University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park, is a major public research university located on 1,340 acres of land just outside Washington, D.C. Founded in 1856 as Maryland Agricultural College, it was one of the nation's first Land Grant institutions, and today is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland.

UMD is committed to educating exceptional students, conducting ground breaking research, fostering global connections and serving as Maryland's strongest economic engine. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive university, and has Division I NCAA Athletics. The UMD faculty is internationally distinguished, including two Nobel Prize laureates, four Pulitzer Prize winners, three Stockholm Prize and two Wolf Prize winners, 58 members of national academies, more than 25 Humboldt scholars, and 100 Fulbright awardees. 

UMD's faculty is also distinguished by its international character-over 1,200 UMD teachers and researchers hold citizenship from other countries, including more than 70 nationalities.  This renowned academic community is addressing important scientific and societal challenges, including climate change, renewable/sustainable energy, cyber and homeland security and public health. UMD is organised into seven Colleges.

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Behavioral and Social Sciences
  • Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences
  • Education
  • Information Studies
  •  Journalism                                          

and five Schools:

  • Architecture, Planning and Preservation
  • The Robert H. Smith School of Business
  • The A. James Clark School of Engineering
  • The Maryland School of Public Policy
  • The School of Public Health

that together offer over 200 degree programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

UMD partners with governments, major corporations, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions around the world, with a research budget of over $600 million annually. The university is making innovation and entrepreneurship one of its signature features, educating a new generation of creative thinkers, assisting business start-ups, launching technology ventures and connecting Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed. 

UMD is also committed to being "globally networked," as evidenced by its entry into U21.  UMD already counts several U21 institutions among its existing collection of more than 200 international partnerships, which range from individual research collaborations to joint degree programmes.  The university is recognised for its diversity, with under-represented groups comprising one-third of the student population of 40,700.  UMD’s enrollment  includes more than 6,500 international students, from 115 countries.  Each year UMD sends over 2,000 students abroad for international study, interning, and service.  The College Park campus, centered on McKeldin mall, is officially designated an arboretum, and has won numerous awards for its ecofriendly, sustainable design. In all, the campus comprises more than 270 buildings, most of them featuring the red brick and white columns that define Colonial Revival architecture.