How to Apply to Life Sciences and Health-Related Undergraduate Programs at the University of Maryland, College Park: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Neuroscience Are Limited Enrollment Programs, While the School of Public Health Offers Public Health Science and Kinesiology, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) has no separate “medical” college: life-science majors are spread across the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS), the School of Public Health (SPH) and others, and “pre-med” is advising and course support rather than a major. This guide follows UMD’s websites and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Bioengineering and Biocomputational Engineering sit in the engineering school and get only a mention here.

1. Which undergraduate programs are relevant

• Programs listed under “Health & Wellness” on the admissions site: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Public Health Science, Kinesiology, Family Health, Global Health, Public Health Practice, Hearing & Speech Sciences and Nutrition & Food Science (with nutritional science, food science and dietetics options); Bioengineering and Biocomputational Engineering from the engineering school appear in the same list. Neuroscience is a CMNS Limited Enrollment Program (next section).
• Biological Sciences: the website lists five tracks — Cell Biology and Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Microbiology, Physiology and Neurobiology, and General Biology.
• SPH undergraduate degrees: the school’s page lists B.S. programs in Family Health, Global Health, Kinesiology, Public Health Practice and Public Health Science, plus a Social Data Science B.S. shared with the College of Information and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The page’s introduction says “four” undergraduate B.S. programs yet lists six, so it contradicts itself; check the school’s website.
• Public Health Science: described as an interdisciplinary major combining life sciences and public health. A degree needs at least 120 credits: 31 credits of scientific foundation courses, 31 of public health science foundation courses, 12 of option courses, at least 24 of general education and at least 22 of general electives. The required General and Organic Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy/Physiology and Calculus courses are open to students in all majors. The page says it suits students heading to medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant and other allied health professions.
• Kinesiology: a B.S. of 120 credits — 46 in the major, 18 supporting, 24 general education and 32 electives. The page says there are over 700 undergraduates and that most join as transfer students or from other majors on campus.
• Nursing: the admissions site lists a “Pre-Nursing” pre-professional program for students planning to go on to nursing school. The pages we read show no nursing bachelor’s degree, and whether one exists is not stated, so ask the admissions office.
• Whether the degrees are STEM-designated: the pages we read do not say; ask International Student & Scholar Services or the program.
• BioFIRE: a CMNS first-year community for biology-oriented students who take introductory biology, general chemistry and calculus together, live in Somerset Hall (commuters welcome) and work in faculty labs through the First-Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE). The CMNS admissions page says freshmen must apply by November 1 to be considered for FIRE and living-learning programs.

2. How admission works: university first, then the program for LEPs

• You pick a preferred major: the admissions office says the application asks for a preferred major, and this does not affect whether you are admissible to the university. If you pick a Limited Enrollment Program (LEP), the program also reviews you for admission to that major.
• Which majors are LEPs: the list includes Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Neuroscience (plus Business, Computer Science, Engineering and others); the CMNS page also lists the Biodiversity and Conservation Biology concentration of Environmental Science & Policy. Public Health Science and Kinesiology are not on the LEP list; students who did not pick an LEP are “admitted directly to the major indicated on their application”, and every major decision appears in the decision letter.
• If you are not admitted to the LEP: the website says most students are admitted to their preferred major, but some LEP applicants are not. They enter Letters & Sciences and work with an advisor to complete the gateway courses.
• After entering an LEP as a freshman: the LEP page says students admitted directly as freshmen to Biological Sciences, Biochemistry or Chemistry must complete a series of gateway courses and pass a review at 45 credits, which requires at least a 2.0 GPA in all courses; Neuroscience has the same 45-credit review.
• Gateway courses (a minimum grade of C- in each):
  Biological Sciences: Calculus I (MATH130, 135 or 140), BSCI170 (Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology), BSCI160 (Principles of Ecology and Evolution), BSCI180 or BSCI161 plus BSCI171 (introductory labs), CHEM131 and 132 (General Chemistry I and lab), CHEM231 and 232 (Organic Chemistry I and lab).
  Biochemistry: MATH140 and MATH141 (Calculus I and II), CHEM131 and 132 (or CHEM146 and 177), CHEM231 and 232 (or CHEM237).
  Neuroscience: Calculus I, BSCI170 and 171, BSCI160 and 161, CHEM131 and 132, CHEM231 and 232.
• Rules for all LEPs: only one gateway course may be repeated, and only once, with a W counting as an attempt; you may apply to an LEP only once; after admission you must keep a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 or be removed; directly admitted students who fail the review are dismissed and cannot reapply. Denied or dismissed students may appeal in writing. The CMNS page adds that students may not combine Biological Sciences (any track) and Neuroscience in a double major or double degree.
• Current students moving into an LEP: the admissions page lists a January 8, 2027 deadline (Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry) with decisions in mid-January 2027; the Neuroscience row prints “January 8, 2026”, which looks like a typo, so check. The CMNS page instead says apply by the 5th business day of January for spring entry and the 5th business day of June for fall entry, which does not match; email lep@umd.edu. Students applying for fall may finish a gateway course in Summer 1.

3. Prerequisites

• High school coursework (the Board of Regents minimum): 4 years of English; 2 of a foreign language; 3 of history or social science; 3 of science in at least 2 different areas with at least 2 lab experiences; and 4 of math including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. If Algebra II is finished before senior year, you still need a senior-year math course using non-trivial algebra, such as Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics or College Algebra. The website says the most competitive applicants exceed these minimums with a strong A-/B+ or better average and several honors, AP or IB courses.
• Math and chemistry placement: the pages we read do not describe placement testing; ask CMNS or the chemistry department.
• AP / IB / A-level credit: you submit official scores after receiving an offer. The pages we read do not list which subjects or scores earn which credits; use the Transfer Credit Services course database, with the final decision made after admission.
• Health Professions Advising Office tips: students who already hold credit for BSCI160/161 and BSCI170/171 should not repeat them; students with an AP chemistry score of 4 or 5 need not start with CHEM131/132; most medical and dental schools require biochemistry. These are the advising office’s recommendations, not program rules.

4. “Pre-med” (pre-health)

• The admissions site lists Pre-Medicine and similar tracks as “pre-professional programs”, and the pages we read do not present them as degree majors; you study in your own major, and the Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising Office (HPAO) adds workshops, one-on-one advising and materials. The listed programs are Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Nursing, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Podiatry, Pre-Genetic Counseling and Pre-Dental Hygiene.
• HPAO says students applying to medical or dental school can use its Committee Process: a pre-health packet, a one-on-one packet review, personal statement review, a mock interview, school-list review and a letter packet compiled by the office. The first-time applicant packet is due February 15, 2027 at 4:30 p.m.; students already accepted to a health professions school cannot use the process.
• International students: HPAO’s page says international students face obstacles to health professions degrees in the U.S., including eligibility restrictions, a limited number of slots and scarce funding. Many programs accept no international applicants (applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents), others only a few, and scholarships often carry residency or citizenship requirements; check each school’s website.
• The pages we read describe no combined bachelor’s-MD program at UMD; this is not stated.

5. Rounds, materials and fees

• Freshman rounds: non-binding early action closes November 1 with decisions by February 1; regular decision closes January 20 with decisions by April 1; the enrollment confirmation deadline is May 1. Applications after the regular deadline are considered on a rolling, space-available basis. Applying for fall also automatically considers you for spring. The website strongly encourages early action for priority review, scholarships and invitations to special programs. The deadlines page carries a “prior year” footnote on its dates, so confirm they are for fall 2027 entry.
• Platforms: the Common App or ApplyWeb; the website says the choice makes no difference.
• Materials: the application with an essay and an activities list or résumé; a $80 non-refundable fee (waivers must be requested before submitting); two letters of recommendation (one school counselor, one teacher, sent directly by the recommender); transcripts from every high school and college attended; optional test scores; AP/IB/A-level scores after admission.
• Testing: UMD is test-optional for the spring and fall 2027 application cycles.
• Essay: freshmen choose one of seven prompts, up to 650 words (the prompt is written at the start); transfer applicants answer a separate prompt in up to 300 words. The website says the essay is one of 23 factors in holistic review.
• Interview: the pages we read do not mention one; not stated.
• Honors College: we did not read a dedicated Honors College page; we only know that the Banneker/Key Scholarship includes admission to the Honors College.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2025–2026 estimate): Maryland residents pay $12,008 in tuition and fees and non-residents $41,974; on-campus housing and food $16,436, books $1,250, transportation $1,514 and miscellaneous $1,200; the estimated total is $32,408 in-state and $62,374 out-of-state. The website says only business, engineering and computer science majors pay additional credit-hour tuition; no extra charge is stated for other majors.
• Scholarships: students who complete their application by November 1 are automatically reviewed, with no separate application. Banneker/Key can cover up to full tuition, mandatory fees, housing and food and a book allowance and includes Honors College admission, with semifinalist interviews in late February or early March. The President’s Scholarship is $2,000–$20,000 per year for four years and open to in-state and out-of-state applicants. The Dean’s Scholarship is $1,500 for freshman year or $4,500 per year for freshman and sophomore years, for in-state applicants only (about 400 new recipients each fall). Spring admits are not considered. Departments, schools and colleges have their own awards; contact them directly.
• In-state preference in admission: the pages we read state none; only the Dean’s Scholarship is limited to Maryland residents.
• Need-based aid: handled by the Office of Student Financial Aid, whose pages we did not read; see financialaid.umd.edu.

7. International applicants

• Who counts as international: freshmen and transfer students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents; they also meet English proficiency and non-U.S. credential evaluation requirements. They choose a preferred major and face the same LEP rules. The website encourages international applicants to apply early action to hear by February 1 and have time for a visa, and asks for a foreign street address, not a P.O. box.
• English proficiency: Duolingo 120, IELTS 7 or TOEFL iBT 95 (5 on the 1–6 scale); scores must be under two years old and sent by the testing agency (UMD code 5814); TOEFL MyBest superscores are not accepted. Scores at or below the Maryland English Institute (MEI) levels (Duolingo 115 or lower, IELTS 6.5 or lower, TOEFL 94 or lower / 4.5 or lower) mean the decision letter may require MEI coursework. Possible waivers: four years at a U.S. high school with no ESL coursework; a posted associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution; 55+ semester credits at such an institution including English Composition 1 and 2; or English as a first language plus citizenship or a degree from a country on the website’s list.
• Transcripts: official transcripts from every school, in the original language with a certified English translation. A third-party evaluation is not required for secondary-school records, but all post-secondary credentials need a course-by-course evaluation from ECE or Josef Silny & Associates.
• Proof of funds: due only after admission and enrollment confirmation, covering one year of tuition, fees, books, insurance and living expenses; medical insurance is required; students needing an I-20 pay a $125 per-semester fee. The website says that as a public institution UMD cannot provide financial assistance to international students, while the freshman merit scholarship page says U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens are considered. The pages we read do not give a separate international tuition rate; see billpay.umd.edu for current rates.
• Support: ISSS helps with immigration and visas; students start working with it once admitted.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao and the senior-year exams: the admissions pages we read do not mention the gaokao or China-specific requirements; not stated, so email international-admissions@umd.edu.
• Transcripts: send the original Chinese transcript with a certified English translation. The page asks for national secondary examination results and certificates where applicable (its examples are GCSE/GCE, CBSE, CXC/CSEC and WAEC; China is not named). No third-party evaluation is needed for high school records.
• English: submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo as in section 7; China is not on the website’s list of English-speaking countries.
• Testing: test-optional, like all applicants.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: a high school graduate with at least 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) from a regionally accredited institution, not counting AP/IB; an English composition course and a college-level math course are expected. Those with fewer than 30 semester hours also submit a final high school transcript.
• Deadlines: fall early action March 1, regular June 1; spring early action August 1, regular November 15 (the page footnotes its dates as prior-year, so confirm). Transfer applicants currently apply only through ApplyWeb; the essay is up to 300 words, a recommendation is optional and the fee is $80.
• Entering Biological Sciences, Neuroscience or Biochemistry: both external and internal transfers must complete the gateway courses and hold a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7 across all courses at UMD and elsewhere. Applicants who have finished all gateways hear in late April (fall) or late October (spring); those still completing them hear about the major after final grades, so send the final transcript.
• Shady Grove campus: Biological Sciences there is not an LEP; entering students need at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA, 60 credits and the listed chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and calculus courses (see the LEP page).
• Credit transfer: Transfer Credit Services has a course database, with the final determination after admission and review of official transcripts. The page also describes the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP), a guaranteed-admission pathway for students at participating community colleges.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• By November 1 (early action) or January 20 (regular), submit the application, transcripts, two recommendations (a counselor and a teacher) and the $80 fee; test scores are optional
• Pick a preferred major: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Neuroscience are LEPs with gateway courses and a 45-credit review; non-LEP majors admit directly
• For first-year merit scholarships, complete the application by November 1

International applicants (including those from China):

• Same deadlines; TOEFL 95, IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120 unless waived; transcripts with certified English translation; ask admissions how the gaokao is used
• Proof of one year of funds after admission and enrollment confirmation; the website says UMD offers no financial assistance to international students
• If you plan to apply to U.S. medical school later, check each school’s website for whether international applicants are accepted

Transfer students:

• At least 12 credits completed; apply through ApplyWeb by March 1 (early) or June 1 (regular) for fall; for the LEP life-science majors, finish the gateway courses first and reach a 2.7 GPA

Sources: University of Maryland, Undergraduate Admissions: freshman applicants; Application deadlines; Limited Enrollment Programs; LEP admission for current students; Health & Wellness programs; International applicants; English language proficiency; Financial certification; Transfer applicants; Essay questions; Cost of attendance; Freshman merit scholarships; LEP: Biological Sciences; LEP: Biochemistry; LEP: Neuroscience; CMNS admissions; CMNS: declaring a major; BioFIRE; School of Public Health: undergraduate degrees; Public Health Science; Kinesiology; Health Professions Advising Office; AP and IB credit; Application process. The deadlines page carries a footnote saying starred dates are for the prior year, and the Neuroscience row on the LEP page prints 2026; check UMD’s website to confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry. The cost page is labeled 2025–2026.