For some freshmen, admittance to the University of Maryland does not include direct admission to a chosen academic program. In these cases, students are assigned to Letters and Sciences advising until they are able to apply for a second time as an "internal transfer" (meaning from college to college) to the major of their choice.
What are Limited Enrollment Programs?
One of the questions we hear over and over again are about these "Limited Enrollment Programs." We call them "LEPs." What are they? LEPs are competitive majors at the University of Maryland that control enrollment numbers to maintain program quality. Once a student has earned 45 credits, he or she must have successfully completed a specific set of courses called "gateway" requirements in order to enter a LEP. Typically, students in Letters and Sciences enter their chosen LEP (if they qualify) in the semester in which they reach their 60th credit. By taking, on average, 15 credits per semester, students earn their 60th credit by the end of their second academic year. It's important to note that students with AP credit are already ahead of the game when it comes to an average of 15 credits per semester. Remember that in making that "average," we don't assume AP credits, transfer credits or credits taken during any upcoming winter or summer term.
Out of over 100 majors offered at Maryland, there are 10 LEP programs on campus which qualify as Limited Enrollment Programs: Architecture; Business; College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences and Policy-Biodiversity and Conservation); Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice; Engineering; Government and Politics; Journalism; Landscape Architecture; and Psychology.
What are the rules for getting into the Limited Enrollment Programs?
For most of the majors, it's a straight forward process--students simply need to take the pre-requisite courses over two years, attain the major's specific GPA requirement and continue at Maryland, declaring into the major. During the process, the courses students take while in LTSC are almost always exactly the same courses students in the major are actually taking at the same time. Along the way, LTSC students are also taking CORE (general education) requirements as are students in the LEP majors already. (There are very few exceptions including ENES100 for Engineering or COMM107 for Business. Once in the programs, students will take those courses if not before.)
To see the specifics for any of the LEP majors, simply go to www.lep.umd.edu and view the .pdf documents for chosen majors. Be sure to look for the requirements under "Transfer Student" or "Internal Transfer Student." These outline what the student will be taking during their time in LTSC. If the major is not competitive, and the student meets the requirements, they'll gain access to the major.
Two programs are "competitive" in nature due to space availability in the programs, Business and Architecture. With these two majors, students should not only meet the GPA requirements set forth, they'll need to present other credentials including co-curricular involvement, leadership experience, and honors and awards. Letters of recommendation are also accepted for consideration for entry into the majors. For the Business major, students also submit a resume and letter detailing their accomplishments and experience with their applications.
From orientation on, students are told where to find information about LEPs and how to plan on accessing the major of their choice. If they plan correctly, and they attain the grades required, they get into the major. If students stay in touch with their advisors, and keep them abreast of any change of plans students may have, advisors will do their best to work with students on a timely declaration of major.
Advisors work hard with this group of students, and LTSC insists that all students have an "alternative" or "parallel," non-LEP major in mind as they move forward. In the event a student comes up on 60 credits without having completed requirements for the LEP, they must declare the alternative major while they continue their work.
As you see, it's a pretty straightforward process! If you have any questions, comment below!
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