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Non-Degree Admissions

If you wish to take graduate courses without pursuing a graduate degree, you have three options:

  1. Non-Degree Seeking Student,
  2. Visiting Graduate Student Status, or
  3. Golden Identification Cardholder Status (for Senior Citizens)

Please be advised that the application instructions below are only for the status of Non-Degree Seeking Student or Visiting Graduate Student. Registration as a Non-Degree Seeking Student or Visiting Graduate Student in any particular course is subject to the approval of the department offering that course. Before applying, we advise that you contact the academic department(s) in which you are interested in taking courses, for guidance on which courses are eligible for Non-Degree registration. 

Additionally, Non-Degree Seeking Students and Visiting Graduate Students may only take courses on the normal semester-long Academic Calendar and its associated Winter and Summer terms. Non-Degree registration in courses on the 12-week calendar (and the 12-week Winter and Summer terms) is not permitted.

Non-Degree Seeking Student

To qualify as a Non-Degree Seeking Student, you must:

  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
  • Submit a short personal statement describing why you are interested in taking graduate courses on a non-degree basis, and in which department(s).
  • Fulfill one of the following:
    • Have achieved a cumulative 3.0 (on a 4 point scale) average for work done at the undergraduate level; OR
    • Have earned a master’s, doctoral, or a post-baccalaureate professional degree (MD, JD, DVM, etc.) from a regionally accredited institution; OR
    • Have attained a score that places you in the upper 50th percentile of all sections of an appropriate national standardized aptitude examination, such as the GRE, GMAT, or Miller Analogies Test; OR
    • Provide a letter of support from the graduate director of the degree program in which you plan to take a course.
  • Please note that the Smith School of Business and the School of Public Policy typically do not allow Non-Degree Seeking Students or Visiting Graduate Students to take their courses. If you are looking to take courses in one of those schools, you will need to submit a letter of permission from the department offering the course before we can review your Non-Degree application.

To apply, you must:

  • Submit a completed online application, which includes uploading transcripts showing a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution (official transcript required upon enrollment during the first semester) and a personal statement, and
  • Pay the non-refundable $75 application fee.
  • Read the FAQs and the Graduate School Catalog to familiarize yourself with the policies associated with this status. 
  • Please note the following application deadlines: 
    • The deadline for to submit a Fall or Spring semester application as a Non-Degree Seeking Student is the first day of classes for the semester in which you plan to attend. View the university’s academic calendar to see when each semester begins. 
    • The deadline to submit a Summer I 2024 application as a Non-Degree Seeking Student is:
      • May 15, 2024 for domestic applicants 
      • April 12, 2024 for international applicants (online only)
    • The deadline to submit a Summer II 2024 application as a Non-Degree Seeking Student is: 
      • June 28, 2024 for domestic applicants 
      • May 31, 2024 for international applicants (online only)
    • The deadline to submit a Winter 2024 (January 2024) application as a Non-Degree Seeking Student is:
      • December 15, 2023 for domestic applicants 
      • November 17, 2023 for international applicants (online only)
  • Please note that Non-Degree Seeking Students and Visiting Graduate Students are not eligible for I-20 or DS-2019 issuance by the University of Maryland. 
  • Please note that our English Language Proficiency Requirements apply for Non-Degree Seeking Student applicants as well.

Visiting Graduate Student Status

A graduate student matriculated in another graduate school who wishes to enroll in the University of Maryland Graduate School and who intends to return to the graduate school in which he or she is matriculated, may be admitted as a Visiting Graduate Student.  Visiting Graduate Students apply with the same deadlines as Non-Degree Seeking Students. To apply for Visiting Graduate Student status, you must submit a completed online application and pay the non-refundable $75 application fee.

If you are matriculated in a U.S. institution, you must submit:

  1. A personal statement,
  2. A letter from the Graduate Dean at your home institution confirming that you are in good academic standing and that courses taken at the University of Maryland will be transferred to your home institution, and 
  3. A letter from the University of Maryland department that will be hosting you confirming that you will be taking courses in that department.
  4. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, and GRE/GMAT test scores are not required. There is still a transcript upload field that is required; please upload the two letters (described above) in the transcript upload field.
  5. If you are in the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 visa at your home institution, there may be additional documentation that we need from your International Office. Please contact the Graduate School for details.

If you are not matriculated in a US institution, you must submit:

  1. A personal statement,
  2. A letter from the Graduate Dean at your home institution confirming that you are in good academic standing and that courses taken at the University of Maryland will be transferred to your home institution, and
  3. A letter from the University of Maryland department that will be hosting you confirming that you will be taking courses in that department.
  4. Transcripts and letters of recommendation are not required. There is still a transcript upload field that is required; please upload the two letters (described above) in the transcript upload field.
  5. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores may be required. Contact the Graduate School for more information. If English scores are required, please see our English Language Proficiency Requirements.

Golden Identification Cardholder Status (for Senior Citizens)

The university’s services and courses are available without charge to US citizens who are:

  • Residents of the state of Maryland,
  • 60 years of age or older, and
  • Retired (not engaged in gainful employment for more than 20 hours per week).

Individuals who meet these requirements may apply for graduate admission, either as degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students, and must meet all admissions criteria.

Once admitted, these students will be issued a Golden Identification Card. Golden ID cardholders may register for courses in any session on a space-available basis and use the library and other University facilities during the time they are enrolled in courses. Golden ID cardholders may register during the first week of classes for up to 3 courses; they may not pre-register. Tuition will be waived for Golden ID cardholders, but mandatory fees must be paid. Please visit the Registrar’s website for more information on the Golden ID registration procedures.

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