Apply to AGNR @ UMD

Freshman applicants are students who have fewer than 12 semester or 18 quarter credits of university-level coursework taken after completing secondary (high) school. 

Freshman who meet the early action admissions deadline are eligible for review for UMD's living-learning programs and the First Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE) program in addition to being reviewed for university-level merit scholarships. 

Applicants will be reviewed by the admissions office for fall or spring admission into the freshman class or for entry into the Institute of Applied Agriculture if not offered a space in the freshman class (students who selected an AGNR major only). 

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Freshman applicants should apply online through the Common App or the StandOut Admissions Network application. 

As of the Fall 2024 application cycle, the following were required: 

• Online Application
• Official High School Transcript(s)
• Official College Transcripts (if any college coursework was taken)
• Two letters of recommendation - 1 from a school counselor, 1 from a teacher
• OPTIONAL: Standardized Test Scores

Full Freshman Application Checklist

Access the Application

Freshman Applicants should apply no later than November 1 of their senior year for priority, early action admission. All required application materials must be in by the November 1 deadline for consideration. 

Review more information on deadlines and how to track application status 

Apply as a transfer student if you are a high school graduate who has completed at least 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours at a regionally accredited college or university

Most competitive transfer applicants have completed 30 or more semester hours, earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have completed a fundamental math and fundamental English (academic writing) course. 

Students planning to transfer from a participating Maryland Community College should consider the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP).

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Transfer applicants should apply online through the StandOut Admissions Network application. 

Transcripts are required from all colleges/universities where credits were taken. If a transfer applicant has completed under 30 semester credits, they may be required to submit high school transcripts. 

Students eligible and applying for the Frederick Douglass Scholarship should refer to the scholarship application and deadline information as it is separate from the admissions application. 

Refer to the checklist linked below for more details. 

Full Transfer Application Checklist

Access the Application

Transfer Applicants should always try to meet the Early Action deadlines for the semester they are applying. 

Typically the Early Action deadline to apply for the fall semester is March 1, for the spring semester, August 1.

Applicants meeting the Early Action Deadline will also be reviewed for university-level transfer scholarships*.

Review more information on deadlines and how to track application status 

*The Frederick Douglass Scholarship requires a separate application, students will not be reviewed for this award unless they meet the requirements and apply

Prospective transfer students who want to find out how their credits will transfer to UMD and which major will be the best fit should connect with the Pre-Transfer Advising Office. 

Pre-Transfer Advising

**At this time, the only AGNR program offered at the Universities at Shady Grove Campus is Fermentation Science.**

The Universities at Shady Grove campus is located in Rockville, MD and we're pleased to offer our B.S. in Fermentation Science program there beginning in Fall 2023. 

The University of Maryland College Park’s (UMD) Bachelor of Science degree in Fermentation Science at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) is designed specifically for third- and fourth-year undergraduate students who have completed their first two years of study at a community college, or other university.

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To be considered for admission to the Fermentation Science program at Shady Grove, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA (preferred)
• Have completed all University of Maryland, College Park General Education requirements, with the exception of Fundamental Studies Professional Writing
  • General Education requirements could be fulfilled either by:
    • Completing a two-year Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree or related field (recommended), OR
    • Completing 60 college credits that meet all General Education requirements
•  Successful completion (“C-” or better) of the following fermentation science benchmark courses, or their equivalents:
  • BSCI170/171 - Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Lab
  • CHEM231/232 - Organic Chemistry I and Lab
  • CHEM271/272- General Chemistry and Energetics and Lab
  • BSCI223 - General Microbiology

UMD Transfer Credit Center

USG Fermentation Science Homepage

Transfer applicants should apply online through the StandOut Admissions Network application. 

Transcripts are required from all colleges/universities where credits were taken.

Refer to the website linked below for more details.

 Shady Grove Application Checklist

Access the Application

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis once a completed application is received. Once an admission decision has been determined, applicants will be notified in writing. Admission offers may specify full admission or provisional admission as pertains to each individual applicant. All students offered provisional admission may later be offered full admission contingent upon their forwarding additional information, or by fulfilling additional requirements as requested.

Review more information on deadlines and how to track application status 

The Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) offers 60-credit non-degree certificates that provide students with the entrepreneurial, technical, and leadership skills needed to manage profitable agricultural enterprises, including golf courses, sports fields, landscaping companies, and farming operations.

The IAA can be ideal for high school graduates looking for a career-focused program, career changers, veterans, or for those already in the agriculture industry looking for continuing education. 

IAA students can live and learn on the College Park campus and pay the same tuition and fees as other UMD students. 

Get Started with the IAA

Students applying to the IAA must be citizens or permanent residents of the US who are high school graduates or have the equivalent documentation such as a GED. Students may or may not have completed any post-secondary (high) school credit. 

Required application materials include:

• Completed online application
• Official high school transcript(s)
• Official college transcripts from any and all previous institutions (if applicable)
• Optional: Standardized test scores (ACT, SAT)

Access the Application

Students applying as freshman for a bachelor's program do not need to also apply for direct admission into the IAA. Students wishing for an accelerated pathway between the IAA and a Bachelor's degree should consider the Agriculture Forward (Ag Forward) program. 

Students may apply any time after they have completed their junior year of high school.

Apply by January 5 for Spring admission and by August 5 for Fall admission to our certificate programs. Admissions is on a rolling basis. 

For Ag Forward, applications are due by March 15.  

Agriculture Forward at Maryland (Ag Forward) is an accelerated pathway program for first-year college students ho plan to pursue a career in agriculture and natural resources. Ag Forward students are advised on a curriculum plan that allows them to become degree-seeking after only one year at the IAA. They take many courses that meet both requirements for the Certificate in Applied Agriculture and their desired four-year major. Within four years, completers can earn both a certificate from the IAA and a bachelor's degree from one of the programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR).

Students wishing to pursue an IAA Certificate through the Ag Forward Pathway must: 

• Be a first-time college student
• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 upon graduation from high school
• Possess U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status
• Submit an application for admission to the IAA by March 15 for the Fall semester