lawyer

Contact Information:

Paul Roche, Online Studies

University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742-5231

301-405-8989

Online Degree Programs:

Online Studies at the University of Maryland offers two completely Web-based graduate programs, a 30-credit Master of Life Sciences and a 30-credit Professional Master of Engineering in Fire Protection.

The Master of Life Sciences, with concentrations in biology and chemistry, provides in-depth knowledge of current research areas in the chemical, biological, biochemical and biomedical sciences. Courses cover modern biology, modern molecular genetics, transmission genetics, human physiology, biodiversity and conservation biology, chemical ecology, principles of chemical biology, biochemistry, natural products chemistry, electrochemical cells, evolutionary biology and behavior and experimental biology.

The Master of Engineering in Fire Protection is a graduate-level program in applied fire safety science and engineering. The curriculum supports the emerging international movement toward performance-based approaches to building fire safety analysis and design. It provides students with an understanding of the physics and chemistry of fire necessary for predicting building system performance and analyzing failures. Course work covers fire risk assessment, fire dynamics, advanced fire modeling, smoke detection and management, toxicity evaluation and analysis and structural fire protection.

List of Accreditations Held:

The University of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Admission Requirements:

Master of Life Sciences: requires an undergraduate degree in biological science, chemistry, biochemistry or science education; one year of teaching experience or the equivalent; letters of recommendation from school principal and science supervisor; successful completion of a gateway review class-LFSC510 Concepts of Modern Biology or LFSC 520 Concepts of Modern Chemistry or acceptable performance (grade B or better) on an admission exam based on LFSC510 or LFSC 520.

Admission to the Master of Engineering in Fire Protection is open to qualified applicants with an earned bachelor's degree in engineering or related field from an accredited institution. Courses in structural mechanics, differential equations, fluid mechanics and heat transfer or equivalent are required. Up to six graduate-level credits earned at an accredited institution prior to or after matriculation in the graduate school may be applied toward the degree. Applicants may be admitted on a provisional basis if they have demonstrated satisfactory performance in another graduate program or salutary work experience.

Applying

Students who wish to apply for admission do so through the university's SPOC (Single Point of Contact) office. For details about the University of Maryland's online graduate programs, log on at www.onlinestudies.umd.edu .

Tuition Costs:

Master of Life Sciences: $341/credit hour; $60-per-term technology/distance learning fee; admission exam fee of $20.

Master of Engineering in Fire Protection: $660/credit hour; $60 per-term technology/distance learning fee.

All tuition and fees are subject to change

All graduate students pay a one-time $50 application fee.

Financial Aid

Students seeking financial aid are asked to contact the Office of Financial Aid, 0102 Lee Building, College Park, MD 20742; phone: 301-314-9000; e-mail: umfinaid@osfa.umd.edu .

Learning Environment for Students:

The University of Maryland is dedicated to increasing the visibility and reputation of its quality professional and graduate programs, measured not only by advances in research, but by innovations in the delivery of programs to a worldwide audience. Online Studies provides the platform by which these programs can be conveniently delivered to students anywhere at anytime.

Courses are delivered asynchronously through the Internet using a range of technologies including chat rooms, threaded discussions, links to campus libraries and academic resources. Faculty are available in person, through e-mail and via phone by appointment.

Relevant Information on Faculty:

Faculty who teach in Maryland's Online Studies programs have outstanding teaching and research credentials. The Master of Life Sciences program has 11 full-time University of Maryland faculty members with doctoral degrees. Courses in the Master of Engineering in Fire Protection program are taught by the university's foremost faculty and researchers in fire protection science as well as experts from business and industry.

Accomplishments/Recognition:

The Master of Life Sciences is the nation's first online graduate program for middle and high school educators. It won a regional CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) award for outstanding program marketing.

The Master of Engineering in Fire Protection is the only completely Web-based graduate program in fire protection. The university's Department of Fire Protection Engineering has the only fully accredited undergraduate program and is one of only two graduate degree programs in the country.

Our SPOC office, which provides complete online support services to students, won a national award for the Most Outstanding Administrative Program from the North American Association of Summer Sessions.