How to Apply to Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park: Not a Limited Enrollment Program, with a Standard Major Plus Education, Applied and Bio-Physics Specializations, and Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), undergraduate physics is offered by the Department of Physics. The department says students who want to study physics must first apply to and be accepted by the university; the department has no separate application. Its pages name the CMNS Student Services Office, which indicates the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, but the pages read for this guide state no college-level admission requirements. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UMD’s website, for U.S. domestic students, international students (including those from China) and transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, engineering and computer science are separate majors and are not covered here; this site has separate articles on mathematics, computer science and engineering.

1. Specializations and how you get into the major

• Standard physics and three specializations: the degree requirements page lists the Physics Major plus Education, Applied and Bio-Physics specializations. The Education specialization is designed for students obtaining a teaching certificate through the College of Education, but the page says completing it does not by itself satisfy certification: students must also apply and be admitted to the Secondary Education Program and take additional courses. The Applied specialization is for students who plan to enter technical or scientific work after graduation or to pursue applied physics at graduate level; the Biophysics specialization is for students aiming at biophysics graduate study or preparing for the MCAT and medical school, and the page says pre-med students should consult a pre-health advisor. Astrophysics, engineering physics and chemical physics are not listed as undergraduate tracks on the department pages read.
• Degree name: the department pages read do not say whether the degree is a B.S. or a B.A.; this is not published. Ask a physics advisor or check your degree audit.
• Not a Limited Enrollment Program: Admissions’ LEP list is Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Engineering, Immersive Media Design, Neuroscience and Psychology. Physics is not on it. Admissions says applicants who did not select an LEP are admitted directly to the major on their application, and all major decisions are in the admission letter.
• Preferred major on the application: the UMD application asks for a preferred major, which Admissions says does not affect whether you are admissible to the university.
• Current students: the department FAQ covers two cases. To add physics as a double major, meet a physics advisor with your four-year plan, then submit a Declaration of Major form to the CMNS Student Services Office; to add a minor, meet an advisor and submit a Declaration of Minor form. No GPA threshold or cap on places is stated. The process for switching into physics as a first major is not published; ask a physics advisor.
• Double major versus double degree: a double major earns one diploma and needs 120 total credits; a double degree earns two diplomas and needs 150 credits, with at least 18 credits in one degree not overlapping the other.
• Size and teaching: the department says about 350 physics majors are enrolled, with small classes taught by professors rather than TAs, and a separate track of physics courses taught entirely by department faculty, even at the introductory level.
• Advising: all physics majors must meet a physics advisor each semester before registering.

2. Prerequisites and the physics curriculum

• High school courses: Admissions says that, as prescribed by the Board of Regents, applicants should have 4 years of English, 2 of foreign language, 3 of history or social science, 3 of science in at least two areas with at least two lab experiences, and 4 of math including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II; those who finish Algebra II before their final year must take a course using non-trivial algebra, such as Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics or College Algebra. The most competitive applicants exceed the minimums, earn a strong A-/B+ or better average and take several honors, AP or IB courses. The department pages read do not state a separate high school physics prerequisite; this is not published.
• Where calculus starts: the department says the program lets most students graduate in no more than four years provided they enter prepared to take Calculus I in their first semester. The pages read do not describe a physics or math placement exam; ask the math department and registrar about math placement before MATH140.
• AP credit for physics majors (department prospective-student FAQ): AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 = MATH140 (Calculus I); AP Calculus BC AB subscore 4 or 5 = MATH140, and BC score 4 or 5 = MATH141 (Calculus II); AP Physics C: Mechanics 4 or 5 = PHYS171 (Introductory Physics: Mechanics & Relativity); AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 5 = PHYS272 (Introductory Physics: Fields), though students with that credit may still be advised to take the course at UMD. AP Physics 1 and 2 and IB Physics HL count as elective credit for physics majors. IB calculus equivalencies are not stated on the pages read; see the Transfer Credit Services website.
• Core courses of the standard major (degree requirements page, matriculated fall 2024 or later): 17 credits of introductory courses (PHYS170 Professional Physics Seminar, PHYS171 Mechanics, PHYS265 Scientific Programming, PHYS272 Fields, PHYS273 Oscillations and Waves, and the labs PHYS275 and PHYS276); 16–19 credits of math (Calculus I, II, III plus MATH243, or MATH240 with MATH246); and 35 credits of upper-level courses including Electricity and Magnetism I and II, Modern Physics, Quantum Physics I and II, Statistical Thermodynamics, Classical Mechanics, the PHYS375 lab, PHYS405 Advanced Experiments or PHYS407 Undergraduate Experimental Research, and two advanced electives. Requirements for students who matriculated before fall 2024 are in a linked document that was not read for this guide.
• The specializations: Education adds teaching courses and College of Education courses; Applied adds computer-aided design, Making Physics Experiments, Computational Physics, and a choice of Electronic Circuits or Computerized Instrumentation; Bio-Physics adds molecular and cellular biology, chemistry and organic chemistry, cell biology and physiology, biochemistry and biophysics. Use the official degree audit for credit counts.
• Labs and research requirement: the standard major takes three lab courses (PHYS275, 276, 375) and either PHYS405 or PHYS407; a thesis is not listed as a requirement.
• Undergraduate research: the department urges all majors to start research early, even in the first year. It holds an annual Undergraduate Research Fair each fall; students can earn credit with an Independent Study Contract signed with a mentor, added by the end of the schedule adjustment period. The department also notes that UMD sits inside the Washington, DC beltway, with collaborators at institutions such as NIST, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Freshman Early Action (non-binding): 1 November (the table marks it as the prior year’s date, so 1 November 2026), with decisions by 1 February. Admissions strongly encourages it for priority consideration, merit scholarships and invitations to special programs; fall applicants are automatically considered for spring.
• Freshman Regular: 20 January, with decisions by 1 April and enrollment confirmation by 1 May. Applications after the regular deadline are considered on a rolling, space-available basis.
• Platform: Common App or ApplyWeb for freshmen (Admissions says the choice does not affect review); ApplyWeb only for transfers.
• Materials: online application with essay and activities list or resume, USD 80 non-refundable fee (waivers available), two recommendations (one school counselor, one teacher; no science teacher is required), official high school transcripts, and college transcripts if any. The pages read list no physics supplement.
• Test-optional: Admissions says UMD is test-optional through the spring and fall 2027 application cycles. Submit AP, IB and A/AS-level scores only after an offer, to receive credit.
• Physics competitions: the review factors include “recognition of special achievements” and “special talents or skills” but do not name physics competitions, and the pages read do not say how competition results are treated.

4. U.S. domestic students

• Tuition: for fall 2026 and spring 2027, UMD lists full-time undergraduate tuition plus mandatory fees of USD 6,417.50 per semester for Maryland residents and USD 22,043 for non-residents (both including USD 910 in mandatory fees). Rates for 2027-28 are not published.
• Estimated cost: Admissions’ estimate is still for 2025-26: tuition and fees USD 12,008 (in-state) or 41,974 (out-of-state); housing and food 16,436; books 1,250; transportation 1,514; personal 1,200; total USD 32,408 in-state or 62,374 out-of-state.
• Differential tuition: the extra USD 1,687.50 per semester applies to full-time juniors and seniors in Business, Engineering and Computer Science; physics is not in that list.
• Freshman merit scholarships: U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens whose complete application arrives by 1 November are reviewed automatically. The Banneker/Key Scholarship can cover up to full tuition, fees, housing, food and a book allowance, with Honors College admission; the President’s Scholarship is a four-year award of USD 2,000–20,000 a year for in-state and out-of-state applicants; the Dean’s Scholarship is USD 1,500 for freshman year or USD 4,500 a year for freshman and sophomore years, non-renewable, for in-state applicants only. Spring admits are not considered.
• Physics department scholarships: the department page (titled 2025-2026) lists the Angelo Bardasis Scholarship (need and merit, for current students and accepted incoming physics freshmen), the Joseph Helfand Memorial Scholarship (juniors) and the William M. MacDonald Scholarship (seniors), both need and merit; the Jerry B. Marion Award for a graduating senior dedicated to teaching; and, under the Physics Scholarship & Award Fund, the John S. Toll Prize, the James B. Langworthy Undergraduate Scholarship and the Elliott W. Montroll Fund for majors doing experimental or theoretical research. The Bardasis Endowment Fellowship is for sophomore, junior and senior majors and includes a semester-long seminar and mentoring. Amounts are not published.
• Chesapeake Scholars: an NSF-funded S-STEM scholarship in the college for students with academic talent and unmet financial need in astronomy, atmospheric and oceanic science, biochemistry, chemistry, geology and physics; scholars take a one-credit orientation seminar in each of their first two semesters.
• In-state preference: “residency status” is one of the review factors, but how it is used is not published, and the pages read have no guaranteed admission for Maryland residents.

5. International students (including China)

• Who: non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents. Besides freshman or transfer requirements, the committee considers the national education system, types of institutions attended, English proficiency and third-party evaluations of non-U.S. university-level credentials.
• English: scores must be under two years old and sent by the testing agency (UMD code 5814). TOEFL 5 on the 1–6 scale or 95 on the 0–120 scale (MyBest not accepted), IELTS 7, Duolingo 120. UMD also lists Maryland English Institute score bands (TOEFL 4.5 or 94 and lower, IELTS 6.5 or lower, Duolingo 115 or lower) and says some admitted applicants must complete MEI coursework first, as stated in the admission letter. Possible waivers include four years at a U.S. high school without ESL, a U.S. regionally accredited degree, 55+ semester credits from a U.S. institution including English Composition 1 and 2, or English as a first language plus citizenship or a completed high school or university degree in a listed country or territory (Canada is listed, with a test still required for the French system).
• Transcripts: results for each year equivalent to U.S. grades 9–12, in the native language with a certified English translation, plus official results of national secondary examinations where appropriate. Non-U.S. university credentials need a course-by-course evaluation from ECE or Josef Silny & Associates.
• After admission: visa and financial documents are not needed for a complete application; they are required only if admitted, with help from International Student & Scholar Services.
• Scholarships: the freshman scholarship page says U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens are considered; the transfer scholarship page says only U.S. citizens and permanent residents qualify. Whether international students can receive UMD undergraduate scholarships is not otherwise stated; ask international-admissions@umd.edu. The physics scholarship page does not say whether international students may apply; not published.
• Fees: students needing a UMD-issued I-20 or DS-2019 pay USD 125 per semester, and Admissions notes international students may face higher living costs.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages read do not say whether Gaokao results are considered or how; this is not published. Ask international-admissions@umd.edu.
• Documents: a transcript in the U.S. grade 9–12 format with a certified English translation; results of national secondary examinations “where appropriate.” Whether Chinese provincial graduation exams are needed is not published.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo as above. There is no China-specific page.
• Math and physics preparation: the department wants students ready for Calculus I in the first semester. If you have studied calculus or mechanics already, see the AP credit rules above; whether Chinese coursework can earn credit is not published, so ask a physics advisor and Transfer Credit Services.

7. Honors and outcomes

• Departmental Honors: graduation with honors requires at least 3 credits of a physics honors-version course, an overall GPA of 3.00 and a 3.30 GPA in required physics major courses at graduation, and one research course among PHYS386, 389, 399 or 499. High Honors requires a research project with physics faculty and a defended senior thesis or paper; regular Honors requires an oral exam by at least two physics faculty or an approved graduate-level PHYS course with a B or higher. Students who miss the first two criteria may appeal to the Honors Committee, and a student not awarded honors gets no negative record. There is also a route to High Honors through research in another department.
• Outcomes: the department says many majors go to graduate school, most often in physics but also astronomy, geophysics, atmospheric and oceanic science and engineering; of graduates who go to work immediately, “nationally roughly two-thirds” work in the private sector, while others teach high school, work for government including national laboratories, or join the military, with the American Institute of Physics cited. This is the page’s statement about the national picture, not a UMD statistic.

8. Transfer students

• Eligibility: high school graduation or equivalent plus at least 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) at a regionally accredited institution; AP/IB and placement tests do not count. Admissions expects an English composition course and a college-level math course.
• Deadlines: fall early action 1 March, regular 1 June; spring early action 1 August, regular 15 November. USD 80 fee, optional recommendation, high school transcript if under 30 semester hours, and SAT/ACT optional. Admissions adds that certain applicants from Maryland public institutions get special consideration and are admitted when space is available.
• Physics-specific requirements: the Admissions and department pages read do not state a GPA threshold or a specific calculus or physics sequence for transferring into physics; not published. Physics is not an LEP, and applicants who did not select an LEP are admitted directly to their listed major. Contact a physics advisor to review your courses.
• Credit: Transfer Credit Services keeps a course database for estimating what transfers, with the final decision made after admission and review of official transcripts; transfer students are also encouraged to use pre-transfer advising.
• Transfer scholarships: the Maryland Transfer Scholarship (in-state, USD 5,000 over two years, with the FAFSA priority deadline, based on academic talent and financial need) and the President’s Transfer Scholarship (out-of-state, USD 5,000 a year for up to two years) require applying by 1 March and are open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; the Frederick Douglass Scholarship is for Maryland community college transfers and has a separate application.

Checklist

U.S. domestic students:

• Apply Early Action by 1 November; list physics as your preferred major
• Four years of high school math and three of science with two lab experiences; aim to start Calculus I in the first semester; SAT/ACT optional
• Send AP Calculus or AP Physics C scores after an offer to request credit

International students (including China):

• TOEFL 5 (new) or 95 (old), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120, valid for two years; transcripts with certified English translation
• Two recommendations (counselor and teacher); USD 80 fee
• Prepare visa and financial documents after admission; ask international-admissions@umd.edu how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Apply through ApplyWeb by 1 March (early action) or 1 June
• Talk to a physics advisor about your calculus and physics courses and check the transfer credit database

Sources: University of Maryland, College Park, Physics: undergraduate program; Physics: prospective students; Physics: degree requirements; Physics: FAQ; Physics: advising; Physics: departmental honors; Physics: undergraduate research; Physics: scholarships; Chesapeake Scholars (S-STEM); Freshman applicants; International applicants; Application deadlines; English language proficiency; Transfer applicants; Limited Enrollment Programs; Review factors; Freshman merit scholarships; Transfer merit scholarships; Cost of attendance; Undergraduate tuition. Admissions marks some deadline dates as being for the prior year, and the department scholarship page is titled 2025-2026. Check the University of Maryland for the latest details.