About
The University of Maryland (UMD) is one of the world’s top-ranked public research institutions. With more than 100 majors as well as customized programs, we have 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. Get involved with hundreds of different student organizations as well as programming specifically for exchange students, from apple-picking in the fall to watching the Washington Nationals play baseball. The campus is a 1,250-acre oasis in suburban College Park, with green lawns, shady oak trees, and stately architecture. UMD is considered within the top 20 U.S. public research institutions, as the no. 1 college in the U.S. for LGBTQ+ students, and a leading campus for sustainability and green initiatives. Consult UMD on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
With a metro stop on campus and a new light rail in construction, 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, a flourishing tech industry, and dozens of free museums to visit. Moreover, you’ll be a car, bus, or train ride from Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
FAST FACTS
- Founded in 1856 on a 1,250-acre campus, just eight miles from downtown Washington D.C.
- 46th in U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities
- 57th in the Best Global Universities
- 14th in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings in 2024
- UMD’s academics include 12 schools and colleges, 104 undergraduate majors, 118 master’s programs and 85 doctoral programs
- Home to about 31,000 undergraduate students / 4,300+ total faculty / 414,000+ alumni
- 85 exchange partners / U21 Member / 6,800 international students / 164 countries represented
Level of competitiveness
Less competitive *
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Find out more about academics at the University of Maryland, including restrictions.
Not suitable for students from the School of Business and Management.
Academic Calendar
Semester 1: August to December
Semester 2: January to May
For more information, visit the University of Maryland's academic calendar.
Courses and Restrictions
UMD students can enroll in coursework across 250+ academic programmes. Popular areas of study include: Criminal Justice, Economics, History, Computer Science, Government and Politics, Mathematics, Information Science, English, Sociology and Engineering (must be on an engineering exchange).
Exchange students can select from thousands of course offerings over 10 colleges. A complete list of current course offerings can be found on the UMD Schedule of Classes.
Engineering students: UMD is one of the top public engineering programs in the country with 4,100 undergraduate, 1,700 graduate students and 206 faculty members. Students can enroll in coursework across multiple engineering disciplines: Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Students reading degrees within Queen Mary's School of Engineering and Materials Sciences may have the opportunity to work on a research project with an academic in UMD's School of Engineering. Students would take 2-3 taught modules per semster alongside the research project.
Internship opportunities: Students completing a full-year exchange at the University of Maryland within the College of Arts & Humanities (ARHU) may be eligible to complete an internship as part of their exchange during spring semester. Find out more about completing an internship while studying in the Department of English.
Important: this destination is NOT suitable for three-year degree programme students within Queen Mary's School of Business and Management, as they do not have priority access to Business modules at Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business (therefore no guaranteed access to modules required for their degree programme). This is the case for all Business courses at Maryland, therefore this also applies to any WAYA degree programme student looking to follow any Business courses.
Limited Enrollment Programs
Students should be able to take 1-2 modules per term in limited enrollment programs. The upper-level courses are the ones that will be the most limited, at the 300 and 400 levels. It should be possible to select a minimum of two 200-level modules per term.
From UMD's website:
Students are expected to select their first choice classes and an alternative class list with their application. UMD cannot guarantee that students will be able to register for particular classes at UMD. The following departments or schools have high enrollment 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, Business (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 institutions), Engineering (only engineering majors from institutions that have a specific exchange agreement with the A. James Clark School of Engineering may take engineering classes), Government & Politics, Information Studies, Journalism, Psychology
In addition to restrictions students 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.
Credits
Students need to take 12-15 credit hours (usually four x 3 credit courses) per semester.
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversion.
Accommodation
Undergraduate students are guaranteed on-campus housing as long as they complete the online housing application on the Department of Resident Life website. They can also opt-in to a dining plan.
Cost of Living
The University of Maryland provides information on the cost of living as a student here. You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Maryland here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Support Services
Students have access to support services and programming events specifically for exchange students to help them engage with U.S. culture. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the following on-campus resources:
Student and Campus Life
Students can choose from hundreds of student organisations that meet a variety of personal, professional and academic interests. Students are invited to attend events just for exchange students, including DC tours, major league baseball games, dinners, hiking and more. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous music and theatre events, fitness facilities, the bowling alley, even a UM Dairy ice cream shop, and all of the following on-campus resources to get the most out of their UMD experience:
Sports: Students can join the student section and cheer "Fear the Turtle" at UMD's many sporting events which are free for visiting students.
