Advising Handbook

We hope you'll find answers to many of your questions here, but if you need further assistance, you can reach us by email at rhsmith-undergradinfo@umd.edu or by phone at 301-405-2286.

Resources for Physical/Mental Health
Review Orientation Documents (Freshmen and Transfers)
See an Academic Advisor

Smith School students admitted to College Park may schedule appointments online at go.umd.edu/appointment.

To submit a request to change your College Park academic advisor, please go to go.umd.edu/advisor.

Students attending the Smith School at Shady Grove: learn more about advising services.

Declare or Change a Major

To declare, change, or add a BMGT major, Smith Students admitted to the College Park campus may schedule an appointment to fill out the proper paperwork. If you do not need to consult with an advisor with regard to this major change, you may submit an online request to change your major at go.umd.edu/majorchange.

If you are requesting to change to or add a major late and will subsequently be forced to take classes out of their prerequisite sequence in order to meet your preferred graduation semester, you are required to submit an appeal that must be reviewed and approved by the academic department offering that major. Please also include your semester-by-semester graduation plan with this appeal.

Declare a Minor

To apply for a Smith minor, visit go.umd.edu/smithminors. Applications are available every spring semester for the following academic year.

To apply for a non-Smith minor, you will need to consult the academic unit that administers your intended minor. Here is a list of all Approved UMD minors.

Check My Remaining Requirements

The University of Maryland's degree auditing system is called u.achieve. You may review this advising tool to check for any remaining requirements you might have. Your advisor can help answer any questions about your remaining requirements.

Transfer a Course From Another Institution

To take a course at another institution:

  1. Find the course you want to take and check the course equivalency on UMD's Transfer Credit Center Database.
  2. Fill out a Permission to Enroll (PTE) form online.
  3. Once approved by your advisor (check your email for a notification), you may go ahead and register for the course at your other institution. Generally, you'll want to look for registration instructions on their Web site for "visiting" or "non-degree-seeking" students. If they need any form of permission from your home institution, provide them with a copy of the approved PTE form from your email.
  4. After the course is finished (and your grade is posted on their transcript), you must initiate an official transcript request. Have them send an official (unopened) transcript to:
    University of Maryland
    Office of the Registrar
    1113 Mitchell Bldg
    College Park, MD 20742
    If the institution can send them electronically, use registrar-help@umd.edu.
  5. Check your UMD Unofficial Transcript online to verify that the credit was received. Generally, you should expect 2-3 weeks from transcript request to the posting of your credit. Email registrar-help@umd.edu if you don't see it posted within that timeline.
  6. Grades from other institutions are not included in your cumulative GPA at Maryland.
  7. If your course was taken to replace a grade at UMD (aka: Freshman Forgiveness), please email your advisor when the course has officially transferred. Consult UMD's Transfer Credit Policies for more detailed information.
Register for More Than 16 Credits

The Registrar sets a 16 credit limit on all students until the first day of classes when the limit is automatically raised to 20. If you ask your BMGT advisor, we can raise your limit up to 17 credits. Anything beyond 17 credits would require an appeal, which is outlined below. Appeals are not guaranteed and are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Appealing to raise your credit limit

  1. Before appealing, first, consider any special program courses you might have for that semester. These courses often have saved seats for you which can be added on the first day of classes. Examples: BMGT190H, some Scholars courses, Independent Study courses, TA positions, Gemstone courses, fellows courses, etc.
  2. Submit an Exception to Academic Policy Form either online or in-person with your advisor.
    In the space provided on this form, please include: A) How many credits you're requesting; B) Why you need a credit overload; C) How you intend to manage this course load along with your other obligations; D) How do you plan to manage unexpected circumstances that may arise during the semester.
  3. Submit (in person or via email to your advisor) a semester-by-semester graduation plan.
  4. If you're requesting more than 20 credits: Please also submit (in person or via email) a weekly schedule detailing your class meetings, study time, work hours, student org meetings, eating, sleeping, etc.
  5. Appeals will be reviewed at the end of the early registration period (mid-December/May) and you'll be notified of the status of your appeal shortly afterward.
Register for a Course That Is Full

If your desired section of a course is closed, you will need to manage the waitlist or hold file process to get in. Generally, we are unable to register students for a class that is full, regardless of whether or not you've received instructor permission. This is the only fair way of allocating seats to students. Seat totals are determined by individual department chairs and therefore cannot be changed.

Seniors: If you are graduating in the upcoming semester and are locked out of a course you need for graduation (and if there are no available substitutions), please do the following:

  1. Put yourself on as many waitlists for this graduation requirement as are feasible for your schedule
  2. Meet with an advisor (walk-ins or appointment) to fill out a request for Oversubscription. Alternatively: You may fill out this online form to request an oversubscription.
  3. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may take some time depending on the course and your individual situation. Please follow up with your advisor with any questions.
Get on the Waitlist or Holdfile

The waitlist is an online "queue" for a course that is closed. In order to place yourself on the waitlist for a closed course, be sure to include a section number (ex: 0101, 0201) when you attempt to register for it on Testudo. Then, select the "add to waitlist" option and choose your desired sections.

The holdfile is also an online "queue," but serves a different purpose. If you do not meet the restrictions for a particular course, you will be placed on the holdfile instead of the waitlist. After the 1st day of classes (for most courses) or the 2nd day of classes (for BMGT courses), the holdfile merges to the end of the waitlist (if there is one), and seats are released as registered students drop the course. The holdfile is also used instead of the waitlist for certain "time-released" General Education courses to ensure that seats can be distributed evenly throughout the registration period. Like the waitlist, you must include a section number when registering in order to see the "add to holdfile" option.

Important Waitlist/Holdfile Reminders

1. Beginning on the first day of classes, you must log in to "Waitlist Check-in" once per day (by 11 p.m.) until you get a seat or the schedule adjustment period ends. If you forget to check-in, you'll be dropped from the waitlist.

2. Be sure to only waitlist/holdfile sections you are willing to take. If a section becomes available to you, you have to take that particular section. as you are dropped from all other waitlisted sections for that particular course once one has become available to you. You may waitlist up to six sections per course.

3. You cannot be waitlisted and registered for two different sections of the same course. The registrar will drop your waitlisted sections overnight if you're currently registered for a section of that course.

4. If you are registered at or near your credit limit (16 credits), Testudo will not allow you to waitlist or holdfile additional courses. A work-around solution for this is to temporarily drop one course, waitlist everything you need to, then re-register for the course you dropped. Do NOT temporarily drop a course that is full (or near full). Contact your advisor if this solution doesn't seem feasible.

Withdraw From Any or All Courses

Single Course Withdrawal

1. If a course is dropped within the schedule adjustment period (For fall/spring: The first ten days of classes), there will be no permanent transcript notation.

2. After schedule adjustment, a "W" will be assessed for dropping a course through the withdrawal deadline.

3. After the withdrawal deadline, a course may not be dropped. For Fall, the deadline is early November. For Spring, the deadline is early April. Consult Testudo's academic deadlines page for specific dates.

4. Advisor permission is required to drop more than 4 credits.

Withdrawal from all classes

1. The deadline to request a full semester withdrawal is the last day of classes (before finals). Consult Testudo's academic deadlines for specific dates.

2. The following two forms must be submitted to the Registrar: In person at the Mitchell Bldg, first floor; Via fax at (301) 314-9568; or via email at registrar-help@umd.edu

Recover From Academic Probation or Dismissal

Probation: If your cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, you will be placed on Academic Probation. While on Academic Probation, you must meet with your academic advisor to gain course-by-course permission to register or withdraw from any courses. You should work with your Advisor to develop an academic recovery plan.

Dismissal: If you do not raise your GPA to 2.0 or above by the end of your probationary semester, you may be dismissed from the university. Important points to consider:

1. If you have less than 60 credits at the end of any probationary semester, you will not be academically dismissed if your most recent semester GPA was 2.0 or above. If you have 60 or more credits at the end of a probationary semester, you must recover your cumulative GPA to 2.0 or you will be dismissed.

2. You have the opportunity to use winter or summer courses to bring up your GPA and reverse an academic dismissal before the next semester begins.

3. If you are academically dismissed and are not able to bring up your GPA with winter/summer courses, you may apply for re-enrollment to the University of Maryland, but you will not to readmitted to the Smith School.

See the undergraduate catalog for a complete description of UMD's academic probation and dismissal policy.

Repeat a Course/Use "Freshmen Forgiveness"

1. Any course may be repeated once without advisor permission. There is no official process to do so. Simply log into Testudo and register again.

2. To get permission to register for the third attempt at a course, please email or schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.

3. You may repeat up to 18 credits of course work at UMD. This includes repeating grades "A-F," as well as "Audit (A), "Incomplete (I)," "No Grade (NG)," "Pass (P)," "Satisfactory (S)," and "Withdraw (W)."

Grade Replacement Policy (AKA: Freshman Forgiveness)

To help freshmen and transfer students adjust to the University of Maryland, College Park, the following two exceptions allow for the cumulative GPA to be calculated so that only the higher grade is included:

a. When the repeated course was taken within the student's first semester at the University of Maryland, College Park, or

b. When the repeated course was taken within the student's first 24 credit hours attempted (including transfer credits) or within the semester during which the student reached the 24th credit hour attempted. Advanced Placement Exam credits do not count toward the 24 credit count.

See the undergraduate catalog for a complete explanation of the repeat policy

Study Abroad

Employers consistently demand that their employees have global competency. But how do students develop such a global competency? Maryland Smith offers a variety of programs – both abroad and on-campus – to help students develop their global mindset. Explore undergraduate programming offered by the Center for Global Business.

Get Credit for an Internship

There are a number of ways to earn credit for an internship, depending on when the internship occurs and what your major is. Below are your options:

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

FALL/SPRING INTERNSHIPS

NON-CREDIT INTERNSHIP OPTION: UNIV099

Find Scholarships

Smith School scholarship applications open mid-spring and are due in May. If you are selected for a scholarship, the funds will be applied to the next academic year. View the financial aid and scholarships page for more information regarding Smith School scholarships, as well as other potential sources of scholarships and aid.

Review Code of Academic Integrity

It is the responsibility of every student to know what constitutes an act of academic dishonesty. Please review the Code of Academic Integrity for details. If a student is suspected of violating these policies, the situation will be sent to the honor council for review. If found guilty of academic dishonesty, a grade of XF (Failure due to academic dishonesty) might be assessed for the course in question. Students may attend a year-long seminar to remove the X, but the F will remain on the transcript.

Participate in Fellows Programs

If you have a 3.0 GPA or higher and are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, you are eligible for fellows (individual programs may have additional requirements). Fellows applications are open December to early February for the following academic year.

Please visit the fellows program web page for more information, including how to apply. Questions? Email smithfellows@umd.edu.

Get Involved at Smith

The Smith School has many opportunities for you to get connected and become a leader in the school.

2. Become a Smith Ambassador.

3. Apply to Smith Fellows or Innovo Scholars Consulting.

Know What to Wear to Smith Events

One of the keys to success in the world of business is knowing how to dress appropriately. Employers are always looking to make sure prospective interns and employees will be able to present themselves—as well as the company—to clients.

We’ve put together a “Packing Guide” to help you figure out what’s appropriate to wear to various Smith events. For most events the undergraduate program hosts, the dress code will be listed under the RSVP.

Apply for Graduation

Seniors are required to apply for graduation by the end of Schedule Adjustment (first 10 days of class) in the semester in which they intend to graduate.

All Smith degrees are Bachelor of Science (BS).

If you have two majors and will be completing at least 150 credits, you should apply for a double degree. If you'll have less than 150 credits, apply for a double major.

Don't forget about your minor! Double degree students: Be sure to indicate which degree onto which you'd like to attach your minor.

Applying for graduation past the deadline?

Satisfactory Progress

Every Smith School student will be reviewed after they reach 45 credits (not including AP or IB credits) in order to make sure they have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and that the following courses have been completed with at least a C- or higher:

Classroom Expectations

The following expectations have been set by Smith School faculty: