Pre-Transfer Recommendations

Spring entrants may have more limited options for course selection due to the offering pattern of certain upper-level major requirements and course sequences (e.g., fall only, fall-to-spring sequencing, etc.). Extended time to degree may result from a poorly-timed transfer. Fall entrants also more likely to avoid the challenges associated with splitting sequential courses between institutions (see below).

Splitting up a course pair (ie. General Chemistry I and II or Physics I and II) increases the risk of gaps in knowledge that will need to be compensated for in the next (or more advanced) course at UMBC and can cause challenges when preparing for cumulative finals. For example, the year-long General Chemistry sequence is similar in content from one institution to another, often even using the same textbook. However, Institution A may cover Chapter 15’s material during General Chemistry II, while Institution B (using the exact same textbook) covers Chapter 15 during General Chemistry I. If you transfer from Institution A to Institution B in between General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II, you will have to teach yourself the material from Chapter 15 because you’ve missed it in both places. If you must transfer mid-sequence, check in with your professor/TA at the start of the semester for their recommendations of resources that will help you fill any gaps and semester long tutoring through the Academic Success Center is recommended.

For STEM majors who start at UMBC as freshmen, we generally recommend that they spread their general education requirements and any non-STEM elective courses throughout their UMBC career. This balanced schedule of both STEM and non-STEM courses gives students a bit of a mental break from their science and math coursework each semester. Transfer students should consider saving some general education requirements for completion at UMBC,  look into non-science elective coursework that they could take upon arrival at UMBC, and/or plan for a double major or minor in a non-STEM discipline in order to give themselves the same kind of relief.

Students who wish to pursue an undergraduate degree on a part-time basis should be aware that many courses required for their CNMS major are only offered during regular business hours (M-F, 9a-5p). Making degree progress on a part-time basis is possible, but typically in a 2-to-3-days-per-week strategy, rather than a day-or-evening fashion. If you intend to work (especially a full time or 9-5 job), while attending UMBC, please make plans to accommodate the reality of our scheduling.

Students who successfully completed coursework in a language through Level 4 in high school are considered sufficiently proficient. Transfer students who have this level of experience and/or those would like to use their foreign language studies from high school for placement into a foreign language course at UMBC should submit their high school transcripts to UMBC at the time of application in order to have that proficiency documented, even if the high school transcript is otherwise optional for the student’s application. Students who studied internationally may have additional methods of documenting foreign language proficiency. If a student will need to take additional coursework to meet the minimum requirement, we recommend that they complete that requirement as close to their initial language experience as possible, in order to avoid loss of skill. Students should look into how foreign language coursework may be used to fulfill General Education requirements for their Associate’s Degree. More information about the foreign language proficiency requirement can be found on the Department of Modern Language, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communications website.

• Visit campus, if you can, before transferring. If you plan to live off-campus and commute, figure out what your commute will be like and find out what your options are for alternate transportation (public transportation, carpooling, etc.). Get a feel for the physical size of campus, and all the logistics that go with it – finding parking, getting something to eat (or a place to eat what you bring with you), and make a list of all of the departments/offices that you use at your current institution that you’ll need to find here.
• Think about how you might get involved on campus. Students who get themselves connected to other students (and faculty and staff) early on in their academic career can reap a lot of benefits from those connections – study groups, research opportunities, and internship connections, just to name a few. As a transfer student, you may feel like you’re intruding on groups that have formed before you got here, but don’t believe that feeling! Half of the students in CNMS have transferred from another school, so there are a lot of people who understand what it’s like to become part of a new community. They are willing to welcome you in…you just need to have a little courage, and seek out opportunities to find your place!