First-Year Orientation Dates
Registration for New Student Orientation will open on Monday, November 2nd. Click on your Academic College below to view the New Student Orientation dates available. Your specific session dates can also be found in the New Student Orientation web portal when clicking the register button below.
NSO sessions close 7 days before each session. Some dates listed below may be closed due to being within 7 days of the program and/or full capacity. We expect students to sign up for the earliest possible NSO date for the best academic registration experience.
Please contact our Office at 301-314-8217 or askorientation@umd.edu with any questions.
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Friday, January 8th
School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (ARCH)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS)
1-Day:
- Tuesday, January 19th
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Friday, January 8th
- Wednesday, January 20th
Robert H. Smith School of Business (BMGT)
1-Day:
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (CMNS)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
College of Education (EDUC)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Tuesday, January 19th
- Friday, January 22nd
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
A. James Clark School of Engineering (ENGR)
For more information, email engrhelp@umd.edu.
College of Information Studies (INFO)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Tuesday, January 19th
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Wednesday, January 20th
Philip Merrill College of Journalism (JOUR)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 22nd
Online:
- Thursday, January 14th
Letters and Sciences (LTSC)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 22nd
- Monday, January 25th
Online:
- Friday, December 11th
- Friday, January 8th
- Wednesday, January 20th
School of Public Policy (PLCY)
1-Day:
- Tuesday, January 19th
Online:
- Friday, January 8th
School of Public Health (SPHL)
1-Day:
- Friday, January 15th
- Tuesday, January 19th
Online:
- Friday, January 8th
- Thursday, January 14th
- Wednesday, January 20th
Registration:
Please follow the steps below to register for New Student Orientation. If you have trouble registering online or if it looks like there are no available spots, please call our office at 301-314-8217 so we can assist.
STEPS TO REGISTER FOR NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION:
1. Accept your admissions offer and submit your enrollment deposit with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
2. Activate your UMD Directory ID at identity.umd.edu and set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
You may need to clear your cache to access the links above.
3. Review & Register: Please review the following information prior to registering for New Student Orientation. Once you have reviewed and understand the information below, please click on the Register button to view your available session dates.
4. Work on your To-Do List! After registering for your New Student Orientation, make sure to work through all items on the First Year To-Do List. This should be completed at least one week prior to your New Student Orientation program.
Enrollment Deposit Processing Time
It takes approximately 3 business days for enrollment deposits to process before students can register for a New Student Orientation program.
Change of Major
New Student Orientation programs are major/academic college-specific and not all colleges and majors advise at every program. In order to be advised by the correct major, students should change their major with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before registering for a New Student Orientation program.
Changing Your Major After Registering for New Student Orientation
If a student chooses to change their major after they have registered for a New Student Orientation program, but before attending their program, they will need to notify the Office of Student Orientation and Transition. Students should refrain from contacting the Office of Student Orientation and Transition until after they receive a confirmation from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions that their major has been updated.
- Students may have to adjust their program date due to changing their major. There is no guarantee that students will get the same program date after changing their major.
How to Change Your Intended Major
Students who wish to change their intended major should email their request to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at ApplyMaryland@umd.edu using the subject line "Major Change Request" and include your full name, date of birth, current major and desired major in the body of the email.
All change of major requests will be reviewed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For more information, visit their Freshman Admission Decisions FAQs.
- Major change requests will take several days to be processed and student's should refrain from contacting the Office of Student Orientation and Transition until after they receive a confirmation from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions that their major has been updated.
Advising and Course Registration
Academic Advising and course registration occur during a student's New Student Orientation program. It is required for all new degree-seeking students to attend a New Student Orientation program in order to get their Mandatory Advising Registration Block removed and meet with an Academic Advisor to register for courses. Students will not be permitted to register for courses without attending a New Student Orientation program.
Terp Family Orientation Program
The Office of Student Orientation and Transition offers a separate Terp Family Orientation program for any parents, family members or supporters.
Family members or supporters who attend will gain information about the University of Maryland and be best prepared to assist the student transition to UMD. Family members and supporters will not be able to attend any portion of the New Student Orientation program. Please see our Terp Family Orientation program page for more information about this opportunity.
New Student Orientation Program Fee
Students will not be charged for their New Student Orientation program until AFTER their scheduled date. New Student Orientation charges will show up on the student account. Please refrain from paying for New Student Orientation until the charge appears on the student account, as paying ahead of time may complicate the payment process.
- Specific program fees and FAQs regarding fees and payment can be found on our Paying for New Student Orientation page.
Attendance at New Student Orientation
New Student Orientation is required to all new degree seeking students at the University of Maryland. It is required that student's participate in all aspects of the New Student Orientation program. Students are expected to stay for the entire duration of the program. Please do not make any plans that would conflict with attendance at your New Student Orientation.
New Student Orientation Schedules
Curious about the schedule of your New Student Orientation program? Finalized schedules will be posted here before programs start.
1-Day New Student Orientation Program Schedule
As you are planning your travel for NSO, please note that the 1 day NSO program will begin at 8:00 AM and conclude by 4:30 PM.
Online New Student Orientation Program Schedule
Please note that the online session will begin at 9:00 AM and conclude by 4:30 PM.
2-Day Overnight New Student Orientation Program Schedule
Please note that there are no 2-day overnight New Student Orientation sessions for Winter programming. First-year students will attend either a 1-day or online NSO session.