Addenda to this Catalog

The Undergraduate Catalog is published each academic year in June prior to the fall semester. The provisions of the Undergraduate Catalog are not to be regarded as a contract between the student and the University of Maryland. The university reserves the right to change its policies, rules, regulations, requirements for graduation, course offerings, tuition, fees, other charges, or any other contents of this catalog at any time.

When necessary, the university will track changes to the Undergraduate Catalog in this addenda section:

• For addenda related to policies, rules, regulations, tuition, fees and general information, see General Addenda
• For addenda related to curricula (i.e., descriptions, learning outcomes, and requirements for majors, minors, and certificates), see Curricula Addenda

Note: Updates to course offerings (e.g., course description changes), will be reflected in the following year's catalog and are not tracked in this addenda section.

This section contains addenda related to policies, rules, regulations, tuition, fees and general information. Each addendum contains an excerpt from the catalog as it was originally published as well as the change that was made. To view the full original text, see the catalog page referenced in the addendum.

University Administration and Deans

Under University Administration and Deans

• Effective September 4, 2024, a new Vice President for Marketing and Communications was appointed (published September 4, 2024).

Original

Vice President for Marketing and Communications Brian Ullmann

Change

Vice President for Marketing and Communications Anne Buckley

This section contains a list of addenda related to undergraduate program changes. Each listing has a summary of the modifications (i.e., changes to descriptions, learning outcomes, and requirements for majors, minors, and certificates) or indicates if the program is new. To view a program's addendum in full detail, please visit the program's catalog page as referenced in the summary below.  

• College of Information
• German Studies Major
• History Major
• Information Science Major at Shady Grove
• Information Systems Major
• International Development and Conflict Management Minor
• Persian Studies Major
• Persian Studies Minor
• Physics Major
• Social Data Science Major
• Special Education Major
• Technology and Information Design Major

College of Information

Under College of Information

1. Effective Fall 2024, the Directors list was updated under the Faculty section (published August 27, 2024).
2. Effective Fall 2024, "iSchool" was updated to "INFO College" under the Advising and Opportunities sections (published August 27, 2024).

Original

(1) Directors: T. Bezbabna (Assistant Director - Shady Grove), T. Clegg (Technology and Information Design Program Director), P. Duffy (Information Science Program Director - College Park), G. Madjaroff Reitz (Information Science Program Director - Shady Grove), R. Padrón (Director of Undergraduate Operations - College Park), K. Shilton (Social Data Science Program Co-Director)

(2) iSchool

• For any other inquiries please contact the iSchool Undergraduate Student Services Office at ugadvising.ischool@umd.edu. 
• Opportunities for undergraduate research experience in the iSchool's research centers become available from time to time.
• See the Information Science program staff for information on performing research in an iSchool center or lab and contact the Campus Career Services office for assistance in obtaining off-campus positions or experiences.
• The iSchool hosts an internship and networking fair in fall and spring semesters to help students find internship sites.
• The iSchool also offers a summer internship course that allows students to partner critical reflection on professional development with an existing internship opportunity. 
• Scholarships administered by the iSchool for undergraduate students include:
• This scholarship was established in 2023 to return all royalties earned on the INST352 textbook (Understanding Human Information Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information) authored by iSchool instructors Beth St. Jean, Ursula Gorham, and Elizabeth Bonsignore to one or more outstanding InfoSci students.
• Dean's Award for an Outstanding iSchool Project - The Dean’s Award for an Outstanding iSchool Project will be presented to an iSchool student or a group of students (which includes at least one iSchool student) for an outstanding design or development project completed for an iSchool course. 
• The Laurence B. Heilprin Award will be presented to an iSchool student or a group of students (which includes at least one iSchool student) for an outstanding paper on a topic in library and information science which has been written for an iSchool course.
• The Dr. Joan Giesecke Best Student Paper on Health Informatics Award will be presented to a graduate student or a group of graduate students for an outstanding paper which has been written for an iSchool course and which focuses on any aspect(s) of Health Informatics.
• The iSchool defines Health Informatics broadly, including any work that focuses on health information management; health information technologies; health data analytics; health-related information needs or behaviors; health librarianship, etc. 
• The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Achievement will be presented to an undergraduate student or a group of undergraduate students for an outstanding research paper or project that has been completed for an iSchool course.
• At the iSchool, faculty and students are exploring how people access and use information.
• iSchool faculty and doctoral students also participate in or have affiliations with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) as well as the Departments of Computer Science, English, and Sociology, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the College of Education.
• The iSchool is home to a number of research centers and labs:
• The HCIL, though referred to as a lab, is actually a research center that is jointly administered by the iSchool and UMIACS, and has multiple labs, faculty, and students associated with it.

Change

(1) Directors: T. Bezbabna (Assistant Director - Shady Grove), P. Duffy (Information Science Program Director - College Park), S. Jackson (Social Data Science Program Assistant Director), G. Madjaroff Reitz (Information Science Program Director - Shady Grove)

(2) INFO College

• For any other inquiries please contact the INFO College Undergraduate Student Services Office at ugadvising.ischool@umd.edu. 
• Opportunities for undergraduate research experience in the INFO College's research centers become available from time to time.
• See the Information Science program staff for information on performing research in an INFO College center or lab and contact the Campus Career Services office for assistance in obtaining off-campus positions or experiences. 
• The INFO College hosts an internship and networking fair in fall and spring semesters to help students find internship sites.
• The INFO College also offers a summer internship course that allows students to partner critical reflection on professional development with an existing internship opportunity. 
• Scholarships administered by the INFO College for undergraduate students include:
• This scholarship was established in 2023 to return all royalties earned on the INST352 textbook (Understanding Human Information Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information) authored by INFO College instructors Beth St. Jean, Ursula Gorham, and elizabeth bonsignore to one or more outstanding InfoSci students. 
• Dean’s Award for an Outstanding INFO College Project - The Dean’s Award for an Outstanding INFO College Project will be presented to an INFO College student or a group of students (which includes at least one INFO College student) for an outstanding design or development project completed for an INFO College course.
• The Laurence B. Heilprin Award will be presented to an INFO College student or a group of students (which includes at least one INFO College student) for an outstanding paper on a topic in library and information science which has been written for an INFO College course
• The Dr. Joan Giesecke Best Student Paper on Health Informatics Award will be presented to a graduate student or a group of graduate students for an outstanding paper which has been written for an INFO College course and which focuses on any aspect(s) of Health Informatics.
• The INFO College defines Health Informatics broadly, including any work that focuses on health information management; health information technologies; health data analytics; health-related information needs or behaviors; health librarianship, etc.
• The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Achievement will be presented to an undergraduate student or a group of undergraduate students for an outstanding research paper or project that has been completed for an INFO College course.
• At the INFO College, faculty and students are exploring how people access and use information. 
• INFO College faculty and doctoral students also participate in or have affiliations with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) as well as the Departments of Computer Science, English, and Sociology, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the College of Education.
• The INFO College is home to a number of research centers and labs:
• The HCIL, though referred to as a lab, is actually a research center that is jointly administered by the INFO College and UMIACS, and has multiple labs, faculty, and students associated with it.

German Studies Major

Under German Studies Major

1. Requirements: Effective Spring 2025, Area Requirements and Electives options were clarified and expanded (published January 2, 2025).
2. Learning Outcomes:  Effective Spring 2025, changes were made to learning outcomes #2 and #4, and an additional learning outcome was added (published January 2, 2025).

Original

(1) Requirements: See German Studies Major.

(2) Learning Outcomes:

2. Students will be able to critically interpret written texts in a variety of genres (literature, realia, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, dramas, etc.) and demonstrate knowledge of literary concepts.

4. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the institutions, values, and cultural products of Germany and/or the German-speaking world.

Change

(1) Requirements:

¹

A minimum of two 3xx or 4xx level courses in each of three areas: language, literature, and culture.

²

Taught in English

(2) Learning Outcomes:

2. Students will be able to critically interpret written texts reflecting a diversity of perspectives in a variety of genres (literature, realia, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, dramas, etc.) and demonstrate knowledge of literary concepts.

4. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the institutions, values, and cultural products of Germany and/or the German-speaking world, with specific attention to underrepresented experiences and cultural diversity.

5. Critically analyze issues of power related to gender, sexuality, class, race/ethnicity, and/or mental or physical ability with attention to differences across time, geography and culture and with critical awareness of one’s own worldview, values, and biases.

History Major

Under History Major

1. Description:  Effective Spring 2025, the program description was updated (published January 30, 2025).
2. Requirements:  Effective Spring 2025, several major requirement adjustments were made (published January 30, 2025):
   • Require one course that covers the period of history after 1750
   • Make specializations optional
   • Require courses in 3 geographical areas outside of the US
3. Learning Outcomes:  Effective Spring 2025, clarifications were made to learning outcomes (published January 30, 2025).

Original

(1) Description:

Change

(1) Description:

The History major encourages students to specialize in different geographic or thematic concentrations, but does not require it. Undergraduate advisors assist all majors in planning a curriculum to meet their personal interests. Students are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad programs and to acquire and/or cultivate the language skills relevant to their specializations. We expect students to meet with a history undergraduate advisor once every semester.

(2) Requirements:

Requirements for the History major are 39 credits of history course work distributed as follows: 12 credits in 1xx or 2xx-level introductory courses and including HIST208; HIST408. All courses for the major must be completed with a minimum grade of "C-", and 21 credits of the 39 total credits must be at the junior-senior (3xx or 4xx) level. An overall GPA of 2.0 in the major is required for graduation.

Students must take courses in at least three of the following geographical regions: Africa and the African Diaspora; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East,  Asia, Europe (which includes Britain, Europe and Russia), and transregional.

Students must take at least one course in the pre-1750 period and one course in the post-1750 period.

No more than 6 credits can be fulfilled by AP and IB credits.

History majors can petition to include up to two courses taught outside the Department toward the fulfillment of the major, with the approval of the Undergraduate Committee. Courses taught outside of the History Department may fulfill geographic and/or thematic requirements. They may not be used to fulfill the departmental capstone seminars.

¹

Should be taken in the senior year. May be substituted by HIST396 (Honors Colloquium II). HIST208 is a prerequisite for HIST408.

(3) Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate their ability to find and to analyze primary and secondary sources.
2. Students will be able to think in complex ways about the bias of sources and to evaluate their reliability and origins.
3. Students will demonstrate their ability to properly cite sources and to understand the range of possibilities of where to search for evidence.
4. Students will show awareness about strategies for testing for invalid and fabricated information about the past.
5. Students will be able to situate their findings with regard to earlier scholarship and to identify their contribution.
6. Students will be able to communicate their findings clearly and persuasively.
7. Students will be able to think systematically and critically about historical information.
8. Students will distinguish facts that can be determined from questions of interpretation.
9. Students will demonstrate the ability to understand historical differences in human societies.
10. Students will demonstrate the ability to explain the value of historical study.
11. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze historical causes and consequences, including contingency and agency.
12. Students will be able to demonstrate a historical understanding of how societies have created and maintained inequalities of power based on such perceived differences as race, class, gender, or sexuality.
13. Students will appreciate how aspects of today’s society have been shaped by past inequalities.
14. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to explore how subordinated peoples have challenged, shaped, and sometimes transformed unequal relations.
15. Students will be able to articulate how structural factors have contributed to knowledge production, including the preservation of documents and/or gaps of sources.

INFORMATION SCIENCE MAJOR AT SHADY GROVE

Under Information Science Major at Shady Grove

• Effective Fall 2024, an iSchool reference was updated to INFO College (published August 27, 2024).

Original

Located just outside Washington, D.C., the iSchool provides unmatched research, internship, and career opportunities with government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses that shape information science and policy.

Change

Located just outside Washington, D.C., the INFO College provides unmatched research, internship, and career opportunities with government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses that shape information science and policy.

Information Systems Major

Under Information Systems Major

1. Description: Effective Spring 2025, "Business Area of Concentration" verbiage was removed from the program description (published December 2, 2024).
2. Requirements: Effective Spring 2025, several major requirement adjustments were made (published November 26, 2024):
   • Removal of the upper level economics requirement
   • Approval of additional course substitutions
   • Adjustment of List A and B courses

Original

(1) Description: The Business Area of Concentration in the Information Systems (IS) program prepares students to be effective planners, users, and managers of information technologies and systems in the current environment of the technology-enabled business firm.

(2) Requirements: See Information Systems Major.

Change

(1) Description: The Information Systems (IS) program prepares students to be effective planners, users, and managers of information technologies and systems in the current environment of the technology-enabled business firm.

(2) Requirements:

¹

CMSC132 Object-Oriented Programming II or INST326 Object-Oriented Programming for Information Science is an approved substitute.

²

CMSC424 Database Design or INST327 Database Design and Modeling is an approved substitute.

³

CMSC320 Introduction to Data Science is an approved substitute.

⁴

Repeatable if content differs.

⁵

INST453 Project Management for Information Science is an approved substitute.

In addition to the major requirements listed above, please consult the Summary of Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements (All Curricula) on the College Requirements section or www.rhsmith.umd.edu for a listing of additional Smith School degree requirements that apply to all Smith School majors.

International Development and Conflict Management Minor

Under  International Development and Conflict Management Minor 

• Effective Spring 2025, BSOS388 was replaced with GVPT357 (published November 26, 2024).

Original

See International Development and Conflict Management Minor.

Change

Requirements for the minor include the following coursework: 

Note: Six credits (or two courses) can be double counted for your major and the minor. Classes must generally be completed after acceptance into the minor program, with the exception of the elective and methods requirements.

All courses used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy the minor requirements.

Persian Studies Major

Under Persian Studies Major

• Effective Spring 2025, major requirements will be reduced to 36 credits as follows (published January 3, 2025):
  • Replace PERS101 and PERS102 with PERS103 and PERS104, respectively
  • ​Remove PERS211 and PERS212
  • Remove the Supporting Area Requirement

Original

See Persian Studies Major.

Change

All students planning to pursue the major in Persian Studies should contact the undergraduate advisor for Persian, who will be responsible for placement, oversight, and record keeping.

¹

Once credits have been received for a higher-level language focus course, a lower-level course in the same strand may not be taken for credit. PERS201 may not be taken after PERS202, for example.

²

Foundation Requirements may be substituted with the approval of the Undergraduate Advisor as the list of such courses will be regularly updated.   

• All pre-requisites imply “or equivalent knowledge.” In cases of equivalent knowledge, required language-focused credits are replaced in consultation with, and with the written approval of, the undergraduate advisor.
• At least 15 of the 36 credits for the major must be at the upper level (courses numbered 300 or above).
• Students must earn a grade of "C-" or higher in each course applied toward a major or minor in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SLLC). Additionally, an overall GPA of 2.0 in a major or minor is required for graduation.

Persian Studies Minor

Under Persian Studies Minor

1. Description: Effective Spring 2025, the program description was updated (published January 3, 2025).
2. Requirements: Effective Spring 2025, program prerequisites were reorganized and reclassified as regular program requirements, as follows (published January 3, 2025):
   • Replace PERS101 and PERS102 with PERS103 and PERS104, respectively
   • Reclassify PERS201 as a core course
   • Remove PERS211

Original

(1) Description:

This 15-credit minor (5 courses, excluding prerequisites) will provide students with a background in linguistic, literary, and cultural aspects of the study of Persian, including the cultures of Iran, Afghanistan, Persian-speaking Central Asia, and the Persian diaspora. Students will work toward linguistic competence in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Additionally, students will be introduced to Iranian culture in its diverse perspectives, practices, and products. The Minor in Persian Studies complements a range of professions, which include careers in education, engineering, government, journalism, the arts, business, and communication.

To make an appointment to explore or declare a minor, go to http://arhu.umd.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/minors/.

(2) Requirements: See Persian Studies Minor.

Change

(1) Description:

The minor in Persian Studies (21 credits) initiates students into the linguistic, literary, and cultural aspects of the study of Persian, including the cultures of Iran, Afghanistan, Persian-speaking Central Asia, and the Persian diaspora. Students attain a solid grounding in Persian and gain an in-depth understanding of the Persian culture in its diverse perspectives, practices, and products through courses offered in English. 

Students interested in pursuing the minor in Persian should contact the Undergraduate Advisor. Students should declare the minor in Persian at least one year prior to graduation.

(2) Requirements:

• No prerequisites are required for students with equivalent knowledge. Placement assessment is mandatory.  (https://arhu.umd.edu/academics/foreign-language-placement/online-flpa)
• Once credits have been received for a higher-level language focus course, a lower-level course  may not be taken for credit (For example, PERS201 may not be taken after PERS202).
• Up to 6 approved credits transferred from other institutions can count toward language requirements for the minor (see https://registrar.umd.edu/transfer-credit).
• Students placing out of language courses due to prior proficiency must complete substitute courses in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor.
• Electives may be substituted in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor.
• Courses may not be used to fulfill the requirements of two minors.
• At least 9 credits must be taken at the upper-level (courses numbered 300 or above).
• All courses presented for the minor must be passed with a grade of "C-" or better.
• An overall GPA of 2.0 in the minor is required for graduation.

Physics Major

Under Physics Major

• Effective Fall 2024, credits were specified for PHYS4XY under the Applied Physics Specialization (published August 16, 2024).

Original

See Physics Major.

Change

ADDITIONAL COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE APPLIED PHYSICS SPECIALIZATION:

Social Data Science Major

Under Social Data Science Major (INFO) and Social Data Science Major (BSOS)

• Effective Fall 2024, the Program Director was updated (published August 27, 2024).

Original

Program Directors: Brian Kim, Ph.D. and Katie Shilton, Ph.D.

Change

Program Director: Brian Kim, Ph.D.
Assistant Director: Scott Jackson, Ph.D.

Special Education Major

Under Elementary/Middle Special Education Major

• Effective Spring 2025, the general requirements were changed so that students may take HESP202 or EDSP376/CHSE376, and the Earth/Space Lab Science requirement was removed (published January 30, 2025).

Original

See Elementary/Middle Special Education Major.

Change

¹

May double count for GenEd and major requirement

²

Students must complete one lab science from each of the following categories for a total of 2 lab sciences: (a) biological lab science and (b) physical lab science.

Professional track requirements remain the same and are not listed here.

Technology and Information Design Major

Under Technology and Information Design Major

• Effective Fall 2024, the Program Director was updated (published August 27, 2024).

Original

Program Director: Tamara Clegg, Ph.D.

Change

Program Director: Elizabeth Bonsignore