Science in the Evening Home Page  
Science in the Evening Home Page

Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 Who can I contact if I have questions or need help?
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Q2 Is a bachelor's degree required to participate in the Science in the Evening program?
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Q3 Do I need to submit transcripts from previous colleges and/or universities I have attended before I submit a course registration form?
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Q4 What courses are offered in this program?
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Q5 Who are the faculty who teach in the Science in the Evening program?
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Q6 Is there a certificate or degree available through this program?
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Q7 Are the Science in the Evening program courses special continuing education versions of the courses?
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Q8 Is there a notation on my transcript that these courses were continuing education courses?
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Q9 Why is it suggested that I enroll as a non-degree seeking post-baccalaureate student in order to take courses in the Science in the Evening program?
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Q10  How successful are students in this program when applying to medical school?
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Q11  Are any adjustments made in these courses because the students are employed full-time?
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Q12  What are prerequisite courses?
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Q13  Do I have to meet the prerequisites for courses?
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Q14  Do I have to have the specific prerequisites listed in the University of Maryland College Park catalog, or the Science in the Evening program brochure?
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Q15  How do I find out if the courses I took at another institution meet the prerequisites for the University of Maryland Science in the Evening courses?
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Q16  How can I acquire the math prerequisite in order to register for courses?
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Q17  Where and when can I take the Math Placement Exam?
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Q18  What are the tuition and fees?
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Q19  Why do I have to pay fees?
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Q20  Can I get financial aid for participating in the program?
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Q21  What does it mean to audit a course?
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Q22  Can I change my mind about auditing a course?
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Q23  Do I have to pay to audit a course?
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Q24  What are the immunization requirements at The University of Maryland College Park?
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Q25 

What is an "Immunization Block?"
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A1 SPOC- our student services office, will be glad to assist with any questions you may have. Please click on the Student Services link for more information.
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A2 Yes. The Science in the Evening program is designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree, and for a variety of reasons, did not take introductory laboratory science courses as part of their undergraduate degree program. Courses are offered in the evening because many post-baccalaureate students work full-time.
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A3 Yes, we require that you submit a transcript with your registration form. It will be very helpful and convenient for you to have a copy of your transcript(s) in your file at the University of Maryland. It helps us quickly determine whether you have successfully completed the prerequisites for courses and helps you determine what courses you may need in order to achieve your goals. Therefore, it is required for students to ensure that a copy of their transcript(s) is submitted to the SPOC office as soon as possible.
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A4 This program offers the basic introductory science courses that are usually required by individuals seeking admission to medical or graduate school. These include General Chemistry I (Lecture CHEM 131 and Lab CHEM 132) , Organic Chemistry I (Lecture CHEM 231 and Lab CHEM 232) and II (Lecture CHEM 241 and Lab CHEM 242), General Analytical Chemistry (Lecture CHEM 271 and Lab CHEM 272), Principles of Biology I (BSCI 105), General Microbiology (BSCI 223), Cell Biology and Physiology (BSCI 330), and Fundamentals of Physics I (PHYS 121) and II (PHYS 122).

In addition, the program offers advanced courses in the biological sciences including Principles of Immunology (BSCI 422), Pathogenic Microbiology (BSCI 424), Drug Action and Design (BSCI 436) and Mammalian Physiology (BSCI 440).


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A5 All Science in the Evening program course lecturers have an earned doctoral degree in the discipline they teach, and have a history with the Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments. They are approved by those departments to teach the evening courses. In several cases, University of Maryland College Park faculty members lecture in the evening courses. The laboratory teaching assistants are predominantly graduate students in the University of Maryland programs, with experience teaching these same courses in the traditional day program. When that is not the case, teaching assistants with only the highest qualifications in the specific subject matter are hired. All staff in the Science in the Evening program possess excellent English communication skills and are committed to student success.
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A6 No. Students in this program take only those courses they need to reach their personal educational goals. There is no prescribed sequence of coursework.
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A7 No. The courses offered in the Science in the Evening program follow the same syllabus and laboratory exercises as the courses given to our degree-seeking students. They are not condensed or simplified continuing education versions of those courses. The program's unusual evening timeframe makes these courses part of the University's continuing education outreach to individuals needing to extend their education beyond their baccalaureate degree work.
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A8 Students enrolled in Science in the Evening (SIE) courses will follow the same syllabus and participate in the same laboratory exercises as daytime undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Chemical and Life Sciences. Science in the Evening courses are not condensed or simplified versions of daytime courses. SIE course names, numbers and academic credits are identical to those of daytime courses; therefore, institutions viewing students' transcripts can interpret these courses in the appropriate manner. However, some students in this program are enrolled at the university as post-baccalaureate, non-degree-seeking or continuing education students, as an administrative mechanism for distinguishing them from the undergraduate degree-seeking student population. As such, Life Science postbac program is listed as the major on some SIE student transcripts. For those students who enroll as post-baccalaureate non-degree-seeking, transfer students, Letters and Sciences will be indicated as the major on the transcript.
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A9 Students in this program are enrolled at the university as non-degree-seeking students because they are not seeking an undergraduate degree. This means that they do not need to go through the lengthy, competitive review process required for admission to the University of Maryland College Park.
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A10 Currently, we do not have information on the success rate of students who have taken courses in the Science in the Evening program. This program is designed to give students the opportunity to take the specific courses they need to meet their personal, academic and professional goals. As such, there is no prescribed set or sequence of courses. There has been no tracking of students' professional or academic movement beyond the University of Maryland. We are working to begin collecting these details. Please be sure to complete any surveys sent by the program to aid in this data collection.
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A11 These courses follow the same syllabus and laboratory exercises as the courses given to our traditional day students. As a result, the courses possess the appropriate level of academic content and are taught with appropriate academic rigor. That being the case, there are no major modifications in the courses. Individual faculty and teaching assistants use a variety of means to assist students between classes and laboratories, including e-mail, the university's Web pages, ELMS and course list serves.
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A12 Prerequisite courses are the specific coursework that students should have successfully completed in order to assure that they have the skills and knowledge required to proceed at the appropriate pace of the course.
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A13 Yes, the University of Maryland and the College of Chemical and Life Sciences take prerequisite requirements seriously. Professors and teaching assistants assume that students have an appropriate academic background and they proceed at a pace that cannot be slowed to explain material or procedures learned in prerequisite courses. Indeed, some departments and professors will check on students' prerequisites at the beginning of the course, and students can be "administratively dropped" from a course for which they do not have the appropriate prerequisites.
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A14 The courses listed are the courses offered by the university that provide the necessary skills and background for our courses. Students may have had comparable courses at another institution; usually those equivalent courses are appropriate, but the determination must be made by the department offering the course, here at the University of Maryland.
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A15 The easiest way to do this is to send a copy of your transcript with your registration form to the SPOC office. Include a note requesting that the SPOC office staff have your transcript evaluated for the specific courses you have concerns about.
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A16 Representatives in the math department will be happy to review your transcript to see how the math courses at your previous institution relate to the University of Maryland's math courses. Alternatively, students who did not have appropriate math as a part of their undergraduate degree may take the University of Maryland's Math Placement Exam and use their placement from that exam in order to meet a course's math prerequisite.
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A17 If you have any questions or wish to know the schedule for placement exams please contact: Department of Mathematics at 301-405-5053, or feel free to correspond by e-mail: undergrad@math.umd.edu.
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A18 Tuition and fees are those established by the university for part-time students and are assessed on a per-credit basis. The specific fees for a given academic year can be found in several ways: general University fees can be found by checking the University's Web site: www.umd.edu/bursar , fees specific to SIE courses can be found by checking the Science in the Evening program's estimated billing form or by contacting the SPOC office at spoc-science@umd.edu.
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A19 All students at the University of Maryland share the cost of student services. As a part-time student, your fees are reduced in acknowledgement of your reduced use of campus services and facilities. In addition to facilities maintenance, your fees include: use of the campus libraries, campus shuttle system, campus recreation facilities, the performing arts center and the student union.
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A20 Typically financial aid is not available to non-degree-seeking students. However, alternative or private loans may be an option. You may visit http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/OSFA/lendercell2.html  for a list of alternative loan lenders and http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/OSFA/Appprivate.html for information on private loans. You should contact the Financial Aid Office with your specific questions and issues at 301-314-9000, or contact them through their Web site.

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A21 Science in the Evening classes are small and every student is a contributing member of the class. In the smaller classes, students auditing the course may be expected to participate, although they do not take exams or submit assignments. Students do not receive a grade or applicable academic credit for the course. The notation "AUD" will be placed on the transcript for each course audited. A notation to the effect that this symbol does not imply attendance or any other effort in the course will be included on the transcript in the explanation of the grading system. You must contact the SPOC office by the 10th day of the semester to adjust your grading method. After the 10th day you would appeal in Room 1300 Symons Hall.
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A22 Students who register to audit a course can change that registration to traditional graded course participation within the schedule adjustment period, but not beyond that date. Students should consult the academic calendar for the schedule adjustment period in order to change the grading method of a course: www.testudo.umd.edu/acad_cal/calendarlinks.html.
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A23 Yes. Students are welcome to audit courses in the Science in the Evening program. However, it is standard university policy that students are charged full course tuition and fees for a course audit. You must contact the SPOC office by the 10th day of the semester to adjust your grading method. After the 10th day you would appeal in Room 1300 Symons Hall.
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A24 The university requires proof of immunization against certain diseases. It is easiest to do this with your first application. If you have not been a student on the College Park campus before, you will need to fill out and return the required immunization forms to the UMCP Health Center. Click here for the university's immunization policy and form.
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A25 If you have taken classes before on the College Park campus but have no immunization records on file at the Health Center, you will be required to file them before you can register. YOU CANNOT REGISTER UNTIL THE HEALTH CENTER RECEIVES YOUR FORMS and ENTERS YOUR COMPLIANCE WITH THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. Therefore, it is easiest to do this with your first application. You can see the university's immunization policy and obtain the required forms by clicking here.
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