The QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Honors Program is a three-year program for University of Maryland undergraduates studying business, engineering, and/or science. Through our five-course curriculum, students complete experiential learning projects and gain unique teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for their futures. Now in our 31st year, QUEST has become a mainstay at the University of Maryland, College Park, providing a unique opportunity for students who are interested in multidisciplinary, hands-on learning experiences.
QUEST at a Glance
250
Business, Engineering, and Science Students
3.74
Average Incoming GPA
47%
Accept Jobs With QUEST Corporate Partners
Information for UMD Students
Each winter, QUEST admits talented freshmen enrolled in a major in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, A. James Clark School of Engineering, and/or College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. Applications are now closed for the 2021-22 academic year and will reopen for 2022-23 in December 2022.
“QUEST has provided so much for me and molded me into the person that I am today. I can attribute a lot of my professional development to QUEST. QUEST has made me an extremely confident person when it comes to teamwork and public speaking. From a personal perspective, QUEST has introduced me to many great people and helped me form wonderful friendships. I am forever grateful.”
— Eric Zhang, Computer Science ’21, Accenture
Information for Corporate Partners
QUEST welcomes the opportunity to partner with organizations interested in contributing to student learning and gaining access to talented undergraduate students in business, engineering, and science. Our corporate partners provide experiential learning opportunities for QUEST students through project sponsorship in both our capstone course and our data analysis course. Corporate partners are also invited to our annual networking event and receive QUEST resume books every semester.
50+
Annual Experiential Learning Projects
92%
Team Recommendations Implemented
85%
Returning Partners
“For many years, QUEST students have provided Northrop Grumman with a fresh perspective for solving some of our business challenges. Using QUEST’s recommendations, Northrop Grumman has improved productivity and streamlined processes, which resulted in cost savings for the company. We are extremely excited to be part of this program and look forward to continuing our relationship with QUEST in the future.”
— Bryan Buckland, Senior Director, Finance, Northrop Grumman
Decades of Proven Success
Debbie Feinberg ’96 remembers getting a flier for a new program during her first year as a hyper-focused accounting major. She was intrigued. It was called the IBM Total Quality Management Program, later renamed the Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams honors program – QUEST – a highly selective and intensive three-year series of team-based experiential learning courses and extracurricular opportunities for undergraduates studying business or engineering (and now also students in the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science).
A Three-Decade QUEST
For 31 years, when companies and municipalities have faced especially vexing and persistent predicaments, they’ve turned to an elite squad of problem solvers: the students of the Robert H. Smith School of Business’QUEST Honors Program.
From navigating the maze that is the Port of Houston to talking in-depth with ExxonMobil executives, QUEST students have gone inside operations to closely observe them, suss out snags and learn critical skills that have helped many go on to become entrepreneurs, founders and logistics masterminds.
QUEST Undergrads Impress During Capstone Conference
From agriculture and manufacturing to supply chain management, students from the Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST) Honors Program are ready to help businesses achieve their operational goals. In December, nine student teams from Cohort 34 showcased their semester-long capstone projects during the bi-annual QUEST Capstone Conference at the University of Maryland.
Professional Staff
Hassan Ibrahim
Interim Executive Director
Jessica Roffe
Assistant Director
Emily Marks
Program Coordinator
Pamela Armstrong
Instructor
David Ashley
Instructor
Brian Danielak
Instructor
Contact Us
QUEST Honors Program
7699 Mowatt Lane
1407 Van Munching Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1815
Email: questhonors@umd.edu
Phone: 301-405-0534