University of Maryland-Baltimore County Top Questions

I hate hearing people undermine the intelligence of the students here because a lot of my friends were near or at the top of their graduating class in high school and have gotten 4.0s here. We are all really competitive but we also support each other. Classes here range from less than 20 people to 300 people! No matter what the size though, there is always help to be found. Professors can be visited during office hours and are usually extremely helpful. Several of them now know me by name. There are also a couple of free tutoring centers you can go to if you have questions.

All the science classes are very difficult. If you are not doing well in a science class and needs to talk to your professor, some of the science professors may come across as being too intimidating. However, if you open up yourself to criticisms and admit to your professor that you really need some extra help, all the professors will be more than happy to help you.

Honestly, academics is though here at UMBC. The president has stated that getting a B in a science or engineering course is like getting an A in other major state universities. While they don't try to flunk you due to overcrowding, you have to work hard and know your stuff. The administration even advises retaking courses if needed. There are some students that study all the time, and others avoid it without care. This is even within the same major. It really varies, but in general, there is some concern for academic effort amongst students. It's certainly not a very competitive campus, but the classes still hold students to a high enough standard on their own. Those who excel, so so in a seemingly relaxed and non edgy manner. Early classes can have a few hundred in them, and half of the professors will take a real effort to learn your name, others will not care. Later, classes get smaller and more personalized. Most courses present learning purely for the sake of learning, but there is a clear focus at UMBC to assist students in their professional endeavors. There is UMBCworks, visits by major companies for mock interviews, and other advising offered. There are several very interesting courses offered here. One that I recently took was the History of Rock and Roll. I highly recommend it as it was presented wonderfully by Dr. Morin and provided not only a chance to listen to samples of all kinds of rock twice a week, but also to learn about the history that created it. There were also some very inspiring lessons given that made me think about my life in general. And the grading was super easy to boot! It's also noteworthy that the study abroad department is very dedicated to seeing that all students get the chance to go where they wish if they are so inclined. Very cool!

All my professors end up knowing my name by the end of the semester. My favorite class was my softball (that was actually wiffleball b/c it was still winter). Class participation is halfway common but possibly more often than other campuses. I find more students working together to study or solve a problem than I see competition between classmates. We're not here to one-up the next person in our major. We're here to learn and you can learn from your classmates. I love my Information Systems department. They truly care about you and your time here at UMBC. They make time to meet with you and advise you on your schedules. I think UMBC's academic requirements are on par with College Park's requirements and in some fields, we even outperform them, such as our Information Technology field.

Except for GFR courses which are usually lecture style, most of your classes for your major are very small. I know all of my professors personally. I have never had a bad professor, either. All the classes I've taken have been pretty great.

Tough, High expectations. worst than harvard....

The most damnit aspect of academics at UMBC is the students. There are many great professors who are understanding of students' issues and time constraints, and whose focus is to make sure that people are learning the material regardless. Unfortunately, due to the administration's imaging of the university as one of sheer academic rigor, students are taught to dislike these professors and feel disenfranchised when the main focus of the course is not strict, hard deadlines and unforgiving grading. Because of this, tools which professors previously used effectively, such as final exam exemption for passing the first 3 exams in the course with As, and which genuinely inspired students to do well and to learn by way of positive reenforcement, are banned from use. Students are taught that professors who do not abide by administration policy are therefore not good professors, and should be rated poorly. This causes professors who are good people, and whose focus is on helping students to learn, to be driven away from the university by the administration, by the individual departments, and even by the students.

again disconnected.

UMBC is known for excelling in academics; (which is probably why we gained the stereotype of nerds) while I'm not suggesting this should change since it's obviously a positive thing, maybe we shold cut back on the number of professors who SUCK at speaking english.

I think UMBC does a great job with the academics part of college. Other than your intro classes that are large lecture hall classes, the other classes are a realistic class size. Professors often learn your name if you put yourself out there and actually talk to them. My favorite class has to have been Anatomy and Physiology purely because of the professor. Dr. Fleischmann gets so excited about the course content that it makes you excited about it. She has unique ways of explaining the material and is very open to questions and conversation within class. It is a great learning environment, and she makes you want to do well. Class participation is common in classes once you get to your smaller classes. Yes, UMBC students have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are very competitive in classes and you can tell that most students here want to excel and be successful. The most unique and entertaining class had to be Introduction to Moral Theory. This class was taught by Jim Thomas and he made the class anything a student could ask for and more. He relates the theories in a way that makes you think and really can apply them to your life. He is quite entertaining and makes you stay engaged in class. He also seeks a lot of class participation, and with that comes a lot of different opinions. A great class. In the psychology department, most of the professors are very friendly and are willing to work with students. They are very approachable and if you go see them during office hours, they will help you with anything you do not understand. The only time outside of class I see professors is when I go to their office hours or arrange a time with them to meet in their office about class. I think UMBC's academics are very demanding, and in turn hopefully will prepare us well for getting into the work force or going on to graduate schools.