University of Maryland, USA is ranked among the country’s Top 20 public universities by the US News & World Report 2017 and #52 worldwide by Shanghai Jia Tong University 

Sited in College Park, a short metro ride from Washington D.C, the national capital of the USA, the University of Maryland (UM) is a top-ranked public research varsity with an aggregate enrolment of 37,000 students mentored by 4,000 faculty. 

A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, UM is ranked among the country’s Top 20 public universities by the US News & World Report in its America’s Best Colleges Rankings 2017, while the Shanghai Jia Tong University ranks UM #52 in its Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016. Moreover, its proximity to the nation’s capital has enabled research partnerships with several federal government agencies including the National Institutes of Health and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 

Founded in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College, the university’s 13 colleges (see box) offer over 100 undergraduate majors and 120 graduate programmes. With an enviable faculty-student ratio of 1:16, 45 percent of classes comprise less than 20 students. Faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 52 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. Notable alumni include NASA scientist Charles Bennett, broadcast journalist Connie Chung and Sesame Street and The Muppet Show creator Jim Henson.

College Park. A mere 13 km from Washington D.C, College Park (pop. 30,000) offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and recreational facilities. A college town, it hosts quaint neighbourhoods, student housing complexes, scenic parks, and Lake Artemesia, a popular picnic spot. The university campus has its own subway stop on the D.C-area Metro transit system.

Washington D.C. Just a short ride by rail, America’s national capital offers culture, nightlife, concerts of global superstars at its Verizon Center, and five major professional sports teams. Students should also explore Georgetown, the National Mall and visit at least some of the 11 free Smithsonian Museums and art galleries. A half-hour MARC train ride from the campus are the cities of Baltimore and Annapolis.

Weather conditions vary through the year. Spring and fall (autumn) are generally mild (16°C-21°C), winters chilly (-10°C-10°C) with occasional snowfall, and summers are usually hot and humid (29°C-38°C).

Campus facilities. The university’s sprawling 1,580-acre College Park campus hosts red-brick Georgian buildings, state-of-the-art lecture halls and laboratories, student housing complexes, sports and recreational facilities, and gardens featuring over 7,500 documented trees plus an urban forest. A large central lawn — McKeldin Mall — serves as the hub of campus life with academic buildings surrounding it on all sides. Campus landmarks include the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Building, Jim Henson Statue and Memorial Garden, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and the Memorial Chapel. The university’s eight libraries (including the main McKeldin Library) offer 4.65 million volumes including electronic books, 17,000 e-journals, and access to 352 electronic databases. 

Inevitably, sports facilities are extensive and include the Campus Recreation Center featuring two indoor swimming pools, an outdoor pool, two gymnasia, an indoor walking/running track, racquetball courts, snack bar, weight, fitness, and martial arts rooms; Cole tennis courts (14); Turf Fields (football and hockey); Engineering Fields (rugby, soccer, lacrosse). Moreover, the campus hosts more than 800 student clubs, fraternities and sororities which orchestrate an array of social and cultural activities year round.

Admission. Admission into UM’s undergraduate programmes is competitive. In 2016, the university received 30,200 admission applications for 4,075 seats. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into undergraduate programmes is successful completion of Plus Two. In addition, offshore applicants are required to submit proof of English language proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL test scores) and SAT/ACT scores. The completed online application form should be supported with secondary school transcripts, a non-refundable application fee of $75, two letters of recommendation, and details of extra-curricular activities. The deadline for receipt of applications is January 20 for admission into the term beginning September.

For further information, contact University of Maryland, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Mitchell Building, 7999 Regents Dr. College Park, MD 20742-5235, USA. Ph: +1 301 314 8385/ 800 422 5867; e-mail: ApplyMaryland@umd.edu; website: www.umd.edu.

Accommodation. On-campus housing options include 37 halls of residence and the 625-bed Leonardtown apartment community. Most students live in double rooms with some (13 percent) in triple or quad rooms. In addition, there are 2,984 beds in two university-affiliated undergrad apartment communities. 

Degree programmes. The university’s 13 schools and colleges offer over 300 academic programmes (see box).

SUMMIYA YASMEEN