Frequently Asked Questions - Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (HCIM) - College of Information (INFO)

Frequently Asked Questions – Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (HCIM)

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Prospective HCIM Student Admission Questions

General Program Questions

Is it possible to complete the HCIM on a part-time basis?

Yes. Some of our students choose to attend part-time, taking 1 – 2 classes per semester and completing the program in 3 (or more) years instead of the typical 2.

Can I complete the HCIM coursework online?

No. While the INFO College does offer some online courses, most coursework, including HCIM core coursework, must be completed in person, on campus.

Can I complete the program in under two years?

No. Due to constraints of course sequencing and class scheduling, it would be extremely difficult for students to complete the degree in under two years.

Is it possible to work while completing the program?

Certainly. Many of our students hold part-time and even full-time positions during their studies. While we cannot guarantee when courses will be offered, we do our best to schedule classes at times that can accommodate working professionals’ schedules. We do not recommend, however, that students who are working full time attempt to attend graduate school full time.

Do I need programming experience or a computer science degree?

No! We accept students from a wide range of academic majors, and some come in with no programming experience at all, while others have a significant academic or professional background in computer science. We feel strongly that students with all kinds of academic background and experience levels have valuable knowledge to bring to the conversation about HCI, and we are committed to developing an intellectually diverse cohort of students in our program.

Do you prefer that applicants have work experience somewhere before applying?

We don’t have a preference regarding work experience. Some of our master’s students have recently obtained their undergraduate degrees, while others come after working in their field for several years.

Career Questions

What is the career path for someone pursuing an HCIM degree?

Graduates occupy a variety of research and design roles within major companies. Some of the possible job titles include User Experience Designer, User Interface Designer, Interaction Designer, Usability Analyst, User Experience Researcher, User Researcher, Product Designer, and Visual Designer. Some of our graduates also go on to Doctoral programs.

Where do students from this program go on to work?

HCIM students have been recruited by companies such as American Airlines, Broadsoft, Capital One, Citrix, Deloitte Digital, The New York Times, Epic Games, Amtrak, Verizon, and IBM, among others.

Tuition Fees and Costs

How much does it cost to get a master’s degree?

You can look up College Park graduate tuition and fees. Please note that there are different costs for students classified as Maryland residents and students from out of state or other countries.

Do you provide scholarships or assistantships for incoming HCIM students?

As is true with most professional master’s programs in the United States, students in our program are self-pay. While we have many highly qualified applicants, unfortunately, we do not have the institutional resources to offer scholarships or grants to our students. Current students fund the costs of the program through a combination of savings, loans, and work. Some students find graduate assistantships (external link, opens in a new tab) somewhere on campus during the academic year. Graduate assistantships are posted on the Student Job Board (external link, opens in a new tab) and are available to current students only. They are competitive and are not guaranteed to students. Some students find hourly employment at the Stamp Student Union, Eppley Recreation Center, or University Libraries. You can look at their home pages for hiring information.

What resources are available to help me learn about funding?

The HCIM Program team is focused on providing the best possible educational experience for students who enroll. Please note that we aren’t able to serve as a centralized source for funding and hiring information for current or prospective students. However, we are happy to point you to these campus resources:

How do I get a paid research assistantship with a professor?

We do not have a central site to find research assistantships. Each professor manages their own research assistants. If you are interested in a particular professor’s research, go to their home page, where they generally announce any volunteer or paid student openings and explain the specific procedures they expect students to follow before contacting them. Follow those instructions! Professors get many, many requests to fund students each year. Please be aware that it is extremely unlikely that you will get a positive response if you simply send out a generic email request and/or show up at their offices. Take time to learn about research at UMD’s INFO College so you can make connections where your interests and skills lie.

Application Requirements

What kind of GPA/GRE and English Proficiency test scores are you looking for?

  • The Graduate School requires that applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0 average GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all prior coursework. You might be eligible for admission and are welcome to provide more detail in your Statement of Purpose if your GPA is slightly below 3.0.
  • GRE scores are optional for both domestic and international applicants. GRE scores are typically in the 40th percentile verbal, 60th percentile quantitative. While you are welcome to submit your scores if you’d like, applications without scores are not disadvantaged in our review process.
  • You will be required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores if you do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution or from one of the English speaking countries. Please check on the list of the English-speaking countries adn options for providing evidence of English proficiency (external link, opens in a new tab).
    • Follow the Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency Requirements (external link, opens in a new tab) for instructions on submitting scores. The University of Maryland’s TOEFL Institution Code is 5814.
    • Please note that your English proficiency scores (including listening, writing, reading, and speaking sub-scores) must satisfy the criteria for full enrollment to be accepted to the HCIM program. HCIM is a very rigorous program that requires an excellent command of the English language. Therefore, Bridge and Intensive English programs are not an option for applicants to the HCIM program.
    • Note: Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE is required.
  • Please see the minimum English Proficiency Scores Requirements for full HCIM admission:
    • iBT TOEFL (taken January 20, 2026 or before): Total 96 (Speaking 22, Listening 24, Reading 26, Writing 24)
    • iBT TOEFL (taken January 21, 2026 or after): Overall 5, reading 5, listening 5, speaking 4.5, writing 5
    • IELTS: Overall 7 (Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 6.5)
    • PTE: Total: 68 (Writing 68)

What kind of students are you looking to admit?

We seek to admit diverse students from all kinds of educational and professional backgrounds. Many students have strengths in technology, social science, or design. We don’t expect any applicant to be equally strong in all areas. As long as you have a passion for HCI, you are a great candidate. 

What should be covered in my Statement of Purpose & Personal Experience Prompts? 

The goal of the Statement of Purpose (external link, opens in a new tab) is to get to know you as an individual and as a potential graduate student. We encourage applicants with a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences to apply.  The admissions committee is interested in your academic, professional and personal background and goals.

The Personal Experiences section (external link, opens in a new tab) is intended to encourage you to share positive outcomes  and your ability to succeed in the program from lived experience(s) in at least one of the areas listed below:

  • Community involvement and/or service
  • Engagement in leadership roles, facilitating change, and/or mentoring
  • Overcoming social, economic, educational, or physical barriers

Is a portfolio required? 

Yes! Within the online application, you will be asked to upload your portfolio as a PDF file. 

What should I submit for the required portfolio? 

We will be looking for how your skills and experience connect to human-computer interaction through the lens of three possible areas: art/design, the social sciences, or technology. Please show us work samples that will help us understand your strengths in one or two of these areas. These can include past deliverables for school, work, or personal projects of interest or any other creative projects. If you don’t have any previous projects or documents that you want to submit, you can create new pieces for your application.

Some ideas of what to include:

  • Capstone and/or thesis work
  • Design competition entries
  • Photography
  • Design components, including personas, wireframes, UX reports, prototypes, journey maps, etc.
  • Any non-proprietary professional work
  • Website designs
  • Code samples or a link to a code repository
  • Case studies
  • Prototypes, sketches
  • Unpublished writing samples
  • Undergraduate work connected to the HCI field

Showcase your best work and highlight your process – focus on quality rather than quantity. 

Your  portfolio can consist of 3-5 pieces or even 1 piece that showcases how your skills and experience connect to human-computer interaction through the lens of art/design, the social sciences, or technology. Submit your portfolio in the form of a website link, GitHub repository, UX writing sample, or any other form added to a PDF document.

When is the application due?

Visit our admissions page for information on this year’s deadline. All applications received by that deadline will be reviewed by the admissions committee.

Application Troubleshooting

What am I supposed to enter in the second GRE field?

Nothing, you can leave this field blank.

Can I upload an encrypted transcript?

Please do not upload an encrypted transcript to the application. It will upload as a blank document and the program will not be able to use it for our evaluation. If you only have access to an encrypted transcript, please print the document out, scan it, then upload a scanned version.

What if my transcripts are in a language other than English?

Please submit a single combined PDF, including English and native languages together. If your institution does not issue records in English, official English translations must be provided/uploaded, and the original language records must be submitted/uploaded, as well. Only translations issued by the institution or a professional translating service will be accepted. Translations must be literal.

I submitted my standardized test scores but my application is still marked incomplete. What happened?

Because standardized test scores must be manually processed by the University, it can sometimes take a little while for the scores to be marked as received on the application. If it has been more than two weeks since your scores were sent but your application is still marked as “incomplete”, you can contact either the INFO College Student Services Office or the HCIM program coordinator and we can check the status of your scores.

How can I confirm my recommendations have been submitted?

The online application will indicate when each of your recommenders has submitted their recommendation. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that recommendations have been completed, so please make sure to check that each of your recommendations has been received.

How do I upload the Statement of Purpose?

Your Statement of Purpose (external link, opens in a new tab) will be uploaded via the Program Upload Requirements tab in your application.

Who should I contact about technical difficulties?

The University of Maryland’s Graduate School is responsible for the application system. Should you experience technical difficulties with any aspect of your application (scores, document uploads, etc,) please email gradappsupport@umd.edu.

If You Didn't Get Accepted
The applicant pool for the HCIM program is very competitive. We receive applications from more qualified applicants than we can admit. We understand that it can be discouraging to receive a rejection letter. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applicants, we are unable to provide any individual post-application reviews or debriefings. Because our review process is a holistic one, there is no one determining factor governing a decision to accept an applicant; rather, we are looking to shape a class with diverse strengths and perspectives.

We wish all of our applicants well in their pursuit of an advanced degree. Applicants who wish to be considered for the following year should note that the University of Maryland’s Graduate School will begin accepting applications for the HCIM class starting in fall of each year. Please check back to the Graduate School admissions page (external link, opens in a new tab) periodically to see when the portal opens.

Questions About HCIM Faculty

General Questions

Will I get to work closely with faculty?

Yes. Students who pursue the thesis option will work one-on-one with a faculty advisor in their second year, and many students work on faculty research projects, through independent studies, or as graduate assistants or volunteers.

Do instructors have experience in today’s business environment?

Yes. Your instructors include both full-time faculty members who serve as consultants in business and government and professional faculty who are professionals currently employed in such areas as usability testing and graphic design. Their client lists include Microsoft, Google, Facebook, the World Bank, and federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Science Foundation.

I’m interested in studying with a particular faculty member. Will I get to do research with faculty?

If there are particular faculty you’re interested in working with, you are welcome to contact them directly. If you do so, please be respectful and take the time to inform yourself about their work in advance. While most faculty are happy to hear from prospective students, keep in mind that they are not admissions advisors and will likely not be able to answer questions about program requirements.

Please keep in mind that the faculty member you’re hoping to work with may not be available. Faculty may be on sabbatical, or may not be teaching in a given semester. It’s a good idea to apply to programs with faculty you’re excited about working with, but pinning all your expectations on one faculty member may not be productive.

New HCIM Student Questions

Acceptance & Enrollment

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a fully online course structure during the first year of the pandemic. Is taking the program fully online still available?

The University of Maryland and the HCIM program has largely resumed in-person courses, and we will be in touch with incoming students regarding all updates we receive. The Graduate School Coronavirus Information (external link, opens in a new tab) page has a FAQ section and a variety of other helpful resources.

I was recommended for admission to the program, but I haven’t received an official acceptance letter yet. What does this mean?

The HCIM program can only recommend applicants for admission. Final admissions decisions are made by the University of Maryland Graduate School. You will receive official notification of your admissions decision from the Graduate School.

What is the Graduate School looking at when they review applicants who have been recommended for admission by the program?

While the HCIM review process involves assessing whether applicants will be a good fit for the program and have the qualities and skills necessary to be successful in the program, the Graduate School is mainly checking to confirm that information submitted by applicants is correct and that it meets the Graduate School’s requirements (i.e., a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a degree from an accredited institution, etc).

I’m still waiting to hear from the Graduate School about my admissions decision. When can I expect to receive my official notification?

Depending on the volume of applications being processed at the time, it can take the Graduate School several weeks to review applicants who have been recommended for admission. The Graduate School processes applications from all across campus, and this can be an extremely busy time for their office, so please be patient as they work to review your application. However, if it has been more than three weeks since you received your recommendation letter from the HCIM program, you’re welcome to contact the HCIM program coordinator to check in on your application status.

How do I respond to my offer of admission?

When you open your offer of admission letter in the admissions portal, you will see a button beneath your letter that allows you to accept, decline, or defer your offer of admission. In order to guarantee a seat in the incoming class, admitted students must accept their offer of admission by a deadline set by the college. The specific date for the deadline may vary from year to year, but is generally in early May. The college will share this deadline with every admitted student well in advance, but if you have any questions about this, you can email your program coordinator.

Can I defer enrollment to the HCIM program?

Admitted students may defer enrollment for up to one year. Students may defer for any reason, at any time before the start of the fall semester. When you open your offer of admission letter in the admissions portal, you will see a button beneath your letter that allows you to defer your offer of admission. This option is also available from the portal home page.

Getting Started

Where can I find my University ID (UID) number?

Your UID number is listed on the bottom of your initial acceptance letter from the Graduate School. If you’ve misplaced your letter and have not yet set-up your UMD email account, please contact us.

Why do I need to get a student ID?

Your student ID serves as your library card, and is required for access on-campus resources, such as the University Health Center and the free UMD shuttle system.

Where do I get my student ID?

You can get your ID on the first floor of the Mitchell Building on the College Park campus, 8:30-4:30 PM Monday – Friday. Call (301) 314-8240 if you have additional questions.

Do I have to submit my official transcripts by mail?

You may submit your official transcripts by mail, but you can also drop them off in person once you arrive on campus, as long as they are in a sealed envelope.

What kind of computer do you recommend for the program?

In order to run memory-intensive software essential for your coursework, you’ll need to invest in a professional-grade laptop. A tablet by itself will not serve your needs.

Please arrive on campus with a laptop comparable to a late-model Dell XPS or Macbook Pro system, with at least 16GB of RAM and a third-party add-on mouse to allow precision design work. An external monitor is strongly recommended for laptops with screens smaller than 13″.

You may wish to check prices and models available from the Terrapin Tech store because this will give you access to academic pricing and you can purchase an accident protection plan and access repairs easily from campus.

What books/software/programming languages should I be familiar with before attending?

We want to ensure you have all the resources you need to be informed and connected. Please find a compiled list of important websites and research interest groups below. These resources will keep you updated on program news, events, and opportunities, and help you find groups that align with your research interests.

Essential Websites:

Research Interest Groups:

Please check INFO College Research Groups for the most updated list of hands-on research and learning with our centers, labs and interest groups.

The HCIM program does not have prerequisite coursework, and there is no required reading ahead of the start of the semester. However, if you are interested in getting a head start on the tools and theories you’ll encounter during your studies, here are some recommendations.

Books: 

Articles:

Design Tools and Tutorials:

Short Note on Programming Human-Centered Interfaces/Intro for Info Pros

Information about INST 630 Programming Human-Centered Interfaces:

This class is about connecting the work of interface and interaction design to the actual delivery of services and interfaces over the internet. It includes historic context and contemporary system architectures, and traces how the languages of the browser have evolved to support them. We use HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript in the class to build “data story” interfaces, and explore the practical considerations of app delivery using TypeScript, React, and test-driven development with LLMs. This class is built to help you ask better questions as a designer, researcher, or product manager working alongside engineers. If you’re an engineer, you will learn the reverse: how to make sensible human-centered design decisions in your development work.

As part of this course, we work with contemporary LLMs to learn their strengths and weaknesses in debugging, prototyping, communication, and judgement in project design. LLMs are very much like other power tools: a great way to make big mistakes faster, or the only way to frame a house in less than a week. This class is intended to help you frame houses.

To get ready over the summer:

  1. Read MDN’s Learn Web Development (external link, opens in a new tab), pick a text editor like VSCode, and try out making a basic website.
  2. Open Chrome’s Developer Tools (external link, opens in a new tab) and explore how they work with any web site you use every day (try poking around Figma! it’s wild!)
  3. This course assumes you’ve never written code before in your life. If you have, perhaps have a look over Smashing Magazine (external link, opens in a new tab) to see the current debates in app interface development.
Registration & Courses

How do I know what courses to register for?

The HCIM Advising and Resources page provides guidance about how HCIM students typically complete their degree, as well as links to resources like the program checklist, student handbook, and the INFO College two-year course plan. Most HCIM students register for INST 630 – Programming Human-Centered Interfaces, INST 631 – Fundamentals of HCI, and INST 710 – User Experience Research Methods (or another appropriate research methods course) in the fall of their first year.

Can I waive any core courses?

INST 630 Programming Human-Centered Interfaces is the only core course that is possible to waive. A waiver for INST 630 Programming Human-Centered Interfaces will only be granted if your prior degree, grade, and course content are equivalent to INST 630, and the request for a waiver is approved by the current INST 630 instructor. The course is designed to introduce history and trends in user interface implementation relevant to information professionals. Certifications in programming languages will not be accepted for a waiver. Please submit your request to waive INST630 here (external link, opens a form in a new tab) and include your transcripts with grades and a syllabus or syllabi for a course or multiple courses that will replace the INST630 requirement.

Students who receive a waiver for this course must replace it with an equivalent 3-credit course.

How do I register?

Students register for courses via Testudo (external link, opens in a new tab). For detailed information about registering, please consult the registration guide [PDF].

Can I waive any core courses?

The HCIM program is not accepting any course waiver requests.

Can I transfer credits and apply them toward my degree at UMD?

Students may transfer up to 6 credits earned prior to enrollment from an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park. To be eligible for transfer, courses must have a grade of B or better, be graduate-level, and cannot have been applied to a previous degree. They must be less than five years old at the time of the request. For more information about taking courses outside of the INFO College and transferring credits, please visit the Forms page.

How many courses should I take?

Most students take 3 courses their first semester, and 2-3 courses in subsequent semesters. International students are required to maintain a full-time status, which often means taking 3 courses per semester. More information about maintaining full-time status is available here (external link, opens in a new tab). We strongly recommend that students do not register for more than 3 classes a semester, as three 3-credit courses per semester is considered a full course load for graduate students.

How much time should I plan on spending on coursework outside of class?

This will vary greatly from student to student, but a good rule of thumb for estimating workload for a graduate class is 2-3 hours a week per credit hour. So a 3 credit course would take somewhere between 6-9 hours a week outside of class time.

How do I know what textbooks are required for my course?

For every class you take, you should check the class Testudo listing to see if there are textbooks required for the course.

  1. Go to Testudo
  2. Find the listing for your individual course
  3. Select the section for which you are signed up
  4. Click the stacked book icon to the right of your section number.  This will inform you of any required textbooks.

Keep in mind, not all instructors list their required materials on Testudo. If you still have questions about required readings for your courses, feel free to contact your course instructor to verify.

Minimum Computing Requirements

In order to run memory-intensive software essential for your coursework, students in the program need to invest in a professional-grade laptop.

Please arrive on campus with a laptop comparable to a late-model Dell XPS or Macbook Pro system, with at least 16Gb of RAM and a third-party add-on mouse for precision design work. An external monitor is strongly recommended for laptops with screens smaller than 13″.

A tablet such as a Surface or iPad will not give you the performance you need.

Students may wish to consider the computers available from the Terrapin Tech store (external link, opens in a new tab) because they will give access to academic pricing and an accident protection plan and repairs can generally be handled easily from campus. If you find something better on your own, of course, you are free to purchase that instead.

As a student at the University of Maryland, you will be able to download free software from Terpware (external link, opens in a new tab) as you wish:

Your instructors will share information about accessing other UX-specific software used in your courses during the first weeks of class.

Tuition & Financial Aid

How much does it cost to get a master’s degree?

You can look up College Park graduate tuition and fees here. Please note that there are different costs for students classified as Maryland residents and students from out of state or other countries.

Do you provide scholarships or assistantships for incoming HCIM students?

As is true with most professional master’s programs in the United States, students in our program are self-pay. While we have many highly qualified applicants, unfortunately, we do not have the institutional resources to offer scholarships or grants to our students. Current students fund the costs of the program through a combination of savings, loans, and work. Some students find graduate assistantships (external link, opens in a new tab) somewhere on campus during the academic year. Graduate assistantships are posted on the Student Job Board (external link, opens in a new tab) and are available to current students only. They are competitive and are not guaranteed to students. Some students find hourly employment at the Stamp Student Union, Eppley Recreation Center, or University Libraries. You can look at their home pages for hiring information.

What resources are available to help me learn about funding?

The HCIM Program team is focused on providing the best possible educational experience for students who enroll. Please note that we aren’t able to serve as a centralized source for funding and hiring information for current or prospective students. However, we are happy to point you to these campus resources:

How do I get a paid research assistantship with a professor?

We do not have a central site to find research assistantships. Each professor manages their own research assistants. If you are interested in a particular professor’s research, go to their home page, where they generally announce any volunteer or paid student openings and explain the specific procedures they expect students to follow before contacting them. Follow those instructions! Professors get many, many requests to fund students each year. Please be aware that it is extremely unlikely that you will get a positive response if you simply send out a generic email request and/or show up at their offices. Take time to learn about research at UMD’s INFO College so you can make connections where your interests and skills lie.

How much should I budget for the year?

The Office of Student Financial Aid provides cost of attendance (external link, opens in a new tab) estimates, which should give you a general idea of what your expenses will be.

When will I be billed for my courses?

Your tuition bill will be available after you register for courses. Once you are enrolled, we send information with registration procedures. For planning purposes, Spring and Fall billing information and due dates can be found on the Billing Schedule landing page [External Link. Summer courses have an alternate billing schedule than fall/spring. You can review the billing policies for summer courses on the UMD Extended Studies website (external link, opens in a new tab). If you have any questions regarding tuition or billing, please reach out to the Office of the Bursar (external link, opens in a new tab).

Where do I view my bill?

You can view your bill through the Office of Student Financial Aid (external link, opens in a new tab) webpage. For quick reference, this page can be reached from the bottom of the Testudo (external link, opens in a new tab) home page by clicking on “Financial Aid.” Once on the Student Financial Aid webpage, click “Check Your Financial Aid Status Online (external link, opens in a new tab)” and log in using your university username and password. From there you can click “View Monthly Billing Statement” which will again prompt you to log in using your university username and password. You should now see your “eBill Menu” where you can view your bill by selecting the appropriate date from the drop-down menu, pay your bill, view your student account, and add email accounts to receive information about billing updates.

Arriving on Campus

When should I plan to arrive on campus?

New students should plan to arrive on campus the week before classes start, as a number of events for new students take place during this week, including the INFO College Orientation, Graduate School Orientation, and International Student Orientation.

Do I have to attend orientation?

The INFO College Orientation is mandatory for all new students, except in extenuating circumstances. HCIM students are also required to attend one of two virtual information sessions over the summer. We do not require students to attend the Graduate School orientation, though they are encouraged to do so. International students are required to attend International Student Orientation, and should receive details about new student requirements for international students via International Student & Scholar Services.

Where do graduate students live, and how can I find housing?

Review our resources (external link, opens in a new tab) to help assist you in finding the housing option that best meets your needs as a UMD graduate student. To help you plan ahead the Office of Student Financial Aid (external link, opens in a new tab) provides an annual graduate student cost estimate (external link, opens in a new tab) as an example of what a year at the University of Maryland (UMD) may cost you.

University-Affiliated Graduate Housing

Discovery House – Graduate Student Living at University of Maryland (external link, opens in a new tab)
A brand-new graduate student community opening in August 2026 and home to the innovative Grand Challenges Graduate Communities (GC)2 (external link, opens in a new tab). Watch this video Discovery House introduction video (external link, opens in a new tab) to learn more. All units are fully furnished, with utilities – including electricity, water, and UMD internet – covered in the housing license fee. Applications are available on the Discovery House website. For questions, contact the Discovery House office at discoveryhouseumd@cocm.com

The application is non-binding and requires no fee or deposit.

Graduate Hills & Gardens Apartments (external link, opens in a new tab)

Exclusive housing community for University of Maryland, College Park graduate students located within walking distance from campus. The Graduate Hills & Gardens apartments come Internet ready with free utilities for your convenience.

Application fees and deposits are waived for full-time UMD graduate students.

UMD Off-Campus Housing Services

The Off-Campus Housing Services Office (OCH) (external link, opens in a new tab) provides resources to students and the University Community to educate them on off-campus housing topics and assist them in finding off-campus housing. The office also provides additional resources on budget planning, local area profiles, apartment rating websites, and an array of other informational materials.

Off-Campus Housing (OCH) Database (external link, opens in a new tab)
This searchable database lists available rental properties and potential roommates. It is free for students, staff, and faculty to search and list.

Off-Campus Housing Resource Guide (external link, opens in a new tab) [PDF] This printable PDF provides resources and guidelines for UMD students seeking off-campus housing, including tips on avoiding common renting mistakes, a checklist for housing searches, budgeting and safety information.

How do I get to campus?

If you’re flying in to Maryland, there are three airports in the region:

  • Baltimore Washington International Airport
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
  • Washington Dulles International Airport

The UMD campus is served by the College Park stop on Metro’s green line. Free shuttle service runs to and from the College Park Metro station.

Check out the UMD Department of Transportation (external link, opens in a new tab) site for lots of information on how to get around the College Park campus by free UMD shuttle (external link, opens in a new tab), via the Metro, on foot, by bike, or by car. They also have a number of apps that you can use to help navigate to the campus.

Graduate Assistantships & On-Campus Employment

How can I find a graduate assistantship and on-campus employment?

Unfortunately, the HCIM program isn’t able to offer assistantships to students on admission. The program works to connect students to assistantship opportunities when they become available, but students are also encouraged to apply to positions across campus via the University’s student job board (external link, opens in a new tab). Please note that Graduate Assistantships are competitive and are not guaranteed to students!

Some students find hourly employment at the Stamp Student Union, Eppley Recreation Center, or University Libraries. You can look at their home pages for hiring information.

What does a graduate assistantship entail?

Assistantships are typically either full-time (20 hrs/week) or part-time (10 hrs/week) positions and can be designated as either a teaching assistantship (TA), research assistantship (RA), or administrative assistantship (AA). Masters students typically hold administrative assistantships, and, more rarely, RAs or TAs. These positions usually include a stipend and some amount of tuition remission; the amount varies depending on the assistantship, but a 20-hour GAship usually includes full tuition remission.

When are graduate assistantships advertised?

Most hiring for graduate assistantships tends to take place over the summer and at the beginning of the school year. However, graduate assistantships continue to be advertised throughout the year, and a number of HCIM students who arrived without an assistantship have found them once they arrived on campus.

Receiving College & UMD Updates

What is the best way to receive College and UMD updates?

  • HCIM Coordinator adds all current students to the HCIM program listserv, as it is the best way to stay connected with college, UMD, and HCIM-related information. If we missed adding you to the listserv, please get in touch with the HCIM Coordinator and ask to be added.

Is there an official HCIM group on social media?

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