Students not seeking a degree may be allowed to take course work in the Department. Two categories of non-degree status are offered by the Graduate School:
- Advanced Special Student *
- Visiting Graduate Student
* The Advanced Special Student status is not available to students in F-1 or J-1 status. These students should consult the Office of International Education Services at (301) 314-7740 if they have questions about exceptions in this category.
Criteria for admission to either category are established by the Graduate School. For more information, see the Graduate School website.
Advanced Special Student and Visiting Graduate Student Deadlines :
Please contact the Graduate School Office at (301.405.0376).
This status is designed for students who are not immediately interested in a degree program, but wish to take graduate level courses. This status provides an opportunity for post-baccalaureate, post-master's, and post-doctoral students to take graduate level course work in line with their interests and abilities. The Advanced Special Student status is not intended as a qualifying program for doctoral and master's program, but up to 12 credits earned as an Advanced Special Student may be applicable to a degree program with the approval of departmental faculty.
Requirements for Admission: To apply for admission to Advanced Special Student Status, the applicant must submit a completed application and pay the $75 application fee. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average, and satisfy ONE of the following requirements:
- Submit official transcripts covering all credits used in satisfying the baccalaureate degree requirements, or
- If the applicant holds a master's or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution, submit an official transcript showing the award of a master's or doctoral degree, or
- Achieve a score that places the applicant in the upper 50th percentile of appropriate national standardized aptitude examinations including the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test, the Miller Analogies Test, and the Graduate Management Admissions Test, (where different percentiles are possible, the Graduate School will determine which score is acceptable), or
- Provide a strong letter of support from the Graduate Director of the program in which the applicant plans to take a course.
Please note: Unofficial transcripts will be accepted with the application for evaluation purposes, but the student must submit official copies of all required documents before the end of the first semester of enrollment. Official transcripts must be submitted from all institutions except the University of Maryland, College Park.
TOEFL test scores must be submitted if your native language is not English.
Application Instructions for Advanced Special Students
A completed online application: The Online Application is the first part of the application process. Use the regular Graduate Admissions application but follow these instructions:
Graduate Educational Intent: Select Non-degree
Major/Program: Select Advanced Special Student - GRAD
Educational Objective: Select Advanced Special Student
If you download an application to send by mail, the intended program is "Advanced Special Student Status" and the four-letter program code is "GRAD."
Admission to Advanced Special Student Status will be granted by the Dean for Graduate Studies and Research after a review of the application and credentials.
To be considered for admission to a degree program at a later time, the Advanced Special Student must submit a new application accompanied by the supporting documents specified in the Graduate School application brochure. Up to 12 credits earned as an Advanced Special Student may be applicable to the new program with the approval of the departmental faculty.
Important Graduate School and/or Department policies:
- Admission in this status can continue for a period of up to five years
- Admission is terminated if there is no registration in three consecutive academic year semesters
- Students in this status are not eligible to hold appointments as Graduate Teaching or Research Assistants or Fellows, nor can they qualify for student financial aid
- Only twelve credit hours earned as an Advanced Special Student can be applied to a master's degree program.
Advanced Special Students are eligible for all other services provided to other graduate students (e.g., parking and library privileges).
A graduate student matriculated in another graduate school who wishes to enroll in the Graduate School of the University of Maryland and who intends to return to the graduate school in which he or she is matriculated, may be admitted as a Visiting Graduate Student.
To apply, the applicant must submit a completed application and pay the $75 application fee. Transcripts, letters of recommendation and test scores are not required. In lieu of transcripts, the applicant must submit a letter from the Graduate Dean at the applicant's institution confirming that the applicant is in good academic standing and that courses taken at the University of Maryland will be transferred to the home institution.