Transfer Students | Undergraduate Computer Science at UMD

Transfer Students

Limited enrollment has been implemented effective Fall 2019 for the Computer Science major and applies to new freshmen, new transfer students, and internal transfer students changing majors within the University.

Transfer students are encouraged to attend a prospective student workshop hosted by the Computer Science department. They are also encouraged to speak with the pre-transfer advising program prior to submitting their application to the University of Maryland.

Admissions Information

Admission to the University of Maryland and admission to the Computer Science major are separate processes that occur in your application to the University. You will want to refer to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for more information regarding the transfer student admission process.

International Applicants should refer to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions International Applicant Requirements.

Students transferring to the University of Maryland with an interest in Computer Science who have met all gateway requirements listed below will be admitted directly into Computer Science (on a space availability basis). Students who are admitted to the University of Maryland but who have not yet completed the gateway requirements will be admitted to the department of Letters and Sciences.

Computer Science Gateway Requirements

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.

75-Credit Benchmark Requirements

All students will undergo a benchmark review at 75 credits or after their second semester in the major (whichever comes later). 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

Limited Enrollment Program (LEP) Guidelines

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; this includes courses attempted at other institutions. 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 and must be repeated.)
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.

Exemption Exams

If you have been admitted to the University of Maryland and have completed computer science coursework at a previous institution or have prior programming experience, please read more about exemption exams prior to attending orientation. Depending on your scores, you may be able to exempt out of one or more introductory computer science course(s). Once you start classes at UMD, you will be ineligible to take these exams.

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 Department of Computer Science offers Prospective Student Workshops for incoming first-year and transfer students. The dates for which can be found on our Prospective Student page

Frequently Asked Questions

Are AP and IB credit accepted to fulfill LEP gateway requirements?

Answer:

Yes. The specific way in which AP/IB credit is handled depends on the score and UMD course equivalency. Please see the list of specific gateway course requirements for details. Please review information about prior learning credit for AP and IB courses, required scores and course equivalency. The University currently grants credit for AP Computer Science A (but not AP Computer Science Principles) as well as AP and IB Calculus.

How does my Associate's Degree affect my academic plan?

Answer:

If you have an associate's degree from a Maryland public institution and you have completed 40 credits of General Education coursework, you no longer are required to complete General Education requirements, with the exception of Fundamental Studies Professional Writing (FSPW).

How long will it take to graduate after I transfer?

Answer:

A general rule of thumb is that students who start with CMSC131 will take a minimum of 7 semesters to complete the Computer Science degree requirements. However, all students road to graduation is different and depends on myriad factors. To start the academic planning process, you should review the degree requirements for your intended specialization:

How will I be notified if I am accepted to the Computer Science major?

Answer:

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will contact you via email. The Computer Science department does not have information regarding the status of your admissions decision.

How will my credits transfer?

Answer:

If you are transferring from a community college, the University of Maryland will accept a maximum of 60 credits; 90 credits from a four-year institution. If you would like to see if your courses will transfer as direct UMD courses, please review the Transfer Credit Database or speak with the Pre-Transfer Advising Office.

I was admitted to Computer Science, what do I do next?

Answer:

You are required to attend a transfer student orientation. During orientation, you will be introduced to the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the Department of Computer Science. You will speak with an academic advisor in the department who will assist you in registering for your courses based on previous coursework and any Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit.

What happens if I am not directly admitted into Computer Science?

Answer:

If you are an external applicant and were not directly admitted to Computer Science, you will be admitted to your second choice of major (if you had one) or placed into Letters and Sciences. While in your second choice of major or Letters and Sciences, you will be eligible to complete the gateway requirements and apply via the LEP application.
If you are an external applicant and are currently completing the gateway requirements and will have them by the time you start attending UMD, you should speak with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions regarding a review of your final transcripts once you have completed the necessary coursework. You will need to accept your offer by the deadline given in your acceptance letter.