Your first-year experience in the Clark School of Engineering will be challenging, exciting and fun. You'll learn things that you'll use throughout your life, meet new people, make life-long friends, study subjects you didn't even know existed, and broaden your horizons to include new ideas and abilities.

There will be many other new students going through the same experiences as you, but you won't be just a face in the crowd, or just a name on a class list. There are upper class students who will assist in your acclimation. And, of course, your professors will be available for any help or advice that you might need.

One question that always comes up from prospective students: "What courses will I be taking as a freshman in the Clark School?" The answer is somewhat dependent on the particular major that you choose and any AP credits that you have. But, in general, the first year is very similar for all majors. Below you'll find a "typical" schedule for a first-year student.

Above: If you don't know what this is now, you will after Engineering Statics (ENES 102), where you'll learn how different materials respond to a variety of forces.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credits

Please visit the university's Transfer Credit Center to learn more about campus policies for accepting these credits.

The Clark School of Engineering is home to many unique programs that provide students opportunities outside of the classroom. These include participation in cutting-edge research, working with other students to develop and build a new company, tackling real-world engineering problems and providing technical expertise in developing countries around the world.

Here is a sampling of some of our distinctive and innovative programs:

Center for Minorities in Science & Engineering
The center provides academic support services and outreach programs to recruit, retain and graduate African-American, Hispanic-American and Native-American engineering students.

Engineering Co-op & Career Services
The Clark School's cooperative education and internship programs are true partnerships between the school and the world of work. Our programs give students practical experience in industry or government, a blend of theory and application, and new skills and knowledge. They also provide competitive salaries, travel opportunities, a confidence boost and understanding of what to expect in a job, career and life.

Hinman CEOs
Hinman CEOs is a living/learning program offered to undergraduate students who have demonstrated interest and potential strength in entrepreneurial ventures. An award-winning, joint effort of the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Hinman CEOs encourages the participation of students from a broad range of academic disciplines and from diverse and under-represented groups.

Above Photo: Students in the Hinman CEOs program focus on product development research and the creation of business plans. Some students have actually launched their own companies through the university’s Technology Advancement Program.

College Park Scholars
College Park Scholars is a community of eleven special living-learning programs for academically talented first- and second-year students. Each program focuses on a specific theme—such as Science, Technology and Society, Science and Global Change, or Science, Discovery and the Universe—and offers specially designed courses and experiences that relate to its theme. Students take classes together and live together in selected residence halls.

Undergraduate Honors Programs

Engineering Honors Programs broaden and intensify our best students' academic experiences by deepening each student's involvement in all aspects of the learning process. The aerospace engineering and electrical & computer engineering departments offer honors programs as well as the Clark School's Engineering Honors Program

Gemstone
Honors students with varied interests and majors are invited to participate in Gemstone, a unique program that integrates technological and social issues into team research projects guided by a faculty mentor and spanning all four undergraduate years.

MERIT
The Clark School's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with support from the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Laboratory, offers exciting research opportunities for undergraduate students through the Maryland Engineering Research Internship Teams. MERIT focuses on computer engineering and microelectronics, combining cutting-edge, team-based research with technical and educational seminars.

QUEST Program
The University of Maryland's Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams Program (QUEST) brings together high-achieving students to solve participating companies' quality problems using the Six Sigma system. QUEST is a collaborative team-based program led by an interdisciplinary faculty from the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the A. James Clark School of Engineering. QUEST admits students from those schools as well as the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences.

Science, Technology, and Society Certificate
The 21-credit certificate enables students to take a coherent array of courses in CORE and upper-level electives from across the university. These courses typically study the interactions of science and society or of technology and society. The program culminates in a Capstone seminar and students writing a paper on a topic of their choice.

Student Societies
The Clark School of supports more than 30 active student societies, such as the Engineering Student Council, departmental honor and professional societies and special interest organizations.

Study Abroad Programs
Students may elect to study abroad for one semester or two and also to work abroad for a summer or semester. At present, students can study or work abroad in many countries around the world including areas of Europe, Asia and North America. Some study/work abroad programs require fluency in the native language, while other programs offer courses or work opportunities in English.

Women in Engineering Program (WIE)
WIE is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of women engineering students at the pre-college, undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Clark School of Engineering offers nine different undergraduate degree programs:

Aerospace Engineering

Understanding flight, exploring space and designing components, vehicles and systems are the abiding interests of the faculty and students at the Clark School's Department of Aerospace Engineering. Specializations include aeronautics, astronautics, rotorcraft and hypersonics. See also: So You Want to be an Astronaut?

Bioengineering

The undergraduate program in bioengineering is founded in biology, driven by human health issues, and is forward-thinking. Our objective is to marry the principles and applications embedded in engineering with the sciences of biology, medicine, and health.

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Chemical and biomolecular engineering combine chemical, physical and life sciences with engineering to solve a wide variety of problems. The graduate in this major finds interesting and diverse career opportunities in such fields as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, polymers and biotechnologies.

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil and environmental engineering is a very diverse field, concerned with such things as planning, design, construction and operation of large systems such as buildings and bridges; water purification and distribution systems; traffic and transportation systems; and water and land pollution treatment.

Computer Engineering

Computer technology is everywhere in our lives, and there is high demand for professionals who understand and can integrate these technologies. Computer engineers combine expertise in hardware systems with knowledge of software and applications. Graduates find opportunities in a wide variety of areas, from computer networks to robotics.

Electrical Engineering

Graduates of the electrical engineering program can work on many exciting projects, such as new data networks, emerging digital technologies, faster computers and innovative communications systems. The program has a variety of specializations including telecommunications, controls, and microelectronics.

Fire Protection Engineering

Fire protection engineering provides graduates with the tools needed to safeguard lives and property from fire. Undergraduate students receive a unique education (see sidebar) that focuses on topics such as fire-related safety, suppression systems, and health and environmental issues.

Materials Science and Engineering

Many major advances in science and technology, from computer chips to hypersonic aircraft, are attributable to advances in the underlying materials systems. Materials Science and Engineering is a multidisciplinary field focused on developing materials and materials systems for future technological advancements.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is a dynamic and expanding field with emphasis in such areas as energy, thermal sciences, and instrumentation. New programs in manufacturing, microelectronics, and nanotechnology prepare our graduates for the emerging technologies of the 21st century.

The Mini Baja competition, sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers International, challenged student members to design, build, test, promote and race their own formula-style and off-road recreational vehicles. Mechanical engineering students built their vehicle as part of a special projects class and received academic credit for their efforts. The Maryland Mini Baja took 1st in the Hill Climb event also won 3rd in the Acceleration event, also performing well in maneuverability category.

Fall Friday Information Sessions will begin on Friday, September 6 and will continue through Friday, December 13.  There will be no information session held on Friday, November 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday Recess. Sessions begin at 1:00pm and end by approximately 2:30pm.

The locations of the sessions will be Glenn Martin Hall room 0110 on the following dates:

• September 6
• October 4
• November 1
• December 6

All other Friday Information Sessions will be held in room 1131 Glenn Martin Hall. 

Please sign up an upcoming information session by clicking one of the links below:

• Friday, September 6, 2013
• Friday, September 13, 2013
• Friday, September 20, 2013
• Friday, September 27, 2013
• Friday, October 4, 2013
• Friday, October 11, 2013
• Friday, October 18, 2013
• Friday, October 25, 2013
• Friday, November 1, 2013
• Friday, November 8, 2013
• Friday, November 15, 2013
• Friday, November 22, 2013
• Friday, December 6, 2013
• Friday, December 13, 2013”

Want to learn more about engineering at Maryland? Join current students for an engineering presentation and tour of some of our facilities.  We discuss the majors, research projects, and special programs and tour our newest engineering building.

We recommend including the general campus visit with your engineering visit. Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for information regarding My Maryland sessions or campus walking tours. You may want to begin with a My Maryland session at 10:00 a.m. or a Terrapin Tour at 11:00 a.m., have lunch on campus, and then visit engineering.

Please note:  No information sessions will be held when the university is closed.  Please check our events page for other activities.

Check out these links to:

• Schedule a campus visit
• View a campus map showing the location of Glenn L. Martin Hall [pdf]
• Learn more about the facilities and features of the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building

If you have questions, contact prospengr@umd.edu.

Engineers provide solutions to opportunities and challenges that affect us all. From the environment, energy, new product design, to national security, engineers have an active role in virtually every area of human life.

As a Clark School Engineer, you will have the opportunity to build a foundation of skills and knowledge that will benefit the world in a very special and unique way.
 

An aerospace engineer works on RANGER, the University of Maryland's space hardware assembly robot.  The engineer shown is testing RANGER in our Neutral Buoyancy Research Facility located on campus. Learn more about amazing job opportunities for engineers like you!

Engineers Without Borders is a program designed to help underpriviledged communities gather support from engineers around the world. Clark School Engineers travel all over the globe to help those in need. This is a student in Thailand helping install a clean water system into their rural village. This one system will bring clean water to the community for 10 years! Learn more about Engineers Without Borders, and how you can help do your part.
 

Fall 2013 Events

We're looking forward to your visit to the Clark School of Engineering, and we will host a variety of events so you can learn more about your opportunities in engineering.

Engineering Information Sessions

All students are welcome to join us for an engineering information session and tour.  We hold sessions on Fridays and showcase engineering classrooms and labs.

Tours and Open Houses

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers campus tours and other programs.  Please see their website for more information.

Visit Maryland Day

• October 14, 2013
• October 25, 2013

Typical Schedule:

• 8:00-10:00am:  Information Fair
• 10:00-10:15am:  Welcome and Overview of the A. James Clark School of Engineering
• 10:20-11:15am:  Engineering Departmental Presentations
• 11:20am-12:00pm:  Departmental Information Fair and Kim Building Tours
• 1:00pm:  Facility Tours (ie Space Systems Lab, KEYSTONE Lab)

Maryland Marquee Days

• September 14, 2013
• October 19, 2013

The A. James Clark School of Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate students outstanding resources for their academic pursuits—innovative research opportunities, world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. But that's not all you'll find here. You'll also be part of the University of Maryland community, which offers its own array of resources and opportunities to learn, grow and have fun.

A Great Place to Put an Engineering School

The University of Maryland is a research university—more than 3,000 research projects are underway here at any one time. It's also a large and vibrant community with many things to do. On campus, you'll find nationally ranked sports teams, great theater, music and arts, and clubs and organizations for every interest. Washington, D.C., and Baltimore are close by, with mountains in western Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean to the east. Of course, you can't beat the steamed crabs. At the Clark School, you'll find that it's a real advantage to be a part of the University of Maryland.

To learn more about life at and around the University of Maryland, including dining, diversions, events, university services, student organizations, special programs and campus jobs, visit the university's Campus Life page, or visit the Clark School and the University of Maryland in person.

Competitions

The Clark School has several competitions and challenges for our undergraduates. More information.

Maryland Stats

• Undergraduate enrollment: about 25,000
• Student/faculty ratio: 18/1
• Male/female ratio: 1/1
• Students of color: 34%
• Acres: 1,200
• Swimming pools: 2 indoor, 1 outdoor
• Library books: 3 million
• Alumni: 258,000
• Employers recruiting on campus: 335
• 500-pound bronze terrapins on campus: 3

The University of Maryland and the Clark School of Engineering recognize the critical importance of a diverse student body and are strongly committed to ethnic and gender diversity.

Within the Clark School of Engineering are two offices, the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering (CMSE) and the Women in Engineering Program (WIE). Their mission is to recruit, retain, and graduate underrepresented minorities and female students in the engineering and science fields. CMSE and WIE offer many programs, including mentoring, research internships, and summer programs, all of which are designed to aid in maintaining diversity goals.

Supporting the efforts of CMSE and WIE, and providing valuable assistance to the Clark School, are three student societies—the Black Engineers Society, the Society of Hispanic Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers.

Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering (CMSE)

The Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering provides academic support services and outreach programs designed to recruit, retain, and graduate African American, Hispanic American, and Native American engineering students.

Women in Engineering (WIE)

The Women in Engineering program is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of women engineering students at the pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate levels.

The Black Engineers Society (BES)

The Black Engineers Society (BES) is the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers at the University of Maryland. Their primary focus is to recruit, retain and release qualified minorities into fields of computer science, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

The goal of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is to assist students in all engineering and science fields with their academic and professional development. They also provide information on work opportunities and scholarships targeting Hispanics.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a program within the Clark School of Engineering, run by faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. It is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of women engineering students at the pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate levels.

There are several disciplines within engineering—different starting points for solving engineering problems. We suggest that you look at them all so you have a better idea of the possibilities available. At the Clark School, we've organized these fields within seven departments:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Bioengineering
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Fire Protection Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

These departments offer nine different undergraduate majors. There are also opportunities for multidisciplinary learning and research in each. See Engineering Majors.

Applying for Admission

Students who wish to study at the Clark School apply for admission to the University of Maryland; there is not a separate application for the Clark School. When filling out the university application, you may choose one of the engineering majors, or, if you're not sure exactly which one you want, you may choose "Undecided Engineering" and select a major later (usually after your first two semesters).

If you don't yet know which major is most interesting to you, don't worry—30 to 35 percent of our incoming students are typically in the "Undecided" category. And, since the first year of each major is very similar, it's fairly easy to change majors.

Undergraduate Admissions will help you to get better acquainted with the university and its admissions process, to apply online or to download the application booklet.

Prospective undergraduate engineering students may also send admission inquiries to: prospengr@umd.edu.

Fueled by nearly 200 world-class faculty members dedicated to scholarship and research, more than $125 million in research expenditures, and state-of-the-art labs in the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building, the Clark School offers students the chance to participate in graduate study in the following areas:

• Aerospace Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Bioengineering (M.S., Ph.D)
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Computer Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Electrical Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Fire Protection Engineering (M.S.)
• Master's Program in Telecommunications (M.S.)
• Materials Science and Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Mechanical Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Nuclear Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Professional Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
• Project Management (M.S., M.Eng, Ph.D.)
• Reliability Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Systems Engineering (M.S.)
   

The critical issues facing the world today increasingly call for the expertise of engineers. The Master of Engineering & Public Policy program (MEPP) offered jointly by the Clark School and the School of Public Policy, creates leaders who understand the social context of their work, and policy analysts who have a real knowledge of engineering sciences.

In addition, students may participate in cross-disciplinary programs offered by the school's institutes and centers, ranging from nanotechnology to chaos theory to intelligent transportation and many others, and in long-established partnerships with industry and government labs and other schools.

Doctoral students should explore the Clark School’s Future Faculty Program, which trains students for teaching positions at leading engineering schools. The Clark School's graduate programs are ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report and other surveys.

Prospective students are encouraged to communicate with Clark School faculty to learn about programs and opportunities. Applications are made to the University of Maryland Graduate School, which provides information about requirements, applications materials, criteria, schedules, resources, finances and other topics.