University of Maryland - College Park Reviews

"Great school with many resources! Very good experience overall"

"I've really enjoyed my first 3 semesters. My professors have been very helpful and supportive. The department put together a support group to help us apply for fellowships."

"The graduate program is very good, and no negative qualities come to mind. The math program is very challenging, and I learn a lot. Some downsides of the area are the awful traffic and the rather expensive cost of living."

"Though the statistic program is small. It has many interdisciplines with other programs on campus. So you have a variety of choices of research directions, covering different colleges of the school. Also there are various government organizations and national labs around this area, which provide much more opportunities of working or researching."

"The average graduate stipend across the noted States, $1100-1300, is provided to the graduate student here as well. However, the closest graduate housing available to students charges $ 700-1200 for rent in two and one bedroom apartments. The rent rate is in Dc is impossible to afford. In addition, the safety is not good where graduate housing is located at. Several incidences of robbery, assault is reported every week. The department has amazing professors, however, they are very busy with their own research agenda and doesn't have much time for the graduate students. The graduate students start teaching their own courses in their second years in large classroom, which loads a significant amount of work o on the shoulders of the grad students, and takes significant amount from completing their own dissertation or other research activities. The quality of education at the graduate level is excellent. The funding is available for only five years in a major where the length of graduation is on average 7.5 years across the United States.Read Less"

"The pros of my grad program are that the faculty are most good people and are good at what they do. The downside is that there isn't much interaction among the grad students which causes them to often times be isolated. This varies from research group to research group since some PIs have larger groups than others."

"The Library Science program is very good and Shady Grove campus is very convenient!"

"I'm commenting on the school of Information, Library Science program. Shady Grove campus is a very convenient and beautiful option for Montgomery County students."

"The graduate program is well-placed near to Washington,DC which allows students the opportunity to network with policy players and participate in internships in the local, state, and federal government. The staff are knowledgeable about their topics and the Non-Profit Management and Leadership Program provides a lot of opportunities for learning about philanthropy which is unique to many MPP programs. A very rigorous program with 12 credits per semester and a lot of required courses which makes the workload a bit heavy.Read Less"

"The College Park area, since it is close to DC, can be a little expensive when it comes to housing, but if you're lucky, you can get a few roommates and divide the load. The program I'm in itself (historic preservation) I feel is preparing me very well for the real world. The faculty are very down to earth and friendly and are willing to provide you with contacts for internships and jobs. However, I would like to see more courses dealing with hands-on conservation and documentation of buildings."

"The faculty is very supportive and is very receptive to collaborating with doctoral students. However, funding can be difficult and research opportunities for new students can be limited."

"Pros: Very Good Course Structure with Excellent Faculty and Staff"

"No place is perfect, but I am very happy with my program and career opportunities. The department I am in also gives a great amount of support to the students."

"Overall, it's good. But if you went to a top undergrad program or had top work experience, it may not be worthy to spend time here for a Master's ( Non-MBA) degree."

"Professors are at leading edge of knowledge in their fields"

"UMD has everything that a student needs for his academic career. The College Park town has its pros and cons: Pros: Proximity to DC Cons: Nothing much to do in the actual College Park town"

"Really good school. I am glad I decided to come here even though it was a major change from my rural undergrad school. I enjoy my project and department and am happy to be here."

"The University of Maryland, College Park has amazing graduate programs. The professors are all leaders in their fields and they really take the time to work with graduate students (especially in the Human Development and Quantitative Methodology Department). I know I am getting the best graduate education possible at UMD. The College Park community is not the greatest, but the campus is close to Washington, D.C., so that makes up for it. The campus is not very safe after 2am, but I suppose that is true on most campuses. Just be smart about the time of day when you decide to wander around campus. Most graduate students live in surrounding towns (such as Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Greenbelt, DC, etc.) due to safety and accessibility issues (i.e., spots close to the metro and nightlife aside from the typical "college bars").Read Less"

"Awesome school! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't! Professors are very approachable and knowledgeable. Dining hall is pretty standard fast food fare, so I don't buy food from school, but LOTS of people do. Some of the building are a bit dated, but I think that the economy is partly to blame. Overall, a great place to come to make a great experience for yourself!"

"Its a beautiful campus. There is a lot of diversity in departments and students, which opens up more avenues for learning outside books. The quality of research is fantastic, especially Department for Animal and Avian Sciences is like a large family. The great thing about department is there are no bars of distinction- eminent faculty scientists and young amateur graduate students have good scientific discussions and debates."