Science in the Evening FAQ

  • Who can I contact if I have questions or need help?

  • Please contact Student Services at: oes@umd.edu.
  • Is a bachelor's degree required to participate in the Science in the Evening (SIE) program?

  • Yes. Application and admission to the SIE program requires that you earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  • Do I need to submit transcripts from previous colleges and/or universities when I apply?

  • Yes, you are required to submit a complete set of original transcripts to the University of Maryland when you apply to the Science in the Evening program. Your application is not complete and will not be considered for admission until transcripts have been received.
  • What courses are offered in this program?

  • For a list of courses, descriptions, and syllabi, please click here.
  • Who are the faculty who teach in the SIE program?

  • All SIE program course lecturers have an earned doctoral degree in the discipline they teach, and have a history with the Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments. They are approved by those departments to teach the evening courses. In several cases, University of Maryland faculty lecture in the evening courses. The laboratory teaching assistants are predominantly graduate students in the University of Maryland programs, with experience teaching these same courses in the traditional day program. When that is not the case, teaching assistants with only the highest qualifications in the specific subject matter are hired. All SIE program staff possess excellent English communication skills and are committed to student success.
  • Is there a certificate or degree available through this program?

  • No. Students in this program take only those courses they need to reach their personal educational goals. There is no prescribed sequence of coursework.
  • Are the SIE program courses special continuing education versions of the courses?

  • No. The courses offered in the SIE program follow the same syllabus and laboratory exercises as the courses given to our degree-seeking students. They are not condensed or simplified continuing education versions of those courses. The program's unusual evening timeframe makes these courses part of the University's continuing education outreach to individuals needing to extend their education beyond their baccalaureate degree work.
  • Is there a notation on my transcript that these courses were continuing education courses?

  • Students enrolled in SIE courses will follow the same syllabus and participate in the same laboratory exercises as daytime undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. SIE courses are not condensed or simplified versions of daytime courses. SIE course names, numbers and academic credits are identical to those of daytime courses; therefore, institutions viewing students' transcripts can interpret these courses in the appropriate manner. Some students in this program are enrolled at the university as post-baccalaureate, non-degree-seeking or continuing education students, as an administrative mechanism for distinguishing them from the undergraduate degree-seeking student population. As such, Life Science postbac program is listed as the major on some SIE student transcripts. For those students who enroll as post-baccalaureate non-degree-seeking, transfer students, Letters and Sciences will be indicated as the major on the transcript.
  • Are any adjustments made in these courses because the students are employed full-time?

  • These courses follow the same syllabus and laboratory exercises as the courses given to our traditional day students. As a result, the courses possess the appropriate level of academic content and are taught with appropriate academic rigor. That being the case, there are no major modifications in the courses. Individual faculty and teaching assistants use a variety of means to assist students between classes and laboratories, including e-mail, the university's Web pages, ELMS and course list serves.
  • What are prerequisite courses?

  • Prerequisite courses are the specific coursework that students should have successfully completed in order to assure that they have the skills and knowledge required to proceed at the appropriate pace of the course.
  • Do I have to meet the prerequisites for courses?

  • Yes, the University of Maryland and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences take prerequisite requirements seriously. Professors and teaching assistants assume that students have an appropriate academic background and they proceed at a pace that cannot be slowed to explain material or procedures learned in prerequisite courses. Indeed, some departments and professors will check on students' prerequisites at the beginning of the course, and students can be "administratively dropped" from a course for which they do not have the appropriate prerequisites.
  • Do I have to have the specific prerequisites listed in the University of Maryland College Park catalog?

  • The courses listed are the courses offered by the university that provide the necessary skills and background for our courses. Students may have had comparable courses at another institution; usually those equivalent courses are appropriate, but the determination must be made by the University of Maryland.
  • How do I find out if the courses I took at another institution meet the prerequisites for the University of Maryland?

  • The University of Maryland’s Transfer Credit Center has a database that provides online course equivalency. Visit http://www.tce.umd.edu/tclookup.html.
  • Where and when can I take the Math Placement Exam (MPE)?

  • For information on the MPE, please click here.
  • What are the tuition and fees?

  • For information on tuition and fees, please click here
  • Why do I have to pay fees?

  • All students at the University of Maryland share the cost of student services. As a part-time student, your fees are reduced in acknowledgement of your reduced use of campus services and facilities. In addition to facilities maintenance, your fees include: use of the campus libraries, campus shuttle system, campus recreation facilities, the performing arts center and the student union.
  • Can I get financial aid for participating in the program?

  • For information on financial aid, please click here.
  • What does it mean to audit a course?

  • SIE classes are small and every student is a contributing member of the class. In the smaller classes, students auditing the course may be expected to participate, although they do not take exams or submit assignments. Students do not receive a grade or applicable academic credit for the course. The notation "AUD" will be placed on the transcript for each course audited. A notation to the effect that this symbol does not imply attendance or any other effort in the course will be included on the transcript in the explanation of the grading system. You must contact the Student Services office by the 10th day of the semester to adjust your grading method. After the 10th day you would appeal in Room 1300 Symons Hall.
  • Can I change my mind about auditing a course?

  • Students who register to audit a course can change that registration to traditional graded course participation within the schedule adjustment period, but not beyond that date.
  • Do I have to pay to audit a course?

  • Yes. Students are charged tuition and fees for a course audit.
  • What are the immunization requirements at The University of Maryland?

  • Failure to submit the completed health form to the University Health Center which requires submission of your immunization records results in a registration block on your student record, preventing future registration. You will not be permitted to register until the Health Center receives your completed form.
    • Click here to access the printable Medical History and Immunization Record form.
  • What is an "Immunization Block"?

  • If you have taken classes before on the College Park campus but have no immunization records on file at the Health Center, you will be required to file them before you can register. You will not be permitted to register until the Health Center receives your form, entering compliance with the university student information system.