Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.

COVID-19 Health & Safety

• UMBC’s Public Health Dashboard was updated with new data on October 21. The dashboard provides timely data about the prevalence of COVID-19 within our main campus. There were no new positive cases during this reporting period.

How to Report a COVID-19 Case

• The COVID-19 Contact Response Team has provided additional guidance regarding COVID-19 case reporting. In the interest of community health and safety, anyone with knowledge that an individual on campus is COVID-19 positive is strongly encouraged to report this information through the COVID-19 Case Report Form. These reports will benefit both the health of the individual involved and the safety of our community. Reports will be handled in a manner consistent with federal privacy regulations.

 Update on Spring 2021 Planning

• Based on feedback from our community and our desire to reduce screen time, we will not be hosting town halls related to spring planning. We encourage you to submit your questions, concerns, or feedback through our covid19@umbc.edu inbox.

Protect Yourself with a Seasonal Flu Vaccine

• University Health Services (UHS) has a limited supply of seasonal flu vaccine remaining after last week’s campus flu clinic. Flu shots are available by appointment only at UHS on the ground floor of Erickson Hall for students, faculty, and staff approved to be on campus. We strongly encourage this vaccine during the COVID pandemic. Please see this CDC webpage for more information, and call UHS at 410-455-2542 to schedule your appointment. In addition, you can visit the UHS flu shot page for off-campus locations in the Catonsville-Arbutus area offering flu shots. Remember to call ahead to ensure the location you plan to visit has vaccines available.

Undergraduate Students: Participate in the Wake Forest Wellbeing Assessment

• Although classes and activities at UMBC are mostly held in virtual spaces during these unique times, the wellbeing of our students is more important than ever. UMBC is participating in the Wake Forest Wellbeing Assessment, which has been sent to undergraduate students between ages 18 and 25. By completing the assessment you will help us to better understand undergraduates’ needs and how we can be supportive. Check your UMBC email for the survey link. Forty students who complete the assessment will be randomly selected to receive a $25 virtual UMBC Bookstore gift card.

UMBC Together

• Visit the UMBC Together website for recent social media posts and the UMBC Together myUMBC group for information on upcoming events.

Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.

COVID-19 Health & Safety

• UMBC’s Public Health Dashboard was updated with new data on October 21. The dashboard provides timely data about the prevalence of COVID-19 within our main campus. There were no new positive cases during this reporting period.

How to Report a COVID-19 Case

• The COVID-19 Contact Response Team has provided additional guidance regarding COVID-19 case reporting. In the interest of community health and safety, anyone with knowledge that an individual on campus is COVID-19 positive is strongly encouraged to report this information through the COVID-19 Case Report Form. These reports will benefit both the health of the individual involved and the safety of our community. Reports will be handled in a manner consistent with federal privacy regulations.

 Update on Spring 2021 Planning

• Based on feedback from our community and our desire to reduce screen time, we will not be hosting town halls related to spring planning. We encourage you to submit your questions, concerns, or feedback through our covid19@umbc.edu inbox.

Protect Yourself with a Seasonal Flu Vaccine

• University Health Services (UHS) has a limited supply of seasonal flu vaccine remaining after last week’s campus flu clinic. Flu shots are available by appointment only at UHS on the ground floor of Erickson Hall for students, faculty, and staff approved to be on campus. We strongly encourage this vaccine during the COVID pandemic. Please see this CDC webpage for more information, and call UHS at 410-455-2542 to schedule your appointment. In addition, you can visit the UHS flu shot page for off-campus locations in the Catonsville-Arbutus area offering flu shots. Remember to call ahead to ensure the location you plan to visit has vaccines available.

Undergraduate Students: Participate in the Wake Forest Wellbeing Assessment

• Although classes and activities at UMBC are mostly held in virtual spaces during these unique times, the wellbeing of our students is more important than ever. UMBC is participating in the Wake Forest Wellbeing Assessment, which has been sent to undergraduate students between ages 18 and 25. By completing the assessment you will help us to better understand undergraduates’ needs and how we can be supportive. Check your UMBC email for the survey link. Forty students who complete the assessment will be randomly selected to receive a $25 virtual UMBC Bookstore gift card.

UMBC Together

• Visit the UMBC Together website for recent social media posts and the UMBC Together myUMBC group for information on upcoming events.

UMBC is once again one of U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Global Universities, just five weeks after recognition as a national leader in undergraduate teaching and innovation. UMBC is among the top 700 universities worldwide, and ranked as a leader in geosciences, space science, and computer science specifically.

This prominent global ranking has particular significance for many in the university community. “UMBC continues to perform well on the international stage,” says David Di Maria, associate vice provost for international education. He notes, “The cross-border collaborations and contributions of our faculty, students, and staff position UMBC shoulder to shoulder amongst the top universities in the world.”

Reputation for quality research

UMBC is ranked an impressive #103 in geosciences globally, and is a world leader in key measures of research success. Worldwide, UMBC is #1 in percentage of papers that are among the top 1% most cited, #2 for top 10% most cited, and #2 for citation impact. UMBC also ranks highly in research reputation, emphasizing the university’s rise as a home for top researchers in this field.

Lorraine Remer, research professor for the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), is a leading faculty member in this area. Remer received the 2019 UMBC Research Faculty Excellence Award. She has been honored for significant contributions to the atmospheric sciences, including as a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

“It’s gratifying to see UMBC be recognized as a world-class research institution,” says Remer. “I’m happy to be a part of the UMBC community, where so much world-class research takes place.”

UMBC ranks #201 globally in space science, with a particularly strong international collaboration ranking. 

“I’m very proud to be at UMBC and work with its faculty in JCET, the Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI), and the Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST),” says physics professor Belay Demoz, director of JCET. “The opportunity it provides for geoscience research is immense. The collaboration work that is ongoing with NASA and NOAA on science and instrumentation is cutting edge.”

In computer science, UMBC is among the top 400 universities globally, with strengths in research reputation and research citations.

National leader in international outlook

UMBC also continues to rise in college rankings published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and London-based Times Higher Education (THE). Of 800 universities included in the ranking, released earlier this month, UMBC placed at #270. This is up 13 places from last year and more than 100 places over the past five years.

The publications also ranked UMBC as one of the Best Public Universities in the United States. UMBC appeared in the top 75 along with two other Maryland institutions: the University of Maryland, College Park, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

The WSJ/THE College ranking is based on 15 performance indicators “designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families.” UMBC’s international outlook score increased dramatically. Di Maria shares, “Times Higher Education awarding UMBC a record score in this important category demonstrates how international outlook continues to grow at a steady pace.”

Consistent with the U.S. News global ranking, UMBC’s WSJ/THE research score saw a notable increase as well.

In new 2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by subject, UMBC is ranked in education, engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and computer science.

These positive trends are particularly meaningful at a moment of global concern regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on national economies and higher education. They indicate UMBC’s stability as a leading public research university with national and global appeal.

Featured image: UMBC campus, fall 2020. All photos by Maryland Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Story updated November 3, 2020, to include new THE World University Rankings by subject.

All Students must receive advising clearance prior to registering for Spring 2021 courses!

Advising Information for Pre-Majors and First Semester Transfer Students:

All students designated as Pre-Computer Science, Pre-Mechanical Engineering, Pre-Computer Engineering, Pre-Chemical Engineering, and Pre-Engineering must meet with a COEIT Staff advisor to receive advising clearance. Pre-Majors include all students who have not yet passed their gateway as well as all first semester freshmen and transfer students. Pre-Majors can schedule an appointment with a COEIT Advisor here.

Advising Information for Students who have Passed their Gateway:

All students who have passed their gateway, and are not first semester transfer students, will receive advising clearance from their faculty advisor. Students should be able to see the name of their faculty advisor by following these directions in MyUMBC:

Log onto MyUMBC

Select “Guide”

Select “Advising and Student Support”

Select “My Advisor”

More Information about Registration Advising can be found here.

Information Systems and BTA Majors

Information Systems and Business Technology Administration majors (or students intending to change to one of these majors) are advised in the Information Systems Department. Please go herefor more information.

Major Changes outside of COEIT

If you are changing your major to a major outside the College of Engineering and Information Technology, please contact the respective department of your new major for advising appointment instructions. Please remember to complete a Declaration of Major form for your new major.

Winter Session Classes:

Winter Session registration opens October 19th. Students do not need to meet with an advisor prior to registering for winter courses unless they have questions or concerns. If you intend to take a course off-campus during the winter, a Verification of Transferability Formis required in advance of taking the summer course.

New Students Admitted for Spring Semester:

Newly admitted students for the spring semester may not register for courses until Winter Orientation. Please sign up for Orientation here.

Questions?

Please contact an advisorfor additional information.