Graduate Student Life

Housing 

Off-Campus Housing Services provides UM students with the ability to access OCH 101, an online housing rental search database, so that students can create a customized search that best meets their housing criteria. Priority for on-campus housing is given to full-time undergraduate students by the Department of Resident Life. 

In addition, the University has partnerships with privately-owned apartment complexes. Southern Management offers graduate-only housing at Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens, located just off campus. There are also several new, privately-owned apartment communities located close to campus: Mazza Grandmarc, The View, The Varsity, and The Enclave. If you want to take a more independent approach to finding housing, you can always consult The Diamondback, the University's student newspaper. The Diamondback has a classifieds section for roommates, Rent.com , ApartmentGuide.com, CirTru, and Our University of Maryland College Park apartment search results page. 

Short-Term Lodging in August is available through the Department of Resident Life. This program accommodates a limited number of graduate students for temporary stays in a residence Hall during August while they search for permanent housing. Stays are limited to 3 nights and requests must be submitted directly to reslife@umd.edu. 

Health Insurance

All graduate students enrolled full-time in a master’s or doctoral program at the University of Maryland, College Park campus must have health insurance coverage.  

Full-time registered graduate students:  Automatic enrollment in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) will begin in August when you register for classes, and the cost will be charged to your student account.  If you already have insurance, please submit an insurance waiver to avoid automatic enrollment and automatic billing.  Please note, Graduate Assistants are exempt from the automatic enrollment and waiver process. 

Go to the Graduate School Health Insurance web page for more details. 

Graduate Student Life

The Office of Graduate Student Life (GSL) was established to provide programming and advocacy for graduate student needs on campus as well as to promote interdisciplinary interaction and campus community for all graduate students. The office conducts research on graduate students’ quality of life and advocates for graduate students’ needs. Other services include social programming, involvement in organizations and committees, and much more. The GSL office maintains the online Graduate Student Life Handbook. 

The Graduate Student Life Office and the Graduate Student Life Handbook offers advice for graduate students on a variety of issues such as graduate assistantships, childcare, discounts for graduate students, student ID cards, ordering textbooks, and other useful information. The GSLO offers events just for graduate students throughout each semester. The Handbook also has a checklist for new graduate students to help you get settled at the University.

Student Organizations

Participating in student organizations can help students get involved in the University community and make a wide network of friends. 

Telecommunications Students and Alumni Network (TSAN)

TSAN is an organization whose goal is to promote networking and education between the students and alumni of the Master's in Telecommunications program. TSAN provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and exposure to opportunities in the telecommunications industry through interaction with industry contacts, faculty, entrepreneurs and other similar organizations. New ENTS students can register with TSAN through TerpLink,  contact the board via email at tsan-info@umd.edu, or visit their website.

ECE Graduate Student Association (ECE GSA)

The ECE GSA hosts several social, academic, and sporting events for graduate members of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Find out more information about current events and happenings of the ECE GSA at their website.

Graduate Assistantships and On-Campus Jobs

Many students subsidize their educational costs by gaining employment through graduate assistantships (GAs) or other on-campus jobs. GA positions provide salary, access to health benefits, and/or partial tuition remission. Each compensation package is different based on the particular position. There are three types of assistantship positions on campus: Teaching Assitantships (TAs), Research Assistantships (RAs), and Administrative Assistantships (AAs). To be employed as an UM Graduate Assistant, you must be a registered graduate student enrolled in a degree program at the University of Maryland, College Park. See the Graduate School's policies on Graduate Assistantships in the Graduate Catalog for more information. There is no completely centralized listing of all available assistantships, but many are listed at the Human Resources website. 

Engineering Career Services

The Engineering Career Services assists students in finding cooperative education, summer internships, and part-time engineering positions. Students participating in these programs earn a salary, gain professional experience, integrate theory into practice, and confirm career choices. For further information, please visit Engineering Career Services. 

The Engineering Co-Op and Career Services Office provides a great starting place for your on-campus job search.

You can also look for part-time on campus jobs by making use of the University Career Center. This jobs are likely to be paid on an hourly basis and will not provide tuition remission. You can broaden your job search once you arrive on campus. You will hear more information regarding on-campus employment during your ENTS Orientation Session. We also encourage you to attend relevant ISSS sessions.