Transferring to Smith

While you may have started your college education at another university or University of Maryland program, we are thrilled you're considering Maryland Smith. Many answers to your questions about transferring to our program can be found below. For further questions, please contact us by phone at 301-405-2286.

Want to receive more information about future prospective transfer events? Complete this form today!

Current UMD Students

Whether business has been a long-standing passion or your elective business courses sparked your interest in the field, consider applying as an internal transfer student to the Smith School! Internal transfer students are current UMD students who want to declare a business major as their primary major or plan to add a business major as a double major/degree.

Requirements

Admission to the Smith School is highly competitive and based on a holistic process. We are searching for a diverse, engaged, and academically talented pool of students.

Academic records, co-curricular involvement, leadership experience, and honors and awards will be considered in the admission decision. Students are strongly encouraged to detail their accomplishments and experiences in their applications.

We encourage you to meet with your current academic advisor to review your schedule and make sure you are meeting the academic qualifications for your Smith application.

Students seeking transfer admission should refer to the Limited Enrollment Program information for current UMD students for specific admissions requirements and pre-requisites.

Starting for fall 2023, students with a 3.600 GPA who meet all the eligibility requirements will automatically be admitted to the Smith School School of Business. Please see lep.umd.edu for specific criteria and details.

Learn More

Smith School Prospective Internal Transfer Information Sessions

Learn more about the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the internal transfer process by attending an information session! All sessions are held on Zoom and require registration.

Friday, February 9, 20241 to 2 p.m.Register to attend
Thursday, February 29, 20243 to 4 p.m.Register to attend
Tuesday, March 12, 2024Noon to 1 p.m.Register to attend
Thursday, May 16, 20242 to 3 p.m.Register to attend

Pre-Transfer Advising

If you have specific questions after attending an information session, you may schedule an advising appointment with a Smith School Academic Advisor.

Some topics that can be discussed during an advising appointment include:

  • Gateway courses and eligibility
  • Supplemental material preparation
  • Deadlines and notification timelines
  • BMGT degree requirements

Apply

Make sure to use the Limited Enrollment Program application specifically for current University of Maryland students seeking admission to the Smith School. Access the application.

Get more information on suggested formatting for the internal transfer application.

Questions? Please contact applysmith@umd.edu.

Deadlines

  • Students seeking fall admission: March 15
  • Students seeking spring admission: October 15

Students having completed the requirements prior to applying should be notified of their admissions decision within a month of the deadline. Students finishing the remaining requirements will be notified after the semester is completed. 

FAQs for Internal Transfer Students

How do I apply as an internal transfer applicant?

An internal transfer student is defined as a current University of Maryland, College Park student whose major is not currently one of the eight offered by the Smith School of Business. If you plan to declare a business major as a double major/degree, you are still considered an internal transfer student.

In order to apply for admission consideration, students will need to do the following:

  • Visit the Limited Enrollment Fact Sheet for the Smith School of Business to understand the application requirements
  • Access the Internal Business Application online
  • Submit an application after ensuring all gateway coursework has been completed or is in the process of being completed (check with your advisor to be certain you have fulfilled the gateway courses)
  • Respond to the essay/personal statement — Why do you wish to be a student in the Robert H. Smith School of Business?
  • Submit up to three letters of recommendation from current/previous professors, employers, internship coordinators, etc.

What do I need to know BEFORE applying?

All gateway requirements must be met prior to the application deadline or in progress at the time of application. All previous transcripts and AP/IB scores must be sent to the University of Maryland, College Park and posted to your student account. You can see if transcripts are posted by checking your unofficial transcript.

How many chances do I have to apply?

Transfer students have one opportunity to apply to the Smith School of Business using the Internal Limited Enrollment Program application. This application can be found at lep.umd.edu.

Am I guaranteed admission if I meet the requirements?

Completing the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission into the Smith School. Each semester the Smith School receives more qualified applicants than we have space to accommodate; therefore, unfortunately not every qualified applicant is admitted.

Admission to the Smith School is highly competitive and based on a holistic process. We are searching for a diverse, engaged, and academically talented pool of students. Academic records, co-curricular involvement, leadership experience, and honors and awards will be considered in the admission decision. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a resume and letter detailing their accomplishments and experience with their applications.

We encourage you to meet with your current academic advisor to review your schedule and make sure you are meeting the academic qualifications for your Smith application.

Students seeking transfer admission should refer to the Limited Enrollment Program Fact Sheet for specific admissions requirements and pre-requisites.

How many students apply?

The number of applicants varies from semester to semester and year to year. On average, each semester we receive approximately 250 transfer applications that qualify for review.

How many students are admitted?

The number of students admitted varies from semester to semester. Our admit rate is based on the number of students that the Smith School of Business can accommodate in the fall and spring semesters and the competitiveness of the applicant pool.

How do I know what my GPA is?

The cumulative GPA is calculated based on all undergraduate college coursework. The coursework would include college courses completed at UMD as well as any college coursework completed at other institutions.

What is the average GPA of an admitted student?

The average GPA of an admitted student over the past few semesters has been at least a cumulative 3.6 GPA. As a reminder, we do follow a holistic admissions process, and academic performance is only one aspect of the review.

What are the factors that are used to determine admissibility?

The business transfer admissions review committee reviews all of the applications that meet the minimum criteria for consideration (see lep.umd.edu for the criteria). The committee employs a holistic review to determine the most competitive applicants for admission. The committee is searching for a diverse, engaged, and academically talented pool of students. Academic record, co-curricular involvement, leadership experience, and honors and awards are considered in the admission decision. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a resume and letter detailing their accomplishments and experience with their applications. Special attention is paid to a student’s academic performance in the Gateway courses and the student’s overall academic record. The committee also reviews the personal essay/statement and letters of recommendation (maximum of 3).

Can I improve my chances for admission if I apply in a particular semester and/or do not have any gateways courses in progress at the time of my application?

The competitiveness of the admission process depends on the number of Smith School applicants, the quality of these applicants, and the number of transfer spots available in a given year. Because the quality and size of the applicant pool vary from semester to semester, there is no way to determine whether there is a better time to apply for admission to the Smith School.

Will indicating a specific major impact my admissibility to the Smith School of Business? Are different majors limited to a certain number of students?

Your application and subsequent application review are for the Smith School of Business, and not for specific majors. While you are asked for your intended major in the application process, it will not impact your admission decision. Once admitted, you are able to declare and/or switch majors following Smith's policies.

Will I be able to apply to business honors and/or Smith fellows programs for my first semester at Smith?

All Smith undergraduate fellows programs are restricted to business majors. As a prospective student, you may access the Smith website to submit your application online. Your acceptance would be provisional, based upon the final admission decision. For more information and to apply, please visit our fellows program website.

How will I be notified of my admission decision?

You will be notified via email from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions regarding the decision. The email will be sent from lep@umd.edu to your official UMD email address (terpmail), so please make sure to be on the lookout for this email.

When will I be notified of my admission decision?

There are two notification periods for the Smith School each semester:

  1. If you have completed all of the gateway requirements at the time the application was submitted, you will receive an admission decision two to three weeks after the application deadline.
  2. If you have at least one gateway requirement in progress at the time of the application deadline (this includes any gateway courses, earning 45 credits, or any other eligibility criteria), you will be notified two to three weeks after final grades are posted for the semester that you applied.
Spring AdmissionFall Admission

Application Deadline:

October 15

Decision:

Late October or mid-January

Application Deadline:

March 15

Decision:

Mid-April or mid-June

What are the possible admission decisions?

There are only two outcomes: admitted or denied.

Admitted Students – If you are admitted to the School of Business, the instructions for changing your major will be outlined in your admission email.
Denied Students – If you are not offered admission to the School of Business, you will have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Associate Dean of Business. However, since you were expected to present everything of significance in your initial admission application and it was thoroughly reviewed by the admissions committee, you should only submit an appeal if there is new and compelling information that was not included with the original application. When you appeal, you are seeking an exception, and although exceptions are rare, your appeal will be given every consideration possible. The instructions for how to appeal will be outlined in your email. If you do not comply with the instructions, your appeal will not be taken into consideration.

How do I learn more about the Smith School of Business and the application process?

Prospective students interested in learning more about Smith opportunities and the application process are highly encouraged to register for and attend a Smith transfer information session. For information specifically regarding the application process, we encourage you to review the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.

What is the program at Shady Grove?

The Smith School offers the upper-division portions of three majors — accounting, marketing, and management — through the Universities at Shady Grove, located in Montgomery County. The Smith School program at Shady Grove is taught by the same corps of faculty, consists of the same coursework, and has the same entrance requirements as those offered at UMCP. Admission is competitive at both locations, due to capacity limitations. All students who wish to apply for admission to the Shady Grove campus may contact Luke Glasgow, director, at 301-738-6079 or lglasgow@rhsmith.umd.edu for additional information. You can also visit our Smith at Shady Grove page for more information.

External Students

While you may have started your education elsewhere, we’re happy you’re considering the Smith School and University of Maryland as your next step.

Admission to the University of Maryland and Smith School of Business allows you to pursue one of our eight majors. In addition, you’ll have full access to dedicated Smith advising, our suite of Fellows Programs, our Business Honors program, and the Smith Office of Career Services.

Requirements

Admission to the Smith School is highly competitive and based on a holistic process. We are searching for a diverse, engaged, and academically talented pool of students.

Academic record, co-curricular involvement, leadership experience and honors and awards will be considered in the admission decision. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a resume and letter detailing their accomplishments and experience with their applications.

We encourage you to meet with your current academic advisor to review your schedule and make sure you are meeting the academic qualifications for your Smith application.

Students seeking transfer admission should refer to the Smith Limited Enrollment Program Information page for specific admissions requirements and pre-requisites.

Learn More

Smith School Prospective External Transfer Information Sessions

Learn more about the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the external transfer process by attending an information session! All sessions are held on Zoom and require registration.

Monday, February 12, 2024Noon to 1 p.m.Register to attend
Wednesday, February 21, 20247:30 to 8:30 p.m.Register to attend

If you need additional information, you can speak with an admission counselor by visiting the Admissions Office on the ground floor of the Mitchell Building or call the Admissions Office at 301-314-8377, Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Apply

Here’s how to apply directly to the Smith School of Business:

  • Start the University of Maryland online application
  • Mark “Business” or one of our eight academic majors (accounting, finance, information systems, international business, management, marketing, operations management or supply chain management) as your intended major. If you do not indicate business as your intended major, you will not be considered for direct admission to the Smith School of Business.

Deadlines

  • Students seeking Fall admission: March 1 (priority deadline); June 1 (regular deadline)
  • Students seeking Spring admission: August 1 (priority deadline); November 15 (regular deadline)

Students having completed the requirements prior to applying should be notified of their admissions decision within a month of the deadline. Students finishing the remaining requirements will be notified after the semester has been completed.

Application FAQs

What is the program at Shady Grove?

The Smith School offers the upper-division portions of three majors — accounting, marketing,  and management — through the Universities at Shady Grove, located in Montgomery County. The Smith School program at Shady Grove is taught by the same corps of faculty, consists of the same coursework, and has the same entrance requirements as those offered at UMCP. Admission is competitive at both locations, due to capacity limitations. All students who wish to apply for admission to the Shady Grove campus may contact Luke Glasgow, director, at 301-738-6079 or lglasgow@rhsmith.umd.edu for additional information.

Are my grades and credits from another college or another major counted in the GPA that is considered for transfer admission?

Yes. All grades from all coursework taken anywhere are included. All credits previously attempted are included when calculating your total number of credits, regardless of how many are transferable to the University of Maryland. You are required to submit transcripts for all coursework previously taken.

How can I find out if the courses I took at my previous college transfer to the University of Maryland?

Please go to the Transfer Credit Services website and click on the transfer course database to locate your previous school. You can see if courses from your previous institution transfer to the University of Maryland College Park, and if they are equivalent to UM courses.

How will I know for sure that I will be admitted? May I indicate a preference for program location?

You will be evaluated for admission in a competitive pool of other applicants for the same semester. You may indicate your preference of program location in your cover letter.  However, the admission committee will offer placement to either College Park or Shady Grove business program, based upon the capacity in the program and the strength of your application. While we understand the preference of many students to study on the main campus, currently space limitations prevent us from accommodating all of the admitted students at the Smith School at College Park.

If I am not admitted, may I apply again the next semester?

You can apply once only to each program location — College Park or Shady Grove. You may apply to Shady Grove and to College Park at the same time, indicating your 1st preference.

Who can I talk with to assess my chances of admission to the Smith School?

Throughout the academic year, the Smith School hosts Smith Transfer information sessions specifically for interested transfer students. Check the Smith transfer information session page for specific dates and to register for a session.

Will I be able to apply to Business Honors and/or Smith Fellows programs for my first semester at the Smith School?

All Smith undergraduate fellows programs are restricted to BMGT majors. As a prospective student, you may access the Smith website and submit your application online. Your acceptance would be provisional, based upon the final admission decision. For more information and to apply, please visit our fellows program website.

Will I be admitted if I complete all the admission criteria and have at least a 3.000 overall grade point average?

Admission to the Smith School is highly competitive for a limited number of spaces at both locations (College Park and Shady Grove). Therefore a 3.000 overall grade point average does not guarantee admission to the Smith School. It is strongly recommended that students applying to the Smith School have alternative majors in place in case they are not admitted to the Smith School.

Back to Top