Undergraduate Policies and Forms

After exploring the Public Policy Major, students who are ready to declare can do so by initiating a change/add of major in TerpsEngage and then by scheduling an appointment with one of our advisors. We also encourage students to explore and declare our minors in Sustainability, Public Leadership, and Nonprofit Leadership & Social Innovation.

Advising helps you maximize your undergraduate experience through a journey of exploration that leads to transformation and informed decision-making about academic and extracurricular opportunities. In the School of Public Policy, advising is mandatory. You are required to schedule at least one advising appointment per semester.  

You should not wait until the last minute to schedule your appointments. The midpoint of the semester is a good time to check in with your advisor regarding course planning. Notification of early registration will be sent out by the Office of the Registrar, but it is your responsibility to find your specific registration appointment time and date by logging on to Testudo.

Advising appointments are scheduled to last 20 minutes. This is to allow enough time for discovery, designing and implementing through intentional conversation. You are encouraged to drive the conversation by bringing a list of topics or issues you would like to discuss. Please schedule an appointment through TerpEngage.

You can explore the public policy major’s four- and two-year checklists as well as a sample four-year academic plan here.

Students are expected to demonstrate continuing progress in their major by successfully completing the following courses in the specified timeframes. Should a student’s individual situation warrant a different path, they can work with their advisor to plan their progress.

BENCHMARK REQUIREMENT 1 

Must be completed by the end of two semesters into the major

• PLCY100 Foundations of Public Policy
• HIST201 Interpreting American History: From 1865 to the Present

BENCHMARK REQUIREMENT 2

Must be completed by the end of four semesters into the major

• PLCY101 Great Thinkers on Public Policy
• STAT100 Elementary Statistics and Probability or higher (STAT100 equivalent accepted)

The Public Policy major includes an experiential learning requirement to allow students to explore public policy outside of a traditional classroom. Students can fulfill this requirement by earning at least 3 credits through one of the following options below.

• Internship
• Research
• Study Abroad

To request permission to take courses at another institution, students should do the following:

• Discuss potential transfer course(s) with your advisor.
• Review transfer course equivalencies in the Transfer Credit Services database.
• Complete the Permission to Enroll Form. If you have any issues with how to use the form see this document for help.
• Wait for email notification of the decision on your request BEFORE enrolling at the other institution.

Students must apply for graduation by the end of schedule adjustment for the semester in which they plan to earn their degree. Students can apply for graduation on Testudo.

Undergraduate and graduate students who are close to completing their degree requirements may be permitted by their college, at the request of the student, to participate in spring departmental, college, and/or campus commencement activities if they can demonstrate that they intend to complete all degree requirements before the first day of classes in the next fall semester. SPP students who plan to graduate in the summer but wish to walk in the Spring must demonstrate their summer registration plan to their advisor. 

Participation in commencement activities (including the main commencement ceremony) does not imply degree completion or graduation, nor official degree completion in that particular spring semester. All degree requirements must be completed before a degree and diploma can be awarded. In the interest of having the printed UMD main commencement program be as accurate as possible, students’ names will be included in this printed program only if they are expected to graduate in the spring. Student names will be printed in the SPP program provided student information is received by the deadline.

View additional information on SPP graduation.

Please become familiar with the School of Public Policy Community Expectations. We expect all in our community to abide by these expectations. If you would like to speak to someone about an incident or learn more about our community expectations and inclusion efforts, please see our SPP Inclusion Resources and Contacts.  To report any forms of discrimination and harassment, including sexual misconduct, please contact the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct (OCSRM).