Considering Graduate or Professional School?
Check out some tips for beginning the Application Process!
Are you interested in Graduate or Professional school? As you explore programs and get started on the application process, here are some useful tips to keep in mind!
Take time to find the right program fit!
Is there something in your major or academic program that’s drawing you to consider applying to graduate or professional school? Don’t be afraid to start the conversation with advisors or professors in your academic department to start to think about pathways that might be right for you. UMBC faculty were once where you are right now, and will undoubtedly have great insight about the process or connections to programs that might interest you. Use your networks to your advantage!
Once you research programs that interest you, try to visit those schools – check out in-person and virtual admissions/recruitment events put on by the institutions and connect with the campus. You’ll have the opportunity to explore how the campus is laid out and learn about the surrounding area, housing options, and the studio/classroom/lab facilities. Ultimately, you should be asking yourself, “how is the campus and does it seem like the type of environment I would like to spend time in?”
You’ll also have the chance to connect with program directors, faculty and current graduate students. You’ll want to consider whether or not the program has a professor who shares your research areas of interest. And meeting current students is especially important if your program will use a “cohort” model – meaning you will work with the same people throughout the duration of the program.
Finally, take time to research class options – some programs will provide more flexible schedule options including evening, weekend or online classes, while other programs may be more traditional and have classes throughout the day.
Graduate Admissions
The majority of graduate and professional programs will require you to complete an entrance exam, similar to taking the SAT or ACT when applying to UMBC. See below for which exam you might be expected to take:
- Dental School: DAT (Dental Admission Test)
- Business and Management Schools: GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
- Master’s and Doctoral Programs: GRE (Graduate Record Examination) *Most common graduate admissions exam*
- Law School: LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
- Medical School: MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
- Pharmacy School: PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test)
For graduate programs in the Visual or Performing Arts (such as Master of Fine Arts programs), you might need to prepare for an audition or portfolio submission of creative work as well. It’s important to research all the components necessary for any application and make sure you start the application process early!
Letters of Recommendation – ask early and ask people who know you best!
Most applications to graduate or professional school will require you to submit letters of recommendation. Your recommenders should be individuals who know you well, such as a professor who taught you in several courses or a research mentor.
Start by setting up a meeting to ask for a recommendation, which will help emphasize how important the letter is to you and give you the chance to provide context and answer questions your prospective recommender might have.
Allow at least two months prior to the deadline to give your recommenders enough time to complete the recommendation.
Funding Graduate or Professional School
Another important aspect to consider is how exactly you will be funding your graduate or professional school program. The UMBC Career Center does a great job at breaking down the different components associated with
funding your graduate education. It’s important to make sure you understand if there are scholarships, grants, financial aid or graduate assistantships available through the program you are exploring.
See below for some other helpful links as you continue to prepare for your next steps!
Also be sure to check out Grad School 101 – Hosted by the Career Center – on October 14th!
]]>
Are you interested in Graduate or Professional school? As you explore programs and get started on the application process, here are some useful tips to keep in mind! Take time to find the...
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/112528/guest@my.umbc.edu/52a98bf5e31933e5f39e5a845dd4b462/api/pixel
UMBC Extra Credit
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/credit
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/xsmall.png?1629905298
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/original.png?1629905298
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/xxlarge.png?1629905298
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/xlarge.png?1629905298
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/large.png?1629905298
https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/medium.png?1629905298
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/small.png?1629905298
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/xsmall.png?1629905298
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/156/c603f9a73974cd04500b265609abdd6f/xxsmall.png?1629905298
UMBC Extra Credit
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/xxlarge.jpg?1632321856
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/xlarge.jpg?1632321856
https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/large.jpg?1632321856
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/medium.jpg?1632321856
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/small.jpg?1632321856
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/xsmall.jpg?1632321856
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/528/9af3ac21b61cc501d74cedcbade006c9/xxsmall.jpg?1632321856
0
0
true
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 09:47:41 -0400
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 10:44:42 -0400
Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being Updates
We recognize that the return to in-person classes and on-campus activities, while navigating Covid compliance, has been difficult. We are excited to welcome students into our new Center for Well-Being (CWB), which was developed to support students' physical, mental and spiritual well-being. But, we also recognize that the transition from the former shared interfaith space to the new shared Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being has been challenging. We appreciate the work of students and student organizations who have advocated to ensure that students' concerns regarding the hours and access are being heard.
As a result of ongoing conversations with students about their needs, we can share the following updates regarding access to the Gathering Space:
Gathering Space Reservations:
Reservations for use of the Gathering Space are officially open. Religion and Belief organizations can reserve the space using 25Live. Reservations are approved by i3b and are prioritized for Religion and Beliefs organizations. Please note that the number of people who can use the space at any given time is currently limited by COVID requirements.
Gathering Space Hours:
The Gathering Space is now open 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. daily. Due to safety considerations, students are not able to use the space outside of staffed hours.
Our Next Steps:
We recognize that our students need safe, comfortable, and convenient spaces to gather and to pray. We also know that there is high demand for Religion and Belief students to use the Gathering Space. While we do not yet know what the ideal long-term solution is, we are working with impacted students to help them meet their spiritual needs. Our current work includes:
1. For instances where the Gathering Space is reserved and unavailable, we have identified other campus spaces for students. This includes two spaces on the first floor of the CWB including:
- The Mind Spa; and
- The shared spiritual advising office.
We also have spaces available including:
-
The Mosaic Center (Commons 2B23)
-
The Women’s Center (Commons 004).
- The Pride Center (UC 201D), and
We plan to share additional information about access to each space soon.
2. At the request of our students, the Division of Student Affairs has committed to making training available for their staff on inclusion of diverse religious communities and religious practices.
3. We know that the work is not yet done. We pledge to continue to work with students and community members to identify issues and to actively work toward solutions.
We thank our community for their commitment to our students and for their partnership in these sometimes challenging conversations. UMBC deeply values the diversity of our students, including the religious diversity represented across our campus. If you have concerns to share or would like to partner in this work, please contact Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b) at i3b@umbc.edu or Dr. Jasmine Lee directly at jaslee@umbc.edu.
UMBC is proud to announce the projects selected to receive grants in the 2020-2021 rounds of the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation competition.
IMPLEMENTATION & RESEARCH AWARDS (Spring 2021)
The Educational Journey of Immigrant Children: An Interdisciplinary Course Using Gamification and Role-Play (Implementation and Research Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Kerri Evans (Social Work) will create, implement, and evaluate an interdisciplinary classroom activity (board game) which will be used in a new course (using gamification and role-play) that will help advanced level UMBC students to prepare for their careers in educational settings after graduation. The content of the game and course focuses on the immigrant experience in the U.S. from pre-Kindergarten to college, and ways that UMBC students who will become service providers across multiple disciplines can advocate for inclusion, and welcome and dismantle racism in our schools. The team aims to actively engage UMBC students in the game development process, beta testing, and in the course itself. They will evaluate the project using pre-post tests and focus groups.
Preventing Gender-Based Harm at UMBC: Designing and Teaching a Multidisciplinary Course (Implementation and Research Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Jodi Kelber-Kaye (Honors College) will create a 3-credit first-year seminar (FYS) course centered on educating undergraduate students about gender-based harm at all levels of society and empowering them to create change. In addition to traditional academic content consisting of lessons rooted in contemporary scholarship on gender-based harm and its impact, students will learn healthy relationship practices and skills through evidence-based prevention models and will exercise the knowledge they glean over the course of the semester through hands-on projects encouraging civic engagement and community activism. Evaluation of this project will entail short- and long-term studies on the impact of this course on campus sexual misconduct outcomes as well as a comparative study on the retention and well-being of students throughout their college careers. This project will create a context for further research on classroom-based prevention strategies, allowing UMBC to expand the field of gender-based harm prevention in higher education settings through evaluation and dissemination of this novel educational intervention model.
SEED AWARDS (Spring 2021)
Retrieving Energy: UMBC Green Labs Collaboration (Seed Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Ryan Kmetz (Facilities Management Sustainability Office) will establish a collaboration between the Sustainability Office and the Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone (ENME 444) course to design, prototype, and deploy motion height sensing sash alarms. Laboratories are the most energy-intensive space on a campus, and laboratory fume hoods are often the predominant contributors to laboratory energy use. A single fume hood typically consumes about the same amount of energy as four U.S. households – and UMBC has over 300 fume hoods! Reducing energy consumption of UMBC’s laboratories is an important milestone towards reaching our carbon neutrality goals. Shutting the sash of fume hoods reduces the volume of exhausted conditioned air, thus, reducing energy. However, it is easy to forget to shut the sash, and research has shown that sensors with auditory reminders to shut the sash can reduce energy use of a fume hood significantly. This project-based learning experience will immerse students in the complex world of sustainability challenges and expose them to real-world applications for sustainable solutions. Efficacy will be determined by the energy reduction and the overall applicability and scalability of the project.
Assessing and Reversing Students’ Unpreparedness in Upper Level Biology Courses (Seed Grant) — Michelle Starz-Gaiano and Fernando Vonhoff (Biological Sciences) will collect data about why students do not prepare thoroughly before coming to class. The team will collect data to confirm their hypothesis that students do not have effective strategies for reading primary literature papers and thus find the content overwhelming, which decreases their motivation to carefully read the assigned learning materials. If this hypothesis proves to be correct, they will help students develop efficient strategies to bridge the gap between learning from textbooks and learning from primary, data-based literature by testing the method of annotating papers following strategies described on the AAAS Science In The Classroom website. By presenting the scientific content in a more digestible manner, the team will help students develop efficient strategies to read and understand scientific papers over time. The team will collect preliminary data on the efficacy of this method from the student’s perspective, from analysis on student performance using historical data from 2018-2020, and between course modules with and without annotated papers. The team will also collect preliminary data examining whether the application of this method can be used to stimulate students to be engaged in more complex assignments, which may lead to a deeper understanding of the class material and prepare them for future advanced challenges.
IMPLEMENTATION & RESEARCH AWARD (Fall 2020)
Identifying an Interdisciplinary Path to Social Responsibility Education across the COEIT Curriculum (Implementation and Research Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Helena Mentis (Engineering and Information Technology) will gather insights to develop a more comprehensive framework for incorporating Socially Responsible Thinking (SRT) throughout the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) curriculum. Universities are being called upon to incorporate greater attention to social responsibility, specifically for students expected to participate in technology development and innovation. At UMBC, several recent initiatives have aimed to incorporate SRT into engineering and computing education, yet they have been fairly disconnected from each other and from the social sciences. The team will collect and analyze surveys and interviews from students, faculty, and employers and ultimately form a Faculty Learning Community, host a campus-wide speakers event, and produce a final report for stakeholders. Multiple metrics will be used to assess the project’s impact vis-a-vis two main aims: to identify pathways to integrate SRT concepts into the engineering/computing curriculum, and to increase cross-college collaboration around SRT. Results from the project will speak to opportunities to improve academic persistence, engagement, and workforce participation for COEIT students, and greater interfacing across COEIT and the social sciences/College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
ADAPTATION AWARD (Fall 2020)
Digitizing the Funny Papers: A Student-Led Digital Humanities Collaboration with UMBC Special Collections (Adaptation Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Lindsay DiCuirci, Beth Saunders, and Susan Graham (English and Special Collections Library) will collaborate on an advanced undergraduate English seminar focused on digitizing UMBC’s Merkle Collection of English Graphic Satire and creating a public digital exhibition. In this semester-long, project-based course, students will learn theories and methods in the digital preservation of rare books and manuscripts; metadata creation and bibliographic description; exhibition writing and design; principles of curation; public outreach and promotion; and historical research and cultural critique. Students will not only build the exhibition, but will also develop pedagogical tools, guides, and best practices for digital exhibition building and will document their process through reflective writing and self-assessments. This course will serve as an innovative model for future student-led digital humanities initiatives that make use of the unique but largely undigitized materials held in Special Collections at UMBC.
SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AWARD (Fall 2020)
Access to Online and In-Person Interventions: Comparing the Impact on Student Success of Providing SI PASS in All MATH 151 Lectures (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant) — A multidisciplinary team led by Delana Gregg (Academic Success Center) will extend supplemental instruction (SI PASS) support for MATH 151, while collecting and analyzing data on its effects on student success during online and in-person learning. SI PASS (peer-led study sessions), a nationally recognized and widely researched student success intervention, targets historically difficult courses with high DFW rates. UMBC regularly offers SI PASS support for a number of such courses, typically in STEM. UMBC-based assessment and national research indicate that participation in SI PASS correlates with many positive student outcomes, including higher grades, higher retention, and student-reported gains in course learning and study skills. MATH 151 is a key gateway course for many majors and has high DFW rates (>25%). There are multiple large lecture sections for this course every semester, but only two SI PASS leaders. The team will extend the program so that there is one SI PASS leader for each lecture section, allowing for research on the effectiveness of this learning intervention. The team will also analyze the effects on SI PASS participation and student success of offering online course instruction and online SI PASS compared to in-person instruction and in-person SI PASS and continuing to offer online SI PASS after UMBC returns to in-person instruction compared to in-person SI PASS.
SEED AWARD (Fall 2020)
Keys to Inclusion: An Initiative to Imagine a More Inclusive Piano Canon (Seed Grant) — Daniel Pesca (Music) will co-lead a multi-institutional effort to bring music departments and piano studios from five institutions around the country together to research, perform, record, and teach the piano music of Black American composers. The program includes a range of online activities, including lectures by eminent scholars of the repertoire, a series of masterclass exchanges between institutions, and a final recording project. The lectures address many aspects of music-making, from considerations of social context to pedagogy, from historical inquiry to the creation of brand new work. Students will be empowered to grow as musicians as they enjoy the benefits of working with professionals from across the country, learning the process of making a high-level recording, and discovering unfamiliar repertoire. The fruits of this year-long effort will be shared via an online database. After the pilot year, the team intends to expand their reach by encouraging other institutions to join the initiative as a small but vital part of a larger conversation in classical music institutions of all sorts about inequities in representation.
Proposals for the next round of Innovation Fund grants are due by October 29, 2021. For more information and to apply, visit UMBC's
Faculty Development Center website.
The Hrabowski Fund for Innovation exemplifies UMBC's commitment to investing in faculty initiatives that fuel creativity and enterprise and also create opportunities for student engagement.
Reposting to spread the word!
The Leadershops series consists of workshops that focus on various student centered leadership-related topics facilitated by Campus Life staff and student leaders. This program aims to contribute to the leadership development and ongoing learning of UMBC undergraduate students.
The following are the fall 2021 Leadershops sessions that are being offered for students to register through myUMBC:
This session is about taking a deeper look into the relationship between womxn and leadership. Attendees will learn about how our socialization affects our views regarding our own identity and our capacity to lead. This session will be done online.
The Author of Your Leadership Story is a leadership workshop that focuses on self-authorship; defining and creating you own individual sense of self, and making yourself as you go on your college journey. This session will be done in-person at The Commons.
Attendees will learn about the leadership process through team-building and capitalizing on difference. This session will be done in-person at The Commons.
]]>
Reposting to spread the word! The Leadershops series consists of workshops that focus on various student centered leadership-related topics facilitated by Campus Life staff and student...
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/osl/posts/112306
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/112485/guest@my.umbc.edu/afb27f30c44c0af882f74280533cb87e/api/pixel
Women's, Gender, & Equity Center
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/original.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxlarge.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xlarge.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/large.png?1750974263
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/medium.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/small.png?1750974263
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxsmall.png?1750974263
Women's Center
0
0
false
Mon, 20 Sep 2021 16:19:01 -0400
How have you experienced accessibility at UMBC?
An anonymous survey for next week’s CSJ 101 on 9/27!
Do you have a disability or have you experienced life with a disability?
Are you interested in disability justice?
Have you had any good, bad, interesting experiences with access at UMBC?
Fill out an anonymous survey to guide our upcoming discussion about disability justice on an institutional and interpersonal level, the current state of the movement, and what it means to be an ally!
As part of Monday 9/27's CSJ 101: Disability Justice at UMBC and Beyond, we invite you to share a little bit about your experiences with disability justice at UMBC or outside of campus. Please note: This survey is anonymous and is not collecting any identifying information unless you opt into it at the end.
Please note: UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. If you have difficulties accessing any of the materials on our site or any of our events or discussions, please contact us so that we can provide an alternative format and/or remedy any accessibility challenges.
Disability Resources at UMBC:
Office of Accessibility & Disability Services
- Coordinating accommodations for UMBC students with disabilities
- Advocating and advising students with disabilities
Math/Psychology Building, Room 212
Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30 pm
Phone: 410-455-2459
More information at sds.umbc.edu
Office of Equity and Inclusion
- Managing UMBC’s efforts related to Title IX and other civil rights issues including discrimination, hate, and bias
- Promoting and coordinating inclusive excellence, equity, and diversity practices
Administration Building, 9th Floor
Phone: 410-455-1717
Confidential online reporting/referral form available at oei.umbc.edu
]]>
Do you have a disability or have you experienced life with a disability? Are you interested in disability justice? Have you had any good, bad, interesting experiences with access at UMBC?...
Flyer
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/attachments/e5b8e160f860317766a8d4ccf9b79d64/6a0a2aac/news/000/112/467/6bd317c7e4bd9f801389bd8878d7d6f8/CSJ 101.png?1632150256
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/112467/guest@my.umbc.edu/b4ba0672d7ed8b56a06ecd9b460f2d8f/api/pixel
csj2021
Women's, Gender, & Equity Center
https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/original.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxlarge.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xlarge.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/large.png?1750974263
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/medium.png?1750974263
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/small.png?1750974263
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxsmall.png?1750974263
Women's Center
https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/xxlarge.jpg?1632149383
https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/xlarge.jpg?1632149383
https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/large.jpg?1632149383
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/medium.jpg?1632149383
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/small.jpg?1632149383
https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/xsmall.jpg?1632149383
https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/112/467/dd863446aeb19db91002d1d5e7e58b0e/xxsmall.jpg?1632149383
2
0
false
Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:04:16 -0400
Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:04:59 -0400