What are the academics like at University of Maryland-Baltimore County?

Erin

Academics are taught by people that are innovators in their field and very passionate about their work. I enjoy my classes and I also appreciate the teaching techniques that are implemented

Jonathan

Academics is what its all about at UMBC. Most professors know me by name. The ones that don't, know me shortly after. UMBC is obsessed, almost too much, with the undergraduate experience. And as such, I've seen a shift from paper and pencil to group tactics in the classroom. It's quite astounding the difference that is made by that move. Since I am a science major, I spend a lot of time in labs. I love the laboratory aspect of my major, because I like the hands-on nature of learning. My favorite classes have been outside of the sciences though. I have studied Russian relentlessly, and I have loved every single class I've taken. There normally VERY small and very intimate, and the one-on-one experience has been life changing. Normally, our classes always involved a lot of conversation about modern topics and the daily news.

Ty

The quality of the classes at UMBC is definitely something to brag about. Every professor I've had has been well organized and has had a pronounced interest in the material he/she is teaching. The professors are also easy to get in contact with. Most have convenient office hours and respond to emails quickly. Class size ranges drastically. In my first semester I had an Environmental Science class with 120 other students and another class with only 11 other students in it entitled Mathematics and What it Means to be Human. Although professors are fair and the workload is only slightly above average, math and science classes at UMBC are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. The general education requirements, however, only require one math class and two science classes. The UMBC mentality is truly one that embraces interdisciplinary learning. I feel that each class I take is preparing me for life after graduation and internships I can work during my undergraduate career.

Yong

The academics are very well-disciplined. Some classes are very large, but most of the large classes have discussion sections composed of a small number of students. Professors or TA's usually know my name because the campus is not really big. Therefore, I can easily get help. My favorite classes are science classes, including Biology and Chemistry classes. The professors are very enthusiastic and helpful, and I enjoy listening to their lectures. Because most classes are small, class participation is very common. Students are very enthusiastic too, just like the professors. My major is Biochemistry, and the school provides a lot of support. I am also in the Honors College, so I have extra opportunities to get to know professors and intellectual students.

Ty

The quality of the classes at UMBC are definitely something to brag about. Every professor I've had has been well-organized and has had a pronounced interest in the material he/she is teaching. The professors are also easy to get in contact with. Most have convenient office hours and respond to emails quickly. Class size ranges drastically. In my first semester I had an Environmental Science class with 120 other students and another class with only 11 other students in it entitled Mathematics and What it Means to be Human. Although professors are fair and the workload is only slightly above average, math and science classes at UMBC are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. The general education requirements, however, only require one math class and two science classes. The UMBC mentality is truly one that embraces interdisciplinary learning. I feel that each class I take is preparing me for life after graduation and internships I can work during my undergraduate career.

Thomas

Ty

Timileyin

Academics at UMBC are tough but you will learn a lot. Depending in your major, classes can range from 25 students to 300 students. The smaller the class, the more likely you will get to know your teacher. If you make the effort, you can still get to know your teacher in a 300 people class. Depending on the class, class participation may not be common. For example, in my cell biology class we did not participate in class but we had to answer questions using a clicker device during lecture. Students are studying all the time and especially during finals week, but we can still maintain an active social life. The school is very competitive especially for any pre-professional concentration that you maybe in. There is added pressure to do well from faculty and advisors. The competition is something that is not outright apparent. The most unique class I have taken is Shakespeare in Film. I liked the class, it was very interesting and I learned about filming techniques and how directors has different interpretation of Shakespeare's plays. I am biology, public health, and history major. The biology major is interesting and I learn a lot. This major is my most challenging major because of the amount of knowledge they tell us during one semester is a lot. The great thing about this major is that there is a curves in most of the class, allowing you to have lower grade and still be able to get an A. The professors in this department are hard but they mean well. Many times I do not talk to my professors and just talk to TA's when I need help. My public health major is interesting but I feel that the classes are not as challenging as biology. The professors in this major are nice and will prepare you for getting into graduate school by having recruiters come to class and talk to us about overall graduate school process. The professors in this major are very approachable and understanding. My history major is challenging but in a different way from biology because the professors do not want you to regurgitate facts but to think analytically at the problems faced in that part of history we are talking about. The professors for the most part are nice but some of them tend to expect way too much for an introductory class. The academic requirements for this school are tedious but are not too bad. There is a lot of requirements and depending on your major there may be additional requirements. I believe that it is manageable. Our education is geared towards finding a job or continuing toward further education.

Fatima

The school work on its own isn't very hard but it's just a lot of WORK. You need to stay on top of your game and take things head on. High school procrastination is definitely something that you cannot carry on with you once you start college. Everyone says that your first semester of college isn't really a big deal. False. Although the first semester of your college career may not be a big deal in actuality, it really hits the core when you find out close to finals week that you're failing more than half of your classes because you slacked off after attending the first two days of classes, deciding that it wasn't necessary to attend lectures that were not mandatory. However, even if your professors say that classes are not mandatory, I beg of you - go to class! By going to class, talking to the TAs, asking questions, and visiting office hours, professors will know you by name and may even bump you up a decimal of a point or two at the end of the year if you're on a borderline grade. I may sound like another repetitive professor in the classroom, but trust me. I just got done with my first semester of college and boy, did it hit hard. But it really isn't all about books, books, books. Sure, you're going to hear every single student in the library cafe talking about their mind-boggling with new ideas and the struggle of figuring out what they want to major in when they're done 3/4 of their college career. And then you'll see those kids who just hang around the Commons the whole time in the Game Room or Sportszone but pass all their classes. My point being here is this--whether you work your lazy little butt off or your smarts are inked in to your genes, you can do it while having fun. There isn't much competition between peers and friends are easy to make. With so much diversity, it would be impossible not to make friends. Then when the time comes to skip a class because of a family emergency and you send out a mass email to the class roster for the notes you missed, you can count on getting a handful of replies that supply you with more notes than you could have ever even imagined of taking. UMBC is a very career-oriented school. if you come in with a path set in mind, it will be that easier for you to get your requirements done. But for those of us who still aren't sure what we want to do with our lives or haven't even begun to think about it, well, that is where general graduation requirements come in. You can take any gen ed. classes that you like your first semester of college if you aren't sure of what to take. Or you can do the basic math, science, english, and humanities class. But of course, if you're the plan ahead type of guy or girl, you may already be able to get into Biology141, Chemistry101, Math150, and a linguistics course which is what I did seeing as I am majoring in Major Languages and Linguistics while on the Pre-Med track. Oh, yes. The pre-med track. For all of you pre-professional students out there who want to go into pre-law, pre-vet, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmarcy, or pre-med, hear me out. You DO NOT need to major in a science related field to go pursue a career in any one of these fields. You can major in photography or music or english and still become a world renowned cardiologist. Your major defines YOU. Your pre-professional track only guides you to the classes that you will be required to have completed in order to apply to your school after undergrad--in my case, Medical school. I know this is a lot to take in, especially if you're a senior in high school right now and have no idea what to do with your life. But taking it one step at a time and with the help of the people around you, you will master it all. College is just the game. Life itself is the real thing. This is just the beginning.

Fatima

Grace

I've noticed that unlike other school, many of the courses here are only 3 credits unless it's a science or math course. But don't let the credits fool you, UMBC has some pretty rigorous courses even at the 100 level. Many of the classes here (at least the ones I've taken) have your grade consist of a few exams and possibly a paper, you're not given any busy work. This may be great for some people or a struggle for others but either way, you'll need to study hard if you want to make it in this university. Many of the professors I've interacted with are nice and usually respond to your emails fairly quickly. If you need help, all you need to do is ask them a question because many of them are eager to answer; they don't want their students to fail because that would look bad on their part. I'm currently a political science major and a psychology and philosophy minor and have taken classes in all three fields. All of the classes are uniquely interesting and won't completely destroy your life with studying and work. The most unique class I've probably taken so far is abnormal psychology (psych285) where my professor (who is a psychiatrist) goes into grave detail about he disagrees with many aspects of psychology and his arguments are actually convincing. He tells many tales about former patients he's had that coincide with the particular disorder we were learning about the stories are so bizarre, it really makes you remember the material. I wouldn't say that students are competitive at all but a lot of them are really focused on their education and want to get the most out of their money.

Martina

If you are looking for a school that offers high quality academics in a great setting than UMBC is the place for you. The work can be hard but there are many resources set in place to help you succeed. All teachers are required to have office hours so that students can know that at a certain time each week they can be found in their office willing to help. How many hours they are available each week is up to the professor but they are usually willing to make an appointment with you if you need more time or are not available during their office hours. Classes usually base part of your grade on participation; this being defined as being present for classes and participating in class discussions if applicable. However there are professors who realize you are adults and whether or not you come to class is your problem. Also, other students are often willing to form study groups. Chances are if you are struggling not only is there someone else that is struggling but there is someone that is willing to help. UMBC also offers tutoring for most lower level classes free of charge. The school really is student centered and a sense of camaraderie is often felt within classes. Once you get to your major courses you will more than likely end up with a group of students that are in a majority of your classes. The largest class I've had was psychology 100 freshman year and there were about 200 students, my smallest would be the 400 level math class I'm currently in and there is about 18 students.

Brittany

The academic aspect is suppose to be challenging, but it definitely helps you to gain better study skills, organizational skills, and networking. It's almost imperative that you quickly learn how to manage your time for studying as well as your social life. Learning how to work with others in your class to form study groups exercises our abilities to successfully work with one another.

Brittany

Kyle

The academics are one of the best things about this place. Any Major has so many classes and teachers and sessions that they can go to help them learn. Plus you can always find a way to get help if you need it because the school tries so hard to help you succeed. I am a Computer Science major and there are so many things that I have learned because of the help that the school is willing to give me. And there are plenty of times that I need help because I tend to be a slow learner.

Ao

I do not recall a single professor who did not know my name, and were not helpful when I had questions about the lecture material, or just plain simply wanting to know about the course content deeper. Although there are some classes that uses lecture halls, those are usually the lower-level undergraduate classes like the PSYC 100 or PHIL 150. The upper-level courses rarely ever uses lecture halls (meaning there isn't more than 100 people in class), and the biggest upper-level class volume I encountered was maybe about 30-40 people. Class participation during the lecture is not mandatory; however, it really depends on the size of the particular class, and most professors do encourage class participation. I do not really consider the students at UMBC being competitive when it comes to academic area of campus life, however, those who do have a GPA above 3.75 or higher usually are inducted to honor societies that are invitation only such as the ones I am part of: Golden Key international Honour Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and so on, where you get certain privilages and helps aid in school financial matters, scholarships, better job placement, and being able to make new friends who are just as equally academically inclined as you are.

Adam

We are a mid-sized school which means that in the intro science courses have 300 people in them. However, that doesn't mean that teacher-student relationships do not exist! As long as you sit in the front of the class and go to office hours, there won't be any problem forming a relationship. My favorite class, ironically, was Organic Chemistry. Although, this class was definitely challenging, the professor I had definitely made the material easier to understand. I wouldn't say the students are competitive in a mean way. We all want to do well in our classes but we help each other achieve our goals. The classes here are definitely harder than at other schools. From what I have heard, UMBC tries to fit it more material than other schools. UMBC is definitely a science oriented school and the majority of students are biology majors but we do have a lot of english, history, theater, and other arts majors. This past year, the cast from one of the plays one a national competition and got to perform at the Kennedy Center in DC. The President of UMBC was recently on 60 Minutes and he explained that UMBC prepares their students for careers and life. I highly agree with this and have gained so much knowledge and life skills since starting at UMBC.

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