UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK

ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

The University of Maryland, College Park, began as the Maryland State College of Agriculture in 1856 and achieved status as a land-grant college in 1865. It merged in 1920 with the Baltimore professional schools to form the University of Maryland with campuses at Baltimore (UMAB) and College Park (UMCP) (Chapter 480, Acts of 1920). The University of Maryland was designated a national sea grant college in 1983.

The College Park campus became part of the University of Maryland System when it was created in 1988 (Chapter 246, Acts of 1988). In 1997, when the System was renamed the University System of Maryland, the University was styled University of Maryland, College Park (Chapter 114, Acts of 1997).

At the University of Maryland, College Park, instruction in almost every discipline is offered. The College Park campus holds the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Arts and Humanities; Behavioral and Social Sciences; Business and Management; Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Education; Engineering; Health and Human Performance; Journalism; Library and Information Services; Life Sciences; and the Schools of Architecture and Public Affairs.

Under the College of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service are centered at College Park. Among many other research and public service units on campus are the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, Center on Aging, Survey Research Center, Engineering Research Center, Transportation Technology Center, Water Resources Research Center, Institute for Applied Agriculture, and Urban Studies and Planning Program.

Maryland Manual On-Line