Limited Enrollment Programs
Computer Science (Fall 2024 and later)

The guidelines below apply to all students enroll as new freshman at the University of Maryland or any other institution, and for students who enroll at any University System of Maryland or Maryland community colleges as freshmen in Fall 2024 and after.

Students who were enrolled at the University of Maryland, a University System of Maryland school or a Maryland community college prior to Fall 2024 should follow these guidelines.



Applying to the Major


Transfer Students


Students applying to the University of Maryland from other institutions apply to LEPs through the general application for admission to the University by indicating their major of interest. Students are first reviewed for admission to the University, and then, if admitted, are reviewed for admission to Limited Enrollment Program majors based on LEP standards.

Transfer students must successfully complete the Gateway requirements before applying for admission to the University and will undergo a selective review process for admission to the major. Meeting the Gateway course grade and GPA requirements does not guarantee admission to the major. Academic record, co-curricular involvement, computing-related research experience or personal projects, and college-level honors and awards are considered in the admission decision.

Applicants who have completed all required course minimum grade and GPA Gateway requirements at the time of their application are notified of their admission decision in late April for fall and late October for spring. Students who are in the process of completing the required Gateways at the time of their application are notified of their admission decision to the university at the previously mentioned times, but will be notified about the major decision after the semester has ended and final grades have been calculated. Students should be sure to send their final transcript from their previous institution if they are taking classes at the time of application.


  • Completion of CMSC131 [Object-Oriented Programming I] OR CMSC133 [Object-Oriented Programming I Beyond Fundamentals] OR CMSC141 [Programming with Purpose I: Data-Centric Computing] with a minimum grade of B-
  • Completion of CMSC132 [Object-Oriented Programming II] OR CMSC142 [Programming with Purpose II: Data Structures and Algorithms] with a minimum grade of B-
  • Completion of MATH 140 [Calculus I] with a minimum grade of B-

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions is required for internal and external transfer students.


The following guidelines pertain to all Limited Enrollment Programs:

  • Only one gateway or performance review course may be repeated to earn the required grade and that course may only be repeated once. When more than one course can satisfy a gateway requirement, taking a second course from the list will count as a repeat. Please note that a grade of "W" is considered an attempt and must be repeated.
  • Students may apply once to an LEP.
  • Students who were directly admitted and fail to meet the performance review criteria will be dismissed from the major and may not reapply.
  • Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 after admission to an LEP. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the major.
  • Any student denied admission or dismissed from the major may appeal in writing to the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences advising office.


Transfer Students may use the Transfer Credit Services Database of Course Evaluations to determine how past, current or future courses may transfer to the University of Maryland.


Computer Science Frequently Asked Questions
PDF version



Current Students


For those students not directly admitted to the major as new freshmen or external transfer students, internal transfer admission to the Computer Science major is extremely limited, and there are no guarantees that any space will be available. Students must be prepared to select an alternate major.

Students currently attending the University of Maryland who wish to switch to CMSC or add CMSC as a second major must successfully complete the Gateway requirements before applying, and will undergo a selective review process for admission to the major. The LEP application is made available by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions following the add/drop deadline of each semester. Meeting the Gateway course grade and GPA requirements does not guarantee admission to the major. Academic record, co-curricular involvement, computing-related research experience or personal projects, and honors and awards are considered in the admission decision.


Please note: Students applying for the fall semester may complete a final Gateway course during the summer, either at UMD or an approved equivalent course at another institution. In order to be considered, courses must be taken during UMD’s summer 1 Session. If the course is taken at another institution, it must be completed by the end of UMD’s summer 1 Session. Students applying to change their major for the spring semester are not able to complete gateway courses during the winter term.

  • Completion of CMSC131 [Object-Oriented Programming I] OR CMSC133 [Object-Oriented Programming I Beyond Fundamentals] OR CMSC141 [Programming with Purpose I: Data-Centric Computing] with a minimum grade of B-
  • Completion of CMSC132 [Object-Oriented Programming II] OR CMSC142 [Programming with Purpose II: Data Structures and Algorithms] with a minimum grade of B-
  • Completion of MATH 140 [Calculus I] with a minimum grade of B-

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all courses taken at the University of Maryland and all other institutions is required for internal and external transfer students.


The following guidelines pertain to all Limited Enrollment Programs:

  • Only one gateway or performance review course may be repeated to earn the required grade and that course may only be repeated once. When more than one course can satisfy a gateway requirement, taking a second course from the list will count as a repeat. Please note that a grade of "W" is considered an attempt and must be repeated.
  • Students may apply once to an LEP.
  • Students who were directly admitted and fail to meet the performance review criteria will be dismissed from the major and may not reapply.
  • Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 after admission to an LEP. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the major.
  • Any student denied admission or dismissed from the major may appeal in writing to College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences advising office.


Computer Science Frequently Asked Questions
PDF version


Freshman Students


All students accepted directly as freshmen to a Computer Science major in fall 2024 or later must complete a series of benchmark courses and a review at 45 credits earned at the University of Maryland.


  • Completion of CMSC131 [Object-Oriented Programming I] OR CMSC133 [Object-Oriented Programming I Beyond Fundamentals] OR CMSC141 [Programming with Purpose I: Data-Centric Computing] with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of CMSC132 [Object-Oriented Programming II] OR CMSC142 [Programming with Purpose II: Data Structures and Algorithms] with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of MATH140 [Calculus I] with a minimum grade of C-

A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all courses is required at the 45-credit review.


Computer Science Frequently Asked Questions
PDF version


Contact

Brendan Iride Center- exterior

College Park Campus

College of College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Phone: 301‐405‐2080

Email: cmnsque@umd.edu

Computer Science Frequently Asked Questions


Shady Grove Campus

Major not available at Shady Grove.