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APPLICATION GUIDELINESThe Golden-ID Program permits Mar ylandresidents 60 years of age and older to takegraduate courses at little cost. The applicantmust be at least 60 years old by the dateof registration and retired or working no morethan 20 hours a week. Qualified individualsmay apply as degree-seeking, post-baccalaureate certificate or non-degree-seeking students.This program enables qualified persons to havetuition and some fees waived. Indicate on pagetwo of the application form your qualification forand interest in this program.INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTSIt can take many weeks to complete theprocessing and assessment of an applicationfrom overseas and at least two months forstudent visa processing. International applicants, therefore, are encouraged to pay strictattention to application deadline dates andto submit all required documents as early aspossible. Some applicants may be requestedto have a credentials evaluation performedby an outside agency.At minimum, international applicants musthold a degree that is equivalent or comparableto a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree, and theymust have a cumulative grade point averageequivalent to a “B” or first or high seconddivision or comparable class ranking to beconsidered for admission.Provisional graduate status, certificate-only andnon-degree status are not normally available tointernational students. Non-U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. who hold permanent residencystatus, meet the required language proficiencyand possess appropriate academic preparationmay be considered for non-degree status.Transcripts, Mark Sheetsand Language RequirementsApplicants must provide an official Englishlanguage transcript and an official nativelanguage transcript or mark sheets from eachpost-secondary institution attended. Each set ofdocuments must list subjects studied, gradesor marks received and rank in class or division.United States who wish to transfer to UMBCmust secure proper immigration documentsto be granted permission to transfer. Studentswho arrive unaccompanied in the U.S. but planto bring dependents later must complete atleast one semester of study before requestingvisa documents to bring dependents to theU.S. They must show adequate financialresources, as F-2 dependents are prohibitedfrom all employment.Financial ResourcesEach international applicant must cer tifythat he or she has sufficient funds (exclusiveof travel expenses) for university tuition, fees,books, supplies and living expenses. Acceptablesources of and documents for certifying financialsupport include:1. A notarized letter indicating full name,occupation and address from a parentor sponsor who can assure the financialresponsibility for the applicant’s educationand living expenses.2. An original current statement from a bankconfirming that sufficient funds are available.As costs and fees change, it is best to checkwith the IES Office at UMBC to determinethe exact amount required to covereducational and living expenses. A bankstatement is valid for six months only.Should enrollment be deferred to a futureterm for any reason, an updated bankstatement is required.3. Official notification of grant, loan orscholarship indicating name and addressof awarding institution, amount of funds,extent of expenses covered and numberof years.4. If an applicant is receiving a full assistantship, no additional materials from theapplicant are required. A full assistantshipfrom UMBC is sufficient documentationfor purposes of obtaining an I-20.See Language Requirements section abovefor information about language proficiencyrequired of students whose native languageis not English.No international student can be provided withthe required immigration form without proofof adequate financial resources. Internationalstudents on student visas cannot expect towork off-campus to supplement their financialability, as such work authorization is generallynot allowed. Questions regarding financialeligibility should be directed to the IES Office.Immigration DocumentsHealth InsuranceInternational students should enter the U.S.in a visa category that permits a designatedprogram of study. Students must receivethe immigration form required for obtaining theappropriate visa from the UMBC InternationalEducation Ser vices (IES) office. A studentplanning to attend UMBC must not use anotherschool’s I-20 to enter the United States sincestudents are required by law to attend theschool whose I-20 they use for entry. International students already studying in theIn addition to having a certificate of immunization,all newly admitted international students arerequired to have health insurance. Studenthealth insurance is available through UMBC,and all students in F-1 and J-1 status, exceptthose awarded assistantships and those withproof of coverage, will automatically be billedfor UMBC’s International Student HealthInsurance plan.2APPLICATIONS IN THE FINAL YEAROF UNDERGRADUATE STUDYStudents in their final semester of worktoward a bachelor’s degree may be offeredadmission pending the filing of supplementaryofficial transcripts recording the satisfactor ycompletion of the remaining course work andthe award of the degree. Students admittedpending receipt of a baccalaureate degreemust submit an official transcript reflectingall course work and award of the degree withinthree months following such award. Applicantsengaged in graduate study at another institutionare also subject to this policy.OFFERS OF ADMISSIONOffers of admission are made by the Officeof the Dean of the Graduate School and ViceProvost for Research & Planning and specifythe time of entrance. The offer of admissionrequires a response. If the applicant wishesto accept, decline or change the effectivedate of the offer, for one semester or oneyear, the Graduate School must be notified inwriting or the offer of admission becomesvoid. Failure to notify the Graduate Schoolbefore the first day of class or failure to register for the authorized term voids the offerof admission. The applicant must then submita written request to be considered fora subsequent semester, and additionalcredentials may be requested.Students who accept the offer of admissionand enroll agree to abide by the rules andregulations of the University of Marylandand the laws of the state of Maryland andthe U.S. Government.Change of Objective, Termination ofAdmission, Readmission and DeferralStudents are admitted only to a specifiedprogram and only for the specified objective,e.g., course work only, post-baccalaureatecertificate, master’s degree, doctoral degree.Students who have been offered admissionto more than one program for the same termmust notify the Graduate School of theirchoice. When the offer of admission to oneprogram is accepted, admission to all otherprograms is terminated since students canbe registered in only one graduate programat a time, except in the case of cer tificatestudents who may be concurrently enrolled ina degree program. Failure to accept formallyan offer of admission into a single programwill result in a registration delay.Students must maintain an average grade of“B” or better during the course of their studiesand must other wise satisfy all depar tmentaland Graduate School program requirements.Admitted students may request to defertheir enrollment up to one academic yearupon approval from the depar tment andthe Graduate School. For example, a student

APPLICATION GUIDELINESoffered admission for fall 2006 may deferhis or her enrollment to fall 2007, if approved(deferral is not automatic). If a student cannotor does not enroll within this time-frame, heor she must undergo a new application process,including a new application form, application fee,academic documents, and updated languageand financial documents. The applicant mustcompete with the next entering class.3Application Deadline DatesDegree-Seeking ApplicantsU.S. citizens and U.S.-educatedpermanent residentsFall Semester: June 1Spring Semester: November 1International StudentsNon-Degree ApplicantsApplications will be received until one weekbefore classes start in August (for fall semester) and January (for spring semester).Special DeadlinesFall Semester: January 1Maintenance and Disposition of RecordsAll records, including academic records fromother institutions, become part of the student’sofficial file and proper ty of the university.Credentials of applicants who do not registerfor courses for the term for which they havebeen admitted, whose application has beendisapproved, who do not respond to requestsfor additional information or whose applicationis not complete with respect to the receipt ofall transcripts or test results, are retained foronly one academic year.Spring Semester: May 1of the prior academic year.should be made directly to the departmentin which the applicant seeks to study. Somedepartments have their own financial assistanceform, which is sent out after receiving thecompleted application.All graduate student applicants (U.S. citizensand permanent residents only) who wish to beconsidered for any assistantship or other formof financial aid must complete and submit aFree Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONResidencyApplicants seeking classification as a Marylandresident for tuition and charge-differentialpurposes must complete a Maryland in-statestatus form, which accompanies this application for admission. The statement of residency determination as defined by the USM Boardof Regents appears in Appendix II of theGraduate School Catalog and the UMBCWeb site www.umbc.edu.Inquiries Regarding Application Statusand DocumentsApplicants contacting the Graduate Schoolregarding the status of their application willbe asked to verify their identity. Applicantswho wish to allow inquiries to be made ontheir behalf by a friend or family member mustsend to the Graduate School a letter namingthe person(s) authorized to receive suchinformation. Persons other than the applicantinquiring about the applicant’s status or filewill not be given such information unless thiswritten authorization has been submitted bythe applicant.It takes approximately 8-10 weeks to receiveand match all documents to their appropriatefiles. We request that you do not contact theGraduate School during this time frame, aswe will not be able to accurately respond toyour inquiries regarding the completion ofyour application materials.Funding Graduate EducationGraduate assistantships (teaching, researchand administrative) are available to qualified,full-time, degree-seeking graduate students.Most assistantships are awarded by theprogram or department in which the studentis enrolled. Applications for assistantshipsMore information about assistantships andneed-based financial aid may be obtainedfrom the Graduate School Catalog, eachgraduate program or the Office of FinancialAid, 410-455-2387, www.umbc.edu/financialaidHousingThere is limited on-campus housing for graduate students. Most graduate students findreasonably priced apartments in and aroundBaltimore. Housing information is availableon the UMBC Web site.ADMISSION APPLICATION PROCEDURESAdmission to graduate programs is highlycompetitive; therefore, all applicants are urgedto submit accurate, complete and officialcredentials directly to the Graduate School,and to adhere to the application deadlinedates. Supplementar y transcripts of workin progress at the time of application shouldbe submitted as soon as available. Delays inthe receipt of academic credentials will causedelays in the review process for admission.It is the applicant’s responsibility to seethat all application materials are sent tothe Graduate School.Instructions for applying online may be foundon the UMBC Web site, www.umbc.edu.APPLICATION DOCUMENTSMailing instructions: Complete the entireapplication form as instructed. Please type orprint neatly. Once completed, the applicationform and all documents must be submitteddirectly to:University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyGraduate School, (name) Graduate Program1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250Do not send duplicate applications!Some programs have special deadline datesearlier than those listed here; applicantsInclude in the address the name of the graduateprogram to which you are applying.Application Fee: A 50 non-refundableapplication fee is required. No application feewaivers or deferrals are granted, except forMcNair Scholars, Project 1000 Students, current Peace Corps volunteers and GraduateHorizons participants whose application feesare automatically waived. Please make sureyour name and Social Security number (if youhave one) are written on the check. Feesmust be paid in U.S. currency.I. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATIONComplete this section as instructed. The university uses Social Securitynumbers to identify students throughouttheir educational career. A temporary numberis assigned to those who do not hold aSocial Security number. Those who do notwish to have their Social Security numberused for university records must indicatethis in a letter accompanying the applicationfor admission. If you attended any college or universityunder a name different from your currentname, please indicate your prior name inthis section. Ethnic heritage is for informational purposesfor U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.II. ENROLLMENT OBJECTIVES Enter the three- or four-letter code of thedesired program from the attached graduateprogram list. If the program to which youare applying has tracks and/or cer tificates,you must also enter the two-letter track orthree- or four-letter cer tificate code, alsofound in the graduate program list. Indicate which semester you would liketo begin studies. Indicate your degree objective (one only)and desired enrollment status.

APPLICATION GUIDELINESIII. ACADEMIC INFORMATIONV. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION Standardized Test Scores. Indicate

UMBC GRADUATE PROGRAMS 6 ProgramName/Contact DegreeandCode Department Part-time/Full-time Online/Oncam