Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below are the questions most frequently asked of the Graduate School staff and their answers. We encourage you to follow the links provided to information already included on the Graduate School website. If you still have questions after reviewing the information, please contact the appropriate Graduate School staff member or Graduate Program representative.
AdmissionsCurrent Students (Progressions)
Degree Completion and Graduation
Admissions
Application fee
Q. I cannot afford to pay the application fee; can I pay it after I am admitted?
A. No; applications are not processed until the fee has been received.
Application materials
Q. Do I need to send in all my application materials at the same time, or can some things be sent separately?
A. Your application materials may be sent separately (as long as your name is on each document); they do not all need to arrive at the same time.
Application to another program
Q. If I have already been admitted to one graduate program but want to apply to another one, do I need to send in new documents?
A. You will need to send in a new application and application fee. But if you have applied to a UMBC graduate program within the past two years, we will still have your supplemental documents on file (e.g. transcripts). We maintain your documents even longer if you have enrolled as a graduate student at UMBC.
Deadlines
Q. Where can I find out when the deadline is for submitting my application?
A. Please refer to the Applications Requirements and Deadlines chart.
Denials
Q. Why was I denied admission?
A. Contact the graduate program to which you applied. Most programs will explain the reasons for a denial decision. The Graduate School does not provide this information.
GRE exams
Q. Do I need to take the general GRE or the subject GRE?
A. Please refer to the Applications Requirements and Deadlines chart. If you still have questions, please contact your graduate program’s representative.
International applicants
Q. I am an international student. What do I need to do to apply?
A. Please refer to International Admissions section of this website.
Letters of recommendation
Q. I am having problems with getting my on-line letters of recommendation submitted. What do I do?
A. Contact Nick Yeates in the Graduate School.
Orientation fee
Q. I am not able to attend the August/January orientation for new students; can I have the fee waived?
A. The only newly admitted degree-seeking students whose orientation fee is waived are those who are enrolled in a totally-online program. All other studuents are assessed the fee, whether or not you attend the orientation events.
Professional Schools at UMBC
Q. Where can I find out information about your medical, or dental, or social work, or pharmacy, or business school?
A. Please visit www.umaryland.edu to learn more about these schools. UMBC does not offer these programs.
Residency
Q. I have been classified by the University as “out-of-state,” even though I am a long-time resident of Maryland. Why?
A. In most cases this happened because you left unanswered some questions on the residency form; contact Vicki Greisman in the Graduate School for assistance.
Status of application
Q. How do I find out the status of my application—either whether all my documents have been received, or whether an admission decision has been made?
A. Please refer to the Application Status section of this website.
Q. How do I find out the status of my relative’s or friend’s application?
A. Because of U.S. privacy laws, we are unable to provide information on an application to anyone but the applicant, unless he or she has provided us with a written (letter or e-mail) authorization to share this information with a specific person other than the applicant.
TOEFL
Q. I am an international student applying from India (where English is spoken). Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A. Please refer to the International Admissions section of this website. Applicants from India are required to take the TOEFL because for most Indians their native language is not English.
Q. I am an international student, and although English is not my native language, I have a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university. Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A. Please refer to the International Admissions section of this website. If you have a degree from a U.S. university, you do not need to take the TOEFL.
Q. I am an applicant whose native language is not English. I do not have a degree from a U.S. university, but I have lived for many years in the U.S. Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A. Please refer to the International Admissions section of this website. In most cases the TOEFL is required; occasionally it may be waived if your experience of working in the U.S. and speaking English is extensive. Contact Kathy Ruth in the Graduate School.)
Current Students (Progressions)
Add/Drop classes
Q. The registration period is over, but I need to add (or drop) a class. How do I do this?
A. Contact Vicki Greisman in the Graduate School for assistance.
Billing error
Q. I have a Graduate Assistantship, and have received a bill that is incorrect. How can I get it corrected?
A. Contact Kelly Caples in the Graduate School for assistance.
Blocked registration
Q. I was not registered last semester, and now I want to register this semester, but the system says I am blocked. What do I do?
A. Go to the Graduate School website for a copy of the Retroactive Leave of Absence form; fill that out; obtain the necessary signature; and bring to the Graduate School. Once the leave of absence has been approved, contact Vicki Greisman in the Graduate School for assistance in registering.
Drop only course
Q. How can I drop my only course? The system won’t let me.
A. If you are an international student, you are not allowed to drop below full-time status, because this will cause you to be legally out-of-status with U.S. Immigration. If you are a domestic student and drop your last course, this will cause you to be withdrawn from the University, unless you obtain a Leave of Absence. In such a case, contact Vicki Greisman in the Graduate School for assistance.
Inter-Institutional student
Q. I want to take courses on another campus (or I am at another campus and want to take courses at UMBC). How do I do that?
A. Go to the Inter-Institutional form and follow the instructions.
Leave of absence
Q. I need to take a leave of absence (either for past semesters or this semester). How do I do that?
A. Go to the Leave of Absence section of this website and follow directions.
Transfer to different degree-level
Q. I want to transfer from master’s to doctoral level (in the same graduate program). OR I want to transfer from a doctoral to a master’s level (in the same graduate program). How do I do that?
A. Contact your Graduate Program Director for permission.
Transfer to different graduate program
Q. I want to transfer from the program that I’m currently in to a different one. How do I do that?
A. If the new program is in the same department in which you are now enrolled, ask the Graduate Program Director for permission, and he/she will see that this transfer is officially done. If the new program is in a different department, you need to submit an entirely new application form and application fee to the Graduate School.
Transcript
Q. How can I get a copy of my UMBC transcript?
A. Please contact UMBC’s Registrar’s Office for this information.
Degree Completion and Graduation
Bound copies of dissertation/thesis
Q. How do I get personal copies of my dissertation (or thesis) bound?
A. Please refer to the Doctoral Degree Requirements and Deadlines section of this website.
Deadlines
Q. Where can I find the deadlines for degree completion and graduation?
A. Please refer to the Graduation Requirements section of this website.
Deferred graduation
Q. Last semester I submitted all my graduation forms but then deferred graduation until this next semester. Why do I have to submit all NEW forms again?
A. Because some of the information on the previously submitted forms is now different and must be updated.
Diploma fee
Q. Why do I have to pay a diploma fee?
A. The diploma fee covers all of the costs associated with your graduation: the diploma itself, your regalia, the commencement ceremony, and the administrative staff required to process your degree completion and graduation.
Extension for degree completion
Q. I have exceeded my time-to-degree allowance (e.g., 5 years for a master’s degree). What do I do to get this extended?
A. Ask your mentor to write a letter to the Senior Associate Dean, Dr. Janet Rutledge, providing an explanation for this delay in your degree completion and requesting an extension for a specific length of time.
Final semester enrollment
Q. I plan to graduate this coming semester, and I have completed all required courses. What do I register for?
A. Either register for 799 (master’s student research credit) or 899 (doctoral student research credit), or 7700 or 8800 (special study) if the research credit courses are not appropriate.
Q. Why do I have to register for something my final semester even though I have completed all degree requirements?
A. UMBC’s policy of continuous enrollment requires that you must be registered for something every semester. If you have completed all degree requirements, you may register for 7700 or 8800 special study during your final semester.