Reopening FAQs

UMD faculty and staff have been working hard throughout the summer to prepare a fall semester that will be academically productive, exciting and as safe as possible. An updated schedule of classes with final course options is available on Testudo, including the face-to-face, blended or online delivery method for each course. Students who need further assistance should contact their academic advisers.

Courses will be delivered three ways (the delivery method for each section of a course is indicated in the Schedule of Classes and Testudo’s Student Schedule):

• Face-to-face: The class meets together, physically on campus, for all class meetings. 
• Blended/hybrid learning: The class meets both in person and online.
  • Most blended courses physically gather in a classroom on some days and online on other days, as noted on the Schedule of Classes.
  • In a few blended courses, the class will be divided into smaller groups that alternate between face-to-face and online participation, such that on any given day, one group participates face to face while the other simultaneously participates online. In such cases, your instructor determines when each group will meet and how. These courses are indicated by the following note in the Schedule of Classes: “Alternating face-to-face/online class meeting. Please see instructor for details.”
• Online: The class meets online in one of three ways: synchronously, asynchronously or a combination of both. This is indicated with the following text on your Student Schedule: “This section is online.”
  • Synchronous: instructor meets with all students at a specified day and time, which will be reflected on your schedule and also in the Schedule of Classes.
  • Asynchronous: instructor provides content for students to review on their own, which will be reflected as “TBA” on your student schedule and on the Schedule of  Classes.
  • Combination: includes synchronous and asynchronous instruction.

View your Testudo Student Schedule to see the delivery method for each registered section.

Because maintaining six feet of physical distance between individuals limits the number of students that can be accommodated in a classroom, courses of more than 50 students will be delivered online. About 20% of undergraduate courses will be offered at least partially in person, with priority given to classes that particularly need in-person instruction, such as some labs, performance courses, senior capstone projects, clinical instruction and internships. Some of the innovations being developed by faculty this summer are aimed at using creative, blended instruction and hopefully will allow us to accommodate partial in-person instruction, even in some larger classes, through smaller breakout and discussion sections. 

The university will use in-person and remote course options to maximize flexibility and equity of access and to accommodate the needs of students and faculty who may not be able to return to campus because of risks associated with COVID-19. Given that fall registration is still ongoing, students who wish to take courses remotely can seek to build a schedule exclusively of online courses, as long as the courses of their interest are available.

If you do decide to pause your education, we would encourage you to reapply for a future term of admission; visit here to learn more about the reapplication process for admission. 

Refund amounts are based on the timing and method in which you withdraw. Review the Fall 2020 academic deadlines and refund schedule here.

Yes, but there may be implications for your financial aid, on-campus housing or visa status. An undergraduate student is considered part-time if enrolled in 11 or fewer credits. Part-time tuition and fees are available here.

For the Fall 2020 semester, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will consider requests from admitted undergraduate students to defer their enrollment on an individual basis. Students who have confirmed their intention to enroll must submit their deferral request by July 24. For more information, visit admissions.umd.edu. Graduate students who wish to defer enrollment to the Spring 2021 or Fall 2021 terms should contact their graduate program’s department to see what steps may be involved for approved deferral.

Acceptability of AP/IB/CLEP/A-level/AS-level exams taken has not changed as a result of COVID-19.

We will accept passing grades earned in transfer coursework during this semester. These grades will be accepted for admission into the university and for limited enrollment program consideration. For more information, see lep.umd.edu.

The Graduate School maintains a coronavirus microsite, including an FAQ page, and contact information for students who need assistance.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions maintains a coronavirus microsite for Future Terps, including FAQs, admission requirements, and contact information for prospective students who need assistance.

Questions about the following can be found on the Office of the Registrar Service Modifications page found on the Registrar’s Office home page and on Testudo:

• Diplomas
• Residency
• Registration
• Transcripts

Please contact your adviser. Should you need assistance in determining who your adviser is, please use the list below.

• Everyone coming to campus will be required to complete a training video and pledge to abide by CDC-recommended health and safety regulations and to monitor their own health indicators daily.
• All classroom buildings have been evaluated for their ventilation to make sure they meet COVID-19 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standards. If a classroom did not meet these standards, it was removed from scheduling.
• All classrooms identified as available for in-person instruction will be equipped with disinfectant wipes for students to clean surfaces such as seats, desks and tables between each class.  
• We will ask instructors to be flexible and provide time for students to sanitize their work area before class and to similarly sanitize their own work area and whatever classroom equipment they plan to use in teaching.
• Classroom seating will be arranged or marked to indicate safe seating distances.
• All students will be required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth and maintain physical distancing while inside the classroom and all other campus buildings as well as outside when other people are nearby.
• Hand sanitizer stations will be available in proximity to classrooms for students, staff and faculty to use before and after attending class.
• Classrooms and high-touch areas in buildings will be cleaned and disinfected nightly.
• Instructors will be expected to deliver handouts and other types of course material digitally through ELMS-CANVAS and minimize exchange of papers and or any other type of instruction materials.
• Signs will be posted to direct one-way traffic within campus buildings and to indicate safe distancing to minimize the likelihood of congestion in hallways, entrances, restrooms, stairways and elevators, etc.
• There will be monitoring in place to ensure that these requirements are being followed.

All mandatory fees, as determined by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, will be assessed for Fall 2020 term. 

Certain fees were prorated during the Spring 2020 term in order to account for unforeseen modifications made in support of UMD’s COVID-19 response. For the 2020-21 academic year – regardless of the mode of course delivery (online, hybrid or in-person), full mandatory fees will be assessed, including, as applicable, shuttle, athletics, recreation services, Stamp Student Union, performing arts and cultural centers, student facilities and sustainability fees. In addition, should a shift to full online course delivery occur at any point during the fall 2020 term, fees shall not be prorated.  

All mandatory fees are published on a line-item basis to aid in transparency for students and their families to better understand the student services the fees support. Due to the significant cost of operating these facilities and services regardless of the number of students using them, the university must charge these fees based on the credit hours for which you are enrolled. 

Some of the services will be moved online to accommodate students who may have no physical presence for the Fall 2020 term, and in-person services will remain available for students to utilize whenever they access the campus.  

Additional information on Mandatory Fee Summaries (PDF) 

Certain courses may have additional fees, such as a lab fee, associated with them. The course fee list can be found here. 

Tuition charges will remain based on your residency status as determined by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes. The full policy can be found here.

Maryland taxpayers support instruction and university operations through state tax dollars; the nonresident surcharge helps to do the same for students from outside of Maryland. Current UMD students who are experiencing financial hardship should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid (umdfinaid@umd.edu) to determine grant and/or financial aid options.