How to apply for engineering at the University of Maryland: the Clark School is a limited enrollment program with direct admission or General Engineering, and from fall 2027 aerospace, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering become competitive; admission routes and prerequisites for students from China, Canada and transfers

At the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), engineering degrees are offered by the A. James Clark School of Engineering. There is no separate Clark School application: you apply to UMD and choose a major on the application. Engineering is one of UMD’s Limited Enrollment Programs (LEP), with limited space and admission criteria above the university’s general requirements. This guide covers fall 2027 entry for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including British Columbia and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Twelve majors

• The Clark School has eight departments and twelve undergraduate majors: aerospace, bioengineering, biocomputational engineering, chemical, civil, computer engineering, cyber-physical systems engineering, electrical, fire protection, materials science and engineering, mechanical, and mechatronics engineering.
• Minors include computer engineering, construction project management, nuclear engineering, robotics and autonomous systems, and quantum science and engineering.
• UMD notes that biocomputational engineering and mechatronics engineering are not Limited Enrollment Programs.

2. How first-year students enter engineering

• A major or General Engineering: choose an engineering major on the UMD application, or General Engineering if you are unsure and pick a major by your fourth semester. UMD says the first year of each major is very similar, so changing is fairly easy, and General Engineering students get extra advising.
• Four high-demand majors: aerospace, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering are particularly competitive for direct admission; if direct-admit capacity is reached, applicants may be invited to General Engineering instead. General Engineering students can apply to these majors after completing gateway requirements, still competitively.
• Not invited to engineering: students admitted to UMD but not invited to the Clark School are placed in Letters & Sciences and can apply later through the internal transfer process.
• Notification: admissions says all major decisions are included in the admission letter.

3. Gateway requirements (internal, external and General Engineering)

• GPA: at least 3.0 in all courses at UMD and all other institutions.
• Calculus II (MATH 141) B- or better; calculus-based Physics I (PHYS 161) B- or better;
• Chemistry: Chemistry for Engineers (CHEM 135) or General Chemistry II (CHEM 271) at C- or better; or CHEM 134 at C- together with CHEM 131 at C-.
• Rules: only one gateway course may be repeated, once, and a W counts as an attempt; current students may apply to an LEP only once (an external transfer application does not count); after admission you must keep a 2.00 cumulative GPA or be dismissed from the major.
• From fall 2027: aerospace, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering move to competitive selection; meeting the gateway grades and GPA does not guarantee admission, and academic record, co-curricular involvement, STEM research or personal projects, and honors and awards are considered. Bioengineering, chemical, civil, fire protection, materials science and engineering, and pre-biocomputational, pre-mechatronics and pre-cyber-physical systems engineering admit students who meet the gateway minimums. Students who meet the gateway but are not offered a high-demand major are invited to General Engineering and can declare a non-competitive major.
• Internal deadlines: the 5th business day of January and June. For students entering as first-years in fall 2027 or later, applicants to the four high-demand majors must finish all gateway courses by the deadline; applicants to non-competitive majors may take one in UMD’s Summer 1 session. Spring applicants must finish all gateway courses by the deadline.

4. Deadlines and materials

• Early action (non-binding): 1 November 2026, decisions by 1 February; regular: 20 January 2027, decisions by 1 April; confirm by 1 May. Admissions strongly encourages applying by early action.
• Fall first-year applicants are automatically considered for spring.
• Application fee $80, non-refundable; SAT/ACT optional for the 2027 cycle.
• The engineering pages we read list no separate high school math or science prerequisites and no engineering supplement.

5. Students at high schools in China

• English: required for international applicants, valid for two years: TOEFL 5 on the new scale (95 old scale, MyBest not accepted), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120.
• Gaokao: UMD has not published a Gaokao policy; grades 9–12 transcripts are reviewed.
• AP, IB: credit follows UMD’s equivalency charts; the engineering pages we read do not say whether exam credit can meet gateway courses, so ask the Clark School.

6. Students at Canadian high schools

• Same process and deadlines.
• English exemption: native English speakers who are Canadian citizens or completed high school in Canada may be exempt; students in French-language Canadian systems must still test.
• BC courses: UMD lists no BC math or physics grade requirements.

7. External transfer students

• Direct admission to engineering requires the gateway courses above and a 3.0 GPA (course numbers are UMD’s; look up equivalents in UMD’s transfer credit database).
• Which rules apply: students who first enrolled at a Maryland community college or University System of Maryland school in spring 2027 or earlier follow the old LEP rules, and those first enrolling in fall 2027 or later follow the new rules (honored through spring 2030); students from non-USM schools or out-of-state community colleges follow the new rules from fall 2027 regardless of when they started.
• Deadlines: for fall, 1 March (early) or 1 June (regular); spring has its own dates.
• Credits: up to 60 from community colleges and 90 from four-year institutions.
• The Clark School offers pre-transfer advising to all prospective transfers.

8. Costs and scholarships (USD)

• 2026-27 out-of-state tuition: 22,043 per semester plus 910 in full-time fees; students on a UMD I-20 pay a 125 international fee each semester.
• Differential tuition: full-time engineering juniors and seniors pay an extra 1,687.50 per semester, in-state or out-of-state.
• Total estimate: the posted estimate is still for 2025-26, about 62,374 for out-of-state students, not including differential tuition.
• Engineering scholarships: funded by alumni, industry and friends for prospective and current engineering students; some require an application. Whether international students are eligible is not published.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by early action on 1 November, choosing an engineering major (or General Engineering)
• TOEFL 5 (new) or 95, IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120; SAT/ACT optional
• If you apply to aerospace, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering, be ready for a General Engineering offer
• Budget out-of-state tuition plus 1,687.50 per semester differential from junior year

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; native English speakers who finished high school in Canada may skip English tests (French-language systems excepted)

Transfer students:

• Finish Calculus II and calculus-based Physics I (B- each) and engineering chemistry (C-) with a 3.0 GPA before applying
• For the four high-demand majors, selection is competitive from fall 2027, so build activities and projects
• Apply by 1 March (early) or 1 June for fall

Sources: University of Maryland, College Park, Clark School: apply; Engineering majors; External transfer students; Internal transfer students; Engineering scholarships; Limited Enrollment Programs; Application deadlines; Freshman applicants; English proficiency; Cost of attendance; Undergraduate tuition. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check the University of Maryland for the latest details.