Admissions
Freshman (First-Year) Admissions
Beginning for Fall 2023 admission, prospective first-year (freshman) undergraduate students can apply directly to the biocomputational engineering pre-major to complete their first two years of undergraduate study at the University of Maryland, College Park campus before transitioning into the Biocomputational Engineering degree program at Shady Grove for their junior and senior years.
This option is perfect for soon-to-be high-school graduates and any student who wishes to take full advantage of the University of Maryland, College Park campus experience during their first two years of study. Just like transfer applicants, students who enroll in the BCE program via this pathway will earn their B.S. in Biocomputational Engineering degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
By entering the BCE program as a pre-major, students will complete their first two years at UMD College Park where they will have access to room and board, a wide variety of student clubs and activities, Greek life, athletics, and more. Once students successfully complete their first 60 credits as an A. James Clark School of Engineering BCE pre-major, they will transition to our Shady Grove campus for their biocomputational engineering major classes. Here, BCE students will have access to additional resources available only to Shady Grove students, including tailored academic counseling, a Shady Grove campus recreation center, a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship lab, and more. In addition, students who enroll in the BCE program via this pathway will maintain access to their UMD College Park resources and clubs even as they transition to Shady Grove.
Please schedule a virtual meeting with Sivan Saravanapavan, Coordinator of Academic Affairs and Recruitment, if you are a 2023-2024 high school senior with interest in applying directly to the Biocomputational Engineering pre-major for Fall 2024.
Applying as a Transfer Student
The B.S. in Biocomputational Engineering (BCE) degree program was specially designed to provide a seamless transfer process for students looking to transition from a two-year or four-year institution into the BCE program.
Prior to being admitted to the BCE degree program, transfer students must complete the prerequisite math/science courses, lower-level General Education requirements (or an associate's degree), and a total of 60 credits. Students are welcome to apply as transfer students from community college or four-year institutions. For more information regarding course equivalencies, please visit the UMD Transfer Course Database.
We will begin accepting transfer applications for Fall 2024 admission in January 2024. Book a meeting with Sivan Saravanapavan, Coordinator of Academic Affairs and Recruitment, to walk through your pathway to the biocomp degree, or check out the Application Checklist to begin your application today!
Minimum Admission Requirements
Students are welcome to apply as transfer students from community colleges or four-year institutions. For best consideration, prospective transfer students should meet the following requirements:
- Successful completion (C- or better) of all prerequisite courses listed in the table below
- Complete 60 transfer credits (or an associate's degree)
- Achieve a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5
Admissions to the Biocomputational Engineering program at Shady Grove is done through the University of Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For more information regarding course equivalencies, please visit transfercredit.umd.edu.
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COURSE | CREDITS | MONTGOMERY COLLEGE | HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE | FREDERICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE | PRINCE GEORGE'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Writing (ENGL101) | 3 | ENGL102 | ENGL121 | ENGL101 | ENGL1010 |
| Calculus I (MATH140) | 4 | MATH181 | MATH181 | MATH185 | MATH2410 |
| Calculus II (MATH141) | 4 | MATH181 | MATH182 | MATH195 | MATH2420 |
| Calculus III (MATH241) | 4 | MATH280 | MATH240 | MATH285 | MATH2430 |
| General Physics: Mechanics and Particle Dynamics (PHYS161) | 3 | PHYS161 | PHYS110 | PHYS151 | PHYS1030 |
| General Physics: Vibration, Waves, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism/Lab (PHYS260/261) | 3 | PHYS262 | PHYS111 | PHYS252 | PHYS2030 |
| Introduction to Engineering Design (ENES100) | 3 | ENES100 | ENES100 | ENGR100 | EGR100 |
| General Chemistry for Engineers/Lab or General Chemistry and Energetics (CHEM135/136 or CHEM271/272) | 4 | CHEM132 or CHEM135 | CHEM135 or CHEM102 | CHEM102 | CHM2000 or CHM1020 |
| Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology or Biology for Engineers (BSCI170 or BIOE120) | 3 | BIOL150 or ENES120 | BIOL141 or BIOL120 | BSCI150 | BIO1140 |
| Matlab programming course (BIOE241 or equivalent) | 3 | ENES240 or equivalent | ENES271 | MATH220 and CMIS105 | EGR1140 |
| General Education requirements or Associate's Degree | 25 | Completion of associate's degree requirements. | Completion of associate's degree requirements. | Completion of associate's degree requirements. | Completion of associate's degree requirements. |
| TOTAL TRANSFER CREDITS | 60 |
Frequently Asked Questions for Applying as a Freshman:
Yes! Those who wish to apply directly to the Biocomputational Engineering degree program—such as soon-to-be high school graduates, or those looking to earn their bachelor's degree from a four-year institution—can apply to the Biocomputational Engineering degree pre-major program at the University of Maryland, College Park.
This option is perfect for those students who wish to experience their first two years of undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. During these first two years of study, biocomputational engineering pre-major students can take advantage of on-campus room and board, immerse themselves in a variety of student clubs and activities, and more!
Once biocomputational engineering pre-major students successfully complete their first 60 credits as a pre-major, they will transition to our Shady Grove campus for their biocomputational engineering (BCE) degree program classes. At this time, BCE students will gain access to academic counseling, a Shady Grove campus recreation center, an entrepreneurship lab, and more! Plus, students will still have the opportunity to continue their involvement with student activities and organizations at College Park if they so choose.
No, you did not – don't worry! If you are applying as a prospective first-year (freshman) student, you will not be able to select Biocomputational Engineering as your major. Instead, you should denote your intended major in the application by selecting "Engineering: Biocomputational Engineering (Pre)* 0905G" from the drop-down menu.
* If you have fewer than 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours of university-level credit, you should apply as a first-year applicant and plan to complete your first and second years of undergraduate studies at the College Park campus. Applications can be submitted through CommonApp or StandOut Admissions Network.
Required materials for the Biocomputational Engineering pre-major program application are as follows:
- An application essay
- $75 non-refundable application fee
When completing a UMD application, your student will be required to pay the fee on our secure website with a credit card at the time of application unless you have received a fee waiver. Fee waivers must be submitted prior to application completion for consideration. We cannot accept cash or check payments. For information regarding application fee waiver eligibility, please review the Fee Waivers page.
Optional items for the Biocomputational Engineering pre-major program application are as follows:
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
Your student may choose to submit a letter of recommendation with their application. Recommendations must be sent to us directly from the recommender, and they can be written by anyone of the applicants' choosing including teachers, counselors, coaches, and mentors.
- Activities and awards list or resume (optional)
Your student can detail and submit their efforts in the community, arts, leadership, athletics, family involvements, work experience, and other extracurricular activities and hobbies in order of interest to them.
We also strongly encourage you to apply by the early action deadline to receive priority consideration for admission, merit-based scholarships, and invitations to special programs. The early action deadline for first-year applicants (freshmen) is November 1.
Engineering is one of the University of Maryland's Limited Enrollment Programs (LEP) on the College Park campus, which means that there is not enough space to accommodate all applicants. This generally makes the application process more competitive.
But, there are multiple pathways to the B.S. in biocomputational engineering degree that run through College Park!
Students who select an LEP (such as the biocomputational engineering pre-major program) as their major are reviewed by the specific program to determine admission to that major. While the majority of students are admitted to their preferred major, some LEP applicants may not be. Students who are admitted to UMD but not their preferred LEP major are placed in Letters & Sciences, where they work with an advisor to meet the gateway requirements to earn admission to that major. This ensures that you'll stay on track to earn your B.S. in Biocomputational Engineering degree in four years.
In your first and second year at the University of Maryland, College Park, your tuition will coincide with the tuition for University of Maryland, College Park undergraduate students.
Fall 2024 & Spring 2025 rates are as follows:
- $5,616.50 per semester for Resident full-time undergraduate students
- $19,734.50 per semester for Non-Resident full-time undergraduate students
- Mandatory fees are a flat rate of $352.00 for 1-8 credit hours and $769.00 for 9+ credit hours.
Tuition will still coincide with the University of Maryland, College Park tuition rates throughout your junior and senior years, but your facility fees will decrease since you will officially take classes at the Universities at Shady Grove campus.
The USG fees for full-time undergraduate students enrolled in 2023 are reflected below:
- Mandatory Auxiliary Fee: $696
- Mandatory Facilities Fee: $42
Yes – there are many scholarship opportunities, in fact! There is a wide variety of scholarship opportunities available through both the University of Maryland and the A. James Clark School of Engineering.
In addition, you are eligible to apply for scholarships specifically for students attending the Universities at Shady Grove after you complete your first two years at College Park. If you are interested in applying for the USG scholarships, you can conveniently do so by completing the USG General Scholarship Application, which considers you for all scholarship opportunities offered at USG.
Financial aid and loans are also available for your student. Explore eligibility, the application process, and aid offers and discover helpful links for all other inquiries about financial aid.
If you are an international or an undocumented student, please visit UMD’s International Student page for information and assistance. Plus, explore our Financial Resources for Immigrant and Undocumented Students.
Yes! All graduates of our Biocomputational Engineering degree program earn their diploma from the University of Maryland, College Park. Although you will take your biocomputational engineering courses at the Universities at Shady Grove campus, your degree—and, thus, your diploma—will be granted by the University of Maryland, exactly as it would if you completed all four years at the College Park campus.