Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate
Language/s English
Agreement Scope University-wide exchange, with priority to PPE students, check with your department regarding compatibility with your degree programme.
Exchange Places 2 full year places for 2027/28 academic year
University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Information for Exchange students
About:
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a public research university founded in 1966 and is a member of the University System of Maryland. It has grown into one of the leading public research universities in the United States, recognised for its strengths in STEM subjects, interdisciplinary research, undergraduate teaching, and inclusive excellence. UMBC has approximately 14,000 students from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries, creating a diverse and internationally focused campus community. It is classified as an R1 Doctoral University, placing it among institutions with the highest level of research activity in the United States.
Highlights:
UMBC offers several advantages for students participating in a study abroad exchange:
Wide selection of English-taught modules across multiple disciplines.
Strong academic support and a welcoming campus community.
An active campus life with clubs, sports, volunteering, and cultural activities.
Location:
UMBC is situated on a 500-acre campus in Catonsville, Maryland, just outside Baltimore. Its location is one of its greatest strengths:
Approximately 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore
Around 45 minutes from Washington, D.C.
Just 5 minutes from Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport
Served by Amtrak, MARC rail services, public transport and dedicated university shuttle buses.
This provides students with access to two major metropolitan areas while enjoying a safe suburban campus environment.
Courses / Modules:
List of modules available to York students. There are enrolment restrictions for certain subject areas, and York students are advised to refer to the webpage when deciding on the appropriate study plan.
Modules/departments not available to York students: Law and postgraduate/graduate level modules.
The letter prefix (e.g., ACCT, BIO, ARH) indicates the department or subject area offering the course, such as Accounting, Biology, Art History, etc. The first digit typically represents the academic level:
1xx - Freshman level
2xx - Sophomore level
3xx - Junior level
4xx - Senior level
5xx and above - Graduate level
Credit (Full-time Load per semester):
You must take a full credit load while on exchange.
15 UMBC credits is the equivalent to 60 York credits and 30 UMBC credits is the equivalent to 120 York credits
Teaching Periods:
Semester 1: August - December
Semester 2: January - May
Access UMBC calendar.
Language:
Classes at UMBC are taught in English.
You may be required to provide evidence of your English language ability if English is not your first language.
Accommodation:
Exchange students will be housed in on-campus accommodation. After acceptance, students are instructed to apply for housing through UMBC’s Residential Life Office.
Orientation / Welcome week:
Students are expected to arrive on the last Saturday in August for the Fall semester. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the in-person orientation.
Support Services:
The Accessibility & Disability Services Department (ADS) at UMBC is committed to ensuring equitable access, opportunity, and participation for all UMBC community members with disabilities
Visas:
Information from UMBC.
If you are a UK National you must refer to the travel advice for USA and the living in the USA guide to check on any visa requirements, and raise any queries directly with the relevant embassy/consulate. If you are not a UK national you should check equivalent advice for your home country.
Travel insurance:
If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries. You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange.
Health insurance:
All exchange students will be enrolled automatically in UMBC’s student health insurance, sponsored by Aetna Student Health.
Exchange students are required to meet several health requirements to attend UMBC.
You could be the first University of York student to study at and share your experiences of UMBC! Please read the student experiences on some of our other sites as a guide.
Please note: these tips have been provided by students who have studied abroad in the USA - Global Opportunities recommends that you use these as a guide only and do your own research on what is best for you.
Money and Banking:
'REVOLUT - cannot recommend this enough. Allows for free currency conversions and transfers into US bank accounts. It is cheaper even than Transferwise. The best way to pay bills to the university is to pay Flywire with a domestic US bank transfer through Revolut.'
'I used my UK or French bank accounts and I opened a bank of America account .......'
'I used a Revolut Card which had a really good exchange rates. But I didn't open up a new Bank account.'
Staying Connected:
'I bought a sim from AT&T.....It was a monthly contract that could be cancelled at any time, so it's good for international students. I know some other [students] who either only used WiFi (there's wifi all around campus and it's usually reliable) or who changed their usual contract to an international one.'
'Pretty much every exchange student used Mint Mobile. Not all phones work on US frequencies though, so I bought a Google Pixel 3a which works everywhere.'
'At first, I got a new SIM card but it wasn't compatible with my European phone (due to the software or something). I then borrowed a phone from one of my American relatives.'
Food:
(Drexel University) 'I was on campus and I had a dining plan so I mostly got food in the university's dining facilities.'
(University of Denver) 'A micro fridge is a worthwhile investment for snacks and drinks outside of mealtime!'.
Paperwork and bureaucracy:
'The most tedious thing was getting the visa sorted, but after that most of the paperwork was easy to get done. You might feel like you've forgotten to do some things, but chances are you haven't and they'll send a reminder if you did.'
'Be patient, keep a well labelled folder, email when feeling stressed and your not sure what to do. The main thing is keeping in mind that the paperwork will end and once you arrive at our host country everything is easier face to face.'
'Be meticulous and create checklists. Get all the paperwork necessary for visas etc. before even beginning the process of applying. Flights do not necessarily get more expensive as the travel date gets closer. They can go down too (I booked a flight to NYC to save money before the Philly flight halved in price so I should have just waited).'
What I wished I'd known...:
'Research accommodation a bit more. Expect delays with communication. Expect the mundaneness of normal day to day living- expectation management is a useful skill. All the feelings are very normal!'
'How much it costs! I was happy to pay for the flights even though they're expensive, but having to buy 4-5 books for every module adds up quickly, especially when some of them are $50+ ....... Other things are more expensive too, like clothes, which can cost twice as much as they would here even after converting it.'
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