Advising Policies

Academic advising is a dynamic relationship between advisor and advisee to support educational and career success. Advisors provide guidance on academic policies and regulations, post-graduate opportunities, and other resources available on-campus that offer academic and personal support.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

Full-time degree seeking students normally are expected to complete the undergraduate program in four years. To help students meet graduation requirements the university will facilitate enhanced student advising through the following measures:

• Academic units create 4-year graduation templates that specify the university general education requirements, degree requirements for each major and provide semester-by-semester course schedule models.
• Academic units provide graduation progress benchmarks for each academic major. Units establish schedules for regular periodic reviews of student progress, and students who are in danger of falling behind the program benchmarks will be required to consult with an advisor prior to registration.
• Students who do not achieve the progress expectations will be permitted to continue in the major only upon the approval of the dean of their college.
• When students change majors, they are required to present an academic plan to the new major unit that demonstrates their ability to complete their major in a timely manner.

Please see additional information from the  University catalog.

All majors require at least 120 semester hours. To complete most curricula in four academic years, students must average 15 credits per semester toward the degree. 15 credits x 8 semesters = 120 credits

Undergraduates may not exceed maximum credit loads without the prior approval of their Dean:

• 15 week semester: 20 credits (16 credits prior to the first day of classes)
• 6 Week Summer Term: 8 credits
• 3 Week Term (Summer or Winter): 4 credits

All candidates for undergraduate degrees from University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), must take a minimum of 15 credits in courses numbered 300 or above, including at least 12 credits in their major. Additionally, students must take a minimum of 30 credits in residence. Normally these 30 credits will be the final 30 credits counted toward the degree. However, credits from University-approved study abroad and internship programs, and a maximum of 6 credits that are not part of such programs, may be included with advanced approval from the dean.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

Schedule Adjustment Period: During the schedule adjustment period full-time undergraduates may drop or add courses, change sections, credit level, or grading method without financial penalty provided they remain full-time students (registered for 12 or more credits). Grading Method (including pass-fail) may be changed only during this period.

• Fall/Spring Semester: first 10 days of classes
• Summer Sessions I + II: the first 5 days of classes
• Winter and 3-week Summer Term: the first 3 days of classes

Complete information on schedule adjustment and drop period may be found at the Registrar's Office and Office of Extended Studies.

• Post-Schedule Adjustment Period: Courses may not be added without permission of the dean and remain as a part of the student's permanent record. Students are not permitted to attend a class if their names do not appear on the class list.
• Drop Period: During drop period a student may drop a maximum of four credits. If the course carries more than four credits, the student may reduce the credit level by up to four credits. Drops will be recorded as a W and be considered a single enrollment in the course (one of two possible).
  • Fall/Spring Semester: 11th day of classes until the end of the tenth week of classes
  • Summer Sessions I + II: 6th day of classes until the end of the fourth week of classes
  • Winter and 3-week Summer Term: 4th day of classes until the end of the second week of classes
  • Consult the academic calendar at  for dates.

Please see additional information from the University Catalog.

Students are expected to make regular and consistent progress towards the completion of their degree. However, the University understands that in exceptional circumstances a student may find it necessary to completely withdraw from all classes. Any student considering withdrawal is strongly encouraged to meet with his or her academic college advisor before leaving the University.

• Semester Withdrawal (WW): Students have until the last day of classes to submit written notice of withdrawal to the Registrar.
• Retroactive Semester Withdrawal (WW): In exceptional cases, a retroactive withdrawal may be granted based on documented requests in which extenuating circumstances significantly impaired the student's ability to complete the semester and meet the established withdrawal deadlines.

Students who withdraw while on academic probation, or those returning from dismissal or a second semester withdrawal, are always required to petition the Faculty Review Board for approval to return. For more information, see: http://studentsuccess.umd.edu/

Students whose registration at UMD has lapsed for more than 10 years shall be required to complete a minimum of 15 credit hours at College Park to earn a baccalaureate degree. Recommendations about courses needed to satisfy the remaining degree requirements will be made at the department level, with approval of the Dean's Office required.

Please see additional information at: University catalog.

UMD requires students to complete a minimum of 40 credits of general education.

• Freshman Students:
  Matriculated to UMD prior to Fall 2012 will be held to the former CORE general education requirements.
• Matriculated to UMD Fall 2012 and beyond will be held to the new general education requirements.
• Transfer Students:
  Transfer students who attended a Maryland public institution prior to the start of Fall 2012, and who matriculate to UMD prior to Fall 2016, will be held to the former CORE general education requirements.
  
  Transfers students whose last institution of attendance was a non- Maryland public institution beginning Fall 2012 and beyond will be held to the new general education requirements.
• Any transfer student for whom Fall 2012 and beyond was their first semester in college will be held to the new general education requirements.
  Effective Fall 2016, all newly admitted students will be held to the new general education requirements.   
• Students returning or transferring to UMD after a separation from college of five or more continuous years must follow the requirements in effect at the time of reentry.
• For students who are at another institution, please see the Gen Ed website.
  For more information on the General Education program, please see: General Education Summary Chart

Undergraduate academic performance is based on a student’s grade point average (GPA). Students are required to achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students with a GPA under 2.00 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who matriculated to the University in Fall 2012 and after must have a minimum C (2.00) cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy major degree requirements, minor requirements, and undergraduate certificate requirements, respectively. Individual department, college, school, or program requirements may exceed this minimum.

Students who fail to achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of their probationary semester may be academically dismissed, depending on their credit level.

• Students with 60 credits or more: will be dismissed from the University if their cumulative GPA remains below 2.00 at the end of their probationary semester.
• Students with less than 60 credits: will be permitted to continue on academic probation if a minimum semester GPA of 2.00 is achieved.

The Registrar will notify the appropriate University offices when students are academically dismissed and will note the dismissal on the student's academic record. The Student Success Office will notify students that registration for the next semester (excluding winter or summer terms) will be canceled. Students who have been academically dismissed and who are reenrolled will be dismissed again if a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 is not achieved by the end of the first semester after reinstatement.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

A student may apply to the Faculty Petition Board for reenrollment. The online application for reenrollment must include a written statement explaining the circumstances leading to dismissal and a proposed plan to remedy those circumstances. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors prior to submitting their application.
 

The Faculty Petition Board is comprised of tenured faculty appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The Board is the sole arbiter of reenrollment applications.

The Faculty Petition Board has the discretion to establish the terms for reenerollment, including the requirements for achieving academic improvement and developing an academic plan for success. The Student Success Office will forward the Board’s decision to students’ e-mail address.

Students may repeat no more than 18 credits. Additionally, if a student withdraws from all courses during a semester, those courses are not included in this limit.

Students may not repeat any given course more than twice unless provided an exception from the dean’s office. In this case, students must present a plan for successfully completing the course.

Note: Students may not choose the Pass-Fail option when re-registering for a course or re-registering for a course in which a grade of "I" has been noted.

The grade point average will include all attempts, however to help freshmen and transfer students adjust to UMD, the following exceptions allow for the cumulative GPA to be calculated so that only the higher grade is included:

• When the repeated course was taken within the students first semester at University of Maryland, College Park,
  or
• When the repeated course was taken within the students first 24 credit hours attempted (including transfer credits) or within the semester during which the student reached the 24th credit hour attempted. Advanced Placement Exam credits do not count toward the 24 credit count.

Please see the pre-1990 policy and additional information from the University catalog.

Students registering for a course under the pass-fail option must complete all course requirements. To register, an undergraduate must have completed 30 or more college credits with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. At least 15 of these credit hours must have been completed at UMD with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. A course that is failed will appear on the student's record and will be computed both in the overall average and the semester average.

Please see additional information at: University catalog.

Undergraduate students who return in pursuit of their initial baccalaureate degree after a separation of five calendar years, may petition to have up to 16 previously earned credits removed from their cumulative GPA. The petition for clemency must be filed in the first semester of their return. Approval is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Reenrollment decisions are based on a student’s record prior to academic clemency. Clemency will not allow the student to return.

Please see additional information at: University catalog. 

Policy Changes due to COVID-19

For Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters, the Office of Undergraduate Studies had webpages with information on policy changes and frequently asked questions. The archived versions of these pages are linked below.

• Spring 2020
• Fall 2020
• Spring 2021

You can also find the undergraduate catalog addenda for each of these terms in the undergraduate catalog archives. These addenda outline the COVID-19 related policy changes for both Spring 2020 and Fall 2020/Spring 2021.

(Information from the Office of the Registrar FAQ page.)

All minors require no fewer than 15 and no more than 24 credits with at least 9 credits in upper division courses (300-level or above). No more than six credits (or two courses) may be applied to satisfy both the requirements of a minor and a major program. No course may be used to satisfy the requirements of more than one minor. All courses taken for a minor must be completed with a minimum grade of "C-". A minimum C (2.00) cumulative grade point average across all courses is required.

Students who wish to pursue a minor should inform both the college responsible for their major and the unit offering the minor as early as possible, but in no case later than one full academic year before the expected date of graduation. When a student has completed all requirements for the minor, the unit offering the minor shall notify the student's college, which verifies that the student has met all requirements and officially notifies the Registrar.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

Double Major:

A student who wishes to complete a second major concurrently with a primary major must obtain written permission in advance from the appropriate colleges no later than one full academic year before the expected date of graduation.

Simultaneous Second Degree:

A student who wishes to receive two bachelor's degrees simultaneously must complete a minimum of 150 credits (180 credits if one of the degrees is in Special Education). At least 18 of the credits applied to one degree must be in course work not applied to the requirements of the other degree program. The student must file with the programs no later than one full academic year before the expected date of graduation. 

Sequential Second Degree:

A student who wishes to earn a second degree from the university must satisfactorily complete all of the prescribed requirements for the second degree and at least 150 credits (180 credits if one of the degrees is in Special Education). At least 18 of the credits applied to one degree must be in course work not applied to the requirements of the other degree program.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

In a combined bachelor's/master's program, some graduate level courses initially taken for undergraduate credit may also be applied towards the graduate credit requirements for a master's degree program. A bachelor's/master's program may be developed for an individual student, or it may be a structured program. Students are only eligible if they have an exceptional academic record.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

The dean of the college in which the student is enrolled determines which transfer credits are applicable. In general, credit from academic courses taken at accredited institutions will transfer, provided that the course is completed with at least a grade of "C-". Permission to Enroll in Another Institution forms are available in the office of the student's dean.

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

For further details, contact your advising college and refer to the Office of the Registrar.

The University of Maryland provides students with several opportunities to receive undergraduate credit for knowledge and achievements gained through prior learning/competency-based education. Students may earn up to one-half of the credits required for their baccalaureate degree through PLC. Usually, this is no more than 60 credits

Please see additional information at: http://www.transfercredit.umd.edu/plc.html

The Honor Pledge is designed to encourage instructors and students to reflect upon the University's core institutional value of academic integrity. The Pledge states: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/ examination."

Please see additional information from the University catalog.

The University's Code of Academic Integrity is administered by a Student Honor Council. Any of the following acts constitute academic dishonesty:

• Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
• Fabrication: Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
• Facilitating academic dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of the Code of Academic Integrity.
• Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise.

Please see additional information at: Code of Academic Integrity from the University catalog.