1. Enrollment 101 Preparing to Enroll: Tips for New Students Presented by
The Office for Academic &
Pre-Professional Advising

2. YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN ABOUT…
Academic Advising at UMBC
Components of a UMBC Degree
Math, English & Foreign Language Placement
Schedule Building Tips
Academic Resources
Next Steps
Look for OPA Tips with this
paw symbol!

3. Academic Advising at Umbc

4. Academic advising is a partnership between student and advisor
Adjustment to college
Major and career choices
Course selection and long- term planning
Academic difficulty
Academic “extras”
Research
Study Abroad
Internships

5. Types of advisors Orientation
Office for Academic & Pre- Professional Advising – Undecided
Major/Department
Pre-Professional

6. Advising expectations
Schedule regular advising appointments
Come prepared and ask questions
Take notes
Follow through
Students must meet with their
Academic Advisor EVERY semester
before they register!

7. Components of a umbc degree

9. How certain are you of your major here at UMBC?
Absolutely certain, 100% sure
Pretty certain, 85% sure
Fairly certain, 70% sure
D. Uncertain, 50% sure
E. Completely uncertain, <50% sure

10. major Total major credits varies (30- 80+ credits)
Double majoring is possible depending on graduation timeline
Pre-Professional pathways are not majors
Declare your major by 45 earned credits

11. General education College-level writing and math skills
Exposure to a variety of academic subjects
Helpful for major exploration

12. General education categories
English Composition
Arts & Humanities (3)
Social Sciences (3)
Mathematics
Science (2, one lab course required)
Culture (1-2, depending on major)
Foreign Language at the 201-level

13. First year courses First Year Seminars (FYS)
FYS 101: It Came from the 80’s: Politics and Popular Culture
Introduction to an Honors University (IHU)
SCI 100Y: Science, An Interdisciplinary Study

14. University requirements
120 total credits
45 upper-level credits (300 or 400-numbered courses)
30 credits at UMBC
Writing Intensive Course
Physical Education (2)
Overall GPA is 2.0+

15. Extra coursework Electives = your choice! Minors (approx. 18 credits)
Certificates (courses in a skill area)
Pre-Professional courses, if applicable

16. Math, English & foreign language placement

17. Have you completed your Placement Tests?
Yes, I can't wait to find out my scores today
No, I need to take them right away
I only took Math because I already have credit for English Composition
I only took English because I already have credit for Math
I already have credit for both English Composition and Math so I did not need to take either test

18. Placement tests
Check your academic skill level so that you are placed in the best fit class
Math
English
Reading
Required for class registration

19. Alternatives to placement testing
Previous college coursework
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or CLEP Exam Scores
High School course completion (Foreign Language only)

20. Foreign language placement
No placement test
Determined by high school or previous college course completion
Language course numbering:
101 – Elementary I
102 – Elementary II
103 – Review of 101 & 102
(French and Spanish only)
201 – Intermediate I
UMBC Offers:
Arabic*
Japanese*
Chinese*
Korean*
French
Latin*
German
Russian
Greek*
Spanish
Hebrew*
Wolof*
Hindi*
*I01 only offered in fall

21. What are your plans for completing the Foreign Language requirement?
I have taken 4 years of a language and don't plan to take any additional language courses
I plan to continue with the foreign language that I started in high school
I plan to start a new foreign language
I am not sure how I plan to complete the foreign language requirement

22. Schedule building tips

23. How many hours a week did you study in high school, on average?
I never studied in high school
<1 hour per week
1-5 hours per week
6-10 hours per week
10+ hours per week

24. Keep in mind: 12 credits is full time
Goal is 15 credits/semester or 30 credits/year
1 hour in class = 2-3 study hours
Pending transfer credits or AP/IB/CLEP scores
10 hours/week of other commitments = workload of 3- credit class

25. Academic resources

26. Placement Test Results Degree Audit Unofficial Transcript
Fall Class Schedule
Transfer Credit Report AP IB
CLEP
College Coursework
Electronic Resource

27. All campus resources are free!
Retriever Learning Center
Math Lab
Writing Center
Tutoring in individual course subjects
Supplemental Instruction (SI) – peer led review sessions
Study Groups
Professor Office Hours
Student Disabilities Services

28. Next steps

29. Making the most of orientation advising
Bring Ideas!
Be Flexible!
Ask Questions!
Volunteer Information!
AP Test Scores
College Coursework
Constraints to Your Schedule
It’s YOUR schedule, own it!

30. For help after orientation
Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising
Sherman Hall, B Wing, Room 224
Follow us on Instagram!
@umbc_advising