University of Maryland - College Park Reviews

"The chemistry doctoral program varies between research labs but generally the classes and requirements are tailored to prepare you for a challenging but ultimately rewarding independent research experience."

"Pros - Amazing networking. The journalism professors at this school are real, currently working journalists. They are hard on you and critique you like you've never been critiqued before. Two months into this program, I feel like I've learned more than I did when I was an undergrad studying Media and Communications at another school for four years. Cons - Sometimes faculty are very busy, so I've found that if I need help with anything, I really have to book a time with them in advance. The coursework is heavy, so you will not have a lot of free time, but it's honestly for the best for your career."

"Overall this is a great program, the faculty is engaging, the subject matter is challenging. While it is tough (and I think that goes for most graduate degrees) I do feel as though I am getting a quality degree which can fuel me to the next level of my education and professional pursuits."

"UMD's School of Public Policy is particularly attractive because of my desire to gain the skills to help nonprofit organizations to achieve maximum impact while applying my first-hand nonprofit management experiences. I want to draw on SPP’s strengths in nonprofit management, philanthropy and social policies to improve how I implement my projects and manage my organization's resources while acquiring the tools to lead my collaborative partners to conceive and achieve tenable goals. There are no cons."

"Pros: Industry specific and professional course. Con: Research focus missing"

"The cost of living as calculated by the school is unrealistic."

"Pros: Overall I am happy that I chose to pursue my graduate degree from UMD. The career services center has tremendous resources in helping students find a great career and/or internships. Their mock interviews will help you improve your interview skills and their workshop sessions will inform you of what to expect during an interview. Cons: Cost of living is fairly expensive and although the school provides a shuttle I don't believe it runs on the weekends. Financial aid was not the best either- but that will all depend on your circumstances."

"Pro. UMD's MPP program offers an incredible education that encompasses several aspects of public policy on a broad level, while also offering courses allowing students to hone in on your specialization. Our faculty represents a successful body from a diverse set of backgrounds. Pro. Being located a few miles outside of Washington, DC, UMD offers a network of elites available for career guidance and job opportunities. The proximity enables social and professional engagements that enhance the educational experience at this school. Pro. UMD makes it a point to offer as many Graduate Assistantships as possible to alleviate the cost of education. Students have an array of choices for these positions that significantly reduce the cost of tuition and offer a stipend to help with rent. Moreover, the school offers a one-time scholarship for students engaged in an unpaid internship. Con. I think the school could offer a few more classes or at least offer core classes more than once a year to increase schedule flexibility."

"Pro is the amazing opportunities as a Research 1 institution. Cons are that the funding is weak compared to the living expenses in the area."

"Love this school. They've given so much back to me and made my undergraduate career so much easier. The Smith business school is stellar - students get a strong background in all aspects of business. I didn't particularly like the degree I got, but I do know that the instruction I received was top-notch and that I will be able to apply everything I learned to whatever career I find in the future."

"Although initially attending the university for financial reasons, the extracurriculars have truly made my time here an unforgettable experience--it really is what you make of it."

"The program is hard to get into but once you are in its pretty easy. The classes are fun if you get the right professor and the people are fun. You really learn alot and the professors usually have relevant and recent information on the subject."

"My Masters Program at UMCP was a good experience. Coming into the program I was very knowledgeable about IT from my undergrad experience so I was well prepared. The program is very lax in homework and is more about enriching students with knowledge and not about giving assignments every week. All the courses I took in person as well as the few I took online were very interactive and was group-centered. I got a chance to work side-by-side with really great people who were very diverse in their background as well as nationality. While I was there I was working full-time and didn't get a chance to really interact like I wanted to with the staff and other students out of class because of my work schedule. I believe that's the only thing I would of done different. Overall great experience."

"The teachers are great. Very supportive, knowledgeable, and well-researched. The other students are from diverse backgrounds and bring a myriad of relevant experiences to the classroom. The cons include not enough graduate jobs for master's students and the cost of living is rather high."