University of Maryland

Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland actually opened as a small agricultural school designed for students who wanted to study farming and similar topics. As the college initially had an enrollment of fewer than 40 students and many students and faculty left to fight during the Civil War, the school faced bankruptcy. Selling a portion of its land and increasing its course offerings helped the college stay afloat. Now known as the University of Maryland, the campus serves as the main or flagship campus in the UM School System and offers more than 120 undergraduate degrees and more than 110 graduate degree programs.

The University of Maryland ranks on both a national and global scale. ARWU ranked UM the highest of all organizations at number 30 on its list of top national colleges, but Forbes, Washington Monthly and U.S. News and World Report all ranked the university within their own lists of top 100 schools in the nation. ARWU, QS and Times all called the University of Maryland one of the top 100 schools around the world as well. Less than 47% of all students who apply to the university receive an acceptance letter, which makes it one of the more selective schools in the state. The university currently has an enrollment of more than 37,000 students, which includes more than 10,000 graduate and PhD students.

Accreditation Details

Many students do not stop and think about accreditation when applying to a college, but those who want a bright future should. The United States Department of Education requires that any college that wants to receive federal funding must have regional accreditation, and students cannot receive federal aid unless they attend an accredited school. The University of Maryland has regional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education or MSCHE. Individual accreditation, also known as program accreditation, is available as well. Select programs offered through the university have accreditation from organizations like:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• American Psychological Association
• Accrediting Council on Education on Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)
• American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
• American Library Association (ALA)
• Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
• Council on Rehabilitation Education
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Council on Education for Public Health
• National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation

Application Requirements

The University of Maryland allows students to apply for PhD programs up to one year before the new year starts. Those entering its graduate school in the fall semester can begin the application process in August of the previous year. The university uses the Hobsons ApplyYourself Graduate Admissions System. This system requires that all prospective students create an account with the system, answer all the questions in that system and mail or arrange for the submission of any verifying documents. The application asks about the program the student wants to enter, his or her background and any degrees the student already has or will finish before starting classes.

UM also requires that students arrange for the program they want to enroll in to receive three letters of recommendation from employers, professors or professional peers. Some programs may require more or less letters, which is why students should always contact the department for more information. Students entering a Master's program will also need to submit scores from the GRE or a similar tests, and those entering one of the PhD programs may need to submit test scores as well. The last step in the application process is the payment of a $75 application fee that students must pay after completing each step in the process.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The total cost of attending the University of Maryland depends on the number of classes/credit hours that students take. Tuition rates start at $632 per credit hour for Maryland residents and rises to $1,363 for those who live in a different state. A full time student who takes nine credit hours of classes will pay around $6,400 as a resident and around $13,000 as a non-resident. This amount includes fees for using facilities on campus. Many programs are also available through the university's online system, which reduces the cost students face. Though they are still responsible for the same tuition rates, online students pay less in fees.

All students entering the University of Maryland should submit the FAFSA after applying. Th university uses their responses to determine whether students will receive any federal loans or grants that will reduce the cost of tuition. Students who live on campus can also apply for individual programs that pay some of their costs. They may work as a research assistant or teaching assistant, and the university has some fellowship programs available. Many of these programs provide students with a stipend for living expenses, and some programs cover the cost of tuition and fees as well.

Business PhD Program

The Business PhD program is a doctoral program available through the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Students entering the program must select a concentration from one of the eight available, which include accounting and information assurance, finance, information services, marketing, managerial economics, strategic management, organizational behavior and operations management. There is also an international business minor available for students who want to work for major corporations that do international business overseas. Each program requires that students take six courses in the concentration they select that give them a better understanding of the topic. For example, a marketing student may take courses like consumer behavior and current research issues.

Students must also take four research courses that teach them how to develop strong research skills that will assist them on the job and in school. The University of Maryland also allows students to select a minor and take four courses in that subject. All business students must take two MBA courses as well. Some of the concentrations, including the accounting program, require that students write a research paper after three semesters in the program and present that paper in front of faculty members. The University of Maryland requires a paper component to ensure students fully understand the business topics they study.