here.
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