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University of Maryland Honors College
The Premier Honors College of the Nation's Capital Area
University of Maryland Honors College
The Premier Honors College of the Nation's Capital Area
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
What is the Honors College at Maryland?
The Honors College is Maryland’s highly acclaimed living-learning community for students with extraordinary aspiration and promise. We offer students the opportunity to join a community of faculty, staff and students dedicated to promoting justice and inclusivity and engaging with the world.
What is so special about Honors?
The students. Dedicated faculty and staff. The programs. Smaller classes. Honors students are intellectually energetic, full of diverse perspectives, from all majors. They are leaders in just about everything on campus. Faculty teach Honors courses on exciting, often interdisciplinary, topics. The faculty and students work together to create an exceptionally powerful and inspiring learning environment.
Can any major join the Honors College?
Absolutely. The Honors College is an interdisciplinary experience. All majors are welcome.
What can I expect in Honors?
Expect to find a wide range of opportunities to explore, including research, internships, study abroad and small, interdisciplinary, sophisticated courses with outstanding faculty who encourage you to expand your thinking. The Honors community is intellectually stimulating, diverse, inspiring and supportive.
What support does the Honors College offer to minority students?
- We’ve added anti-racist curricular and cocurricular programming;
- We’ve continued our efforts in working with the Honors Student Advisory Boards and other Honors College groups to create networks of support, mentors, faculty contact, community and opportunity. This includes PrePAIR Mentoring Program, a peer mentor program where first-year underrepresented minorities are paired with current underrepresented minority students to help guide them through their first year;
- We've established mechanisms of accountability across the Honors College to support continuous evaluation of how we are doing and to solicit major stakeholders’ input for additional actions;
- Other support resources across campus include theOffice of Diversity and Inclusion, which houses resources for the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education, the Nyumburu Cultural Center and #UMDSolidarity—events and opportunities for solidarity and reflection.
If I do not send in test scores, can I still be considered for merit scholarships and special programs?
For students applying for Fall 2025, submitting test scores is optional. This means that students applying will not be required to submit standardized test scores. Students can decide whether or not to include SAT/ACT scores with their application. All applicants will continue to be considered for admission into the Honors College and will be considered for academic merit scholarships, regardless of their submission of standardized test scores. For more information, please visit Test-Optional FAQs.
What if I didn't get into the Honors College and would like to be reconsidered?
Invitation to the Honors College is very competitive. On rare occasions, students are able to appeal to be invited to the Honors College. All requests to be considered for an appeal must be submitted by the student to honorsadmissions@umd.edu, no later than April 1. There are opportunities to apply to join the Honors College at the end of a student's freshman year.
Can I join the Honors College after my first year?
Current students who have completed one year of coursework at the University of Maryland can apply to join the Honors College. Admission for current UMD students is highly competitive and the number of spaces available is extremely limited. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required to apply.
Upperclassmen may also become members of the Honors College by joining a Departmental Honors Program in their academic department or college.
Academics
Will the Honors College limit my other academic options?
No. Depending upon your specific Honors program, you may have some extra requirements, but Honors provides opportunities rather than constraints. Honors courses punctuate your course work—they do not dominate it. Honors College students frequently complete a major and a minor, or double major, and participate in research, study abroad and internships.
What are the Honors College living-learning programs?
All students invited to join the Honors College will be placed into one of our eight living-learning programs. Students may select a specialized program with a specific topic or one that is more interdisciplinary. Living-learning programs range from two-year programs like the multidisciplinary University Honors (UH), Interdisciplinary Business Honors (IBH) and Honors Global Communities (HGLO) to the more focused Design Cultures & Creativity (DCC), Honors Humanities (HH), Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) and Integrated Life Sciences (ILS), to the multidisciplinary four-year research program, Gemstone (GEMS). Programs are not connected to majors. They are designed to allow you to explore your varied intellectual interests.
Learn more about our living-learning programs.
Are the Honors programs connected to one's major?
Not necessarily. Each program is designed to allow you to explore your varied intellectual interests, all while completing 15-18 credits that are intended to fit into your degree plan's general education requirements.
Does the Honors College accept AP/IB examination credit?
AP and IB credits do not count towards honors citation requirements. However, the university does accept these credits, which often gives students the flexibility to declare a double major or to pursue other exciting opportunities such as study abroad.
VisitTransfer Credit Servicesfor more information and a comprehensive chart of the university's credit exemptions.
What is the difference between the Honors College and Departmental Honors?
The Honors Citation (for completing the requirements in a living-learning program, or LLP) is a transcript notation that is typically completed during a student's first two years on campus. Departmental Honors is for upperclass students and results in a diploma notation. Many Honors students complete both the Honors Citation and earn Departmental Honors.
If students decide to defer their admission for a year, can they maintain their status in their living-learning program?
Deferrals requests must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (OUA). If approved, the invitation to the Honors College and the LLP are also deferred for one year. More information can be obtained by contacting OUA.
Do Honors students receive priority registration?
No, priority for registration for classes is based on the number of credits a student has. However, Honors students have priority to all the campus Honors version courses and exclusive access to Honors courses each year.
Are scholarships available to Honors College students?
Honors College students are often recipients of both merit and need-based scholarships and awards. Admission to the Honors College does not guarantee a scholarship award. All students who wish to be considered for merit or need-based financial aid should apply by the priority deadline of November 1 and complete the FAFSA form by the university deadline. Merit awards offered to a select group of incoming freshmen include the Banneker/Key Scholarships, the President’s Scholarship and the Dean’s Scholarship.
Scholarships are also available for students who are already here. The best options for these are usually departmental scholarships, so depending on the student's major, they will want to check with the department or college. Additionally, the Scholarships office on campus is available to help students apply for national and international scholarships, and our Honors students are often well-prepared for these awards.
When will I be notified about my living-learning program?
Students who submitted their preferences by the mid-February deadline can expect to be notified by the second week of March. Students who submit their preferences after the mid-February deadline will be notified before the end of April.
May I switch living-learning programs?
Newly admitted students who have not yet started their LLP curriculum may request to change LLPs prior to June 1 by contacting us at honorsadmissions@umd.edu. We will make changes based on space available in the program and program director approval.
Current students may apply to transfer from their current Honors College living-learning program to any other program within the Honors College. Students should note that living-learning program space is limited, therefore transfer approval is also based upon availability.
Housing
What are the housing options for Honors College students?
All eight Honors programs are living-learning communities, each with its own residence hall. Honors College students currently live in either the Ellicott Community (LaPlata, Ellicott Halls), the Heritage Community (Pyon Chen, Johnson-Whittle Halls), or the North Hill Community (Prince Frederick, Anne Arundel, Dorchester Halls). Some of our programs have housing requirements (ACES, Integrated Life Sciences and Interdisciplinary Business Honors), while others highly suggest you live in their assigned residence hall. You should ask a living-learning program director about housing options if you think you might choose to live outside the program’s residence hall.
Is there air-conditioning in the residence halls?
Some residence halls do not have A/C. However, the common rooms within those residence halls do have A/C. Current students have said that having no A/C has actually helped get to know other students, since they all congregate within the common areas. More information on the Resident Life website.
