As a current University of Maryland student whose major is not currently Computer Science, you are considered an internal transfer student. Effective Fall 2019, Computer Science is a limited enrollment program (LEP) major at the University of Maryland (UMD).
An FAQ was developed by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences to assist students in understanding the transition of the Computer Science major and minor to a limited enrollment program. The FAQ can be found here. If you have any questions regarding the minor, please direct them to ugrad [at] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu (subject: CS%20Minor) .
In addition to the General Track the department offers three specializations, Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Machine Learning.
It is important to note, if you are starting the course sequence at CMSC131 or CMSC133, it will take a minimum of 7 semesters/terms to complete the major.
LEP Informational Sessions
The Undergraduate Advising Office will be hosting an information session for prospective internal transfer students on Wednesday, March 29 from 5:00pm - 6:00pm in the Gannon Auditorium (IRB 0318).
Admissions Information
Student Qualifications
Students are required to complete the following gateway criteria to be eligible for the major:
- Completion of CMSC 131 or CMSC 133 with a minimum grade of C-*
- Completion of CMSC 132 with a minimum grade of C-*
- Completion of MATH 140 with a minimum grade of C-*
- A minimum grade point average of 2.7 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions
* Indicates an Exemption Exam is available for this course. These exams are only available to students before they matriculate to the University of Maryland.
75-Credit Benchmark Requirements
All students will undergo a benchmark review after they complete 75 cumulative credits or after their second semester in the major, whichever comes second. Students in the major are required to complete the following courses:
- Completion of CMSC 330 with a minimum grade of C-
- Completion of CMSC 351 with a minimum grade of C-
- Completion of a STAT4XX course (prerequisite: MATH141) with a minimum grade of C- or MATH/AMSC/STAT course (prerequisite: MATH141) with a minimum grade of C-
- A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions
Application Process
Per the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the LEP application is made available following the add/drop deadline of each semester. Internal Transfer students should complete the application during the semester in which they complete all required gateway courses or at the end of the semester. For more information, including application deadlines, visit the Undergraduate Admissions Current Student LEP Admissions page.
Important Note: If you are completing CMSC132 over the summer session, you are not eligible for the June deadline. You should apply for the January deadline.
LEP Guidelines
The following guidelines pertain to all Limited Enrollment Programs
- Only one gateway or performance review course may be repeated to earn the required grade (C- or higher) and that course may only be repeated once. When more than one course can satisfy a gateway requirement, taking a second course from the list will count as a repeat. (Please note that a grade of "W" is considered an attempt.)
- Students may apply only once to an LEP.
- Students who were directly admitted and fail to meet the performance review criteria will be dismissed from the major and may not reapply.
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 after admission to an LEP. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the major.
Admissions Decisions
If you have been admitted to the Computer Science major as an internal transfer student, an email will be sent to your email of record, with steps to complete the major change process. These steps must be completed prior to the start of the upcoming semester. You will receive permission for your next semester CMSC coursework when you are accepted to the Computer Science major. We ask that you do not fill out the non-major request form.
You will receive permission for your CMSC coursework when you are accepted to the Computer Science major. We ask that you do not fill out the non-major request form.
Course Permissions
Internal transfer students applying for the Computer Science LEP will receive permissions for courses once they are accepted into the Computer Science major. We ask that students do not fill out the non-major request form. We cannot grant permissions prior to your registration date.
For summer courses: If you are applying for the Computer Science LEP by the fifth business day of June and wish to take courses over the summer, you will fill out the non-major request form.
Resources
- General Program Questions? We can be reached at ugrad [at] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu or 301.405.2672. When emailing, please include your full name and 9-digit UID.
- Questions Regarding Admissions Decisions? Contact ApplyMaryland [at] umd [dot] edu
- Want to make sure that Computer Science is right for you? Visit the University of Maryland's Computer, Data and Information Sciences page for information regarding the different computing majors on campus.
- The College of Computer, Math, and Natural Sciences offers internal transfer prospective student workshops throughout the semester. A link to those will be posted when they are available.