What Academic Departments and Degree Programs Does the Clark School of Engineering Offer?

Updated

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland organizes its academics into eight departments plus a set of affiliated institutes and centers. If you are choosing a major or a graduate field, start with the department list below, then use the "Students" and "Prospective Students" sections of eng.umd.edu to reach the specific degree pages for each program.

Academic Departments

The Clark School's academic departments, as listed on its site, are:

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Bioengineering
  • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
  • Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Fire Protection Engineering
  • Materials Science & Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

Each department runs its own undergraduate and graduate programs, so the department is the right entry point when you want admission requirements, curriculum, or faculty research areas.

Institutes and Centers

Beyond the departments, the school lists these institutes and related units:

  • Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
  • Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR)
  • Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics (IREAP)
  • Institute for Systems Research (ISR)
  • Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE)
  • Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2)
  • Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech)
  • Maryland Transportation Institute (MTI)

These units matter if your interest is interdisciplinary. MAGE, for example, is the school's applied graduate engineering arm, while Mtech focuses on technology entrepreneurship and industry collaboration.

How to Find Degree Information

The site is structured around audience rather than a single program catalog:

  • Prospective Students — the starting point for applicants researching undergraduate and graduate options.
  • Current Students — for enrolled students navigating courses, advising, and program requirements.
  • K-12 Pre-College Programs — for younger students exploring engineering early.
  • Alumni, Faculty & Staff, Industry, and Donors — separate sections for those audiences.

A department or institute page is the most reliable place to confirm what degrees are offered, since program details live with the unit that runs them.

Choosing Between Departments and Institutes

If you want... Look at...
A named undergraduate or graduate major One of the eight academic departments
Interdisciplinary research or a professional master's MAGE, ISR, IBBR, or another listed institute
Industry partnership or startup support Mtech or the corporate partners section
Biomedical device work Fischell Institute or Bioengineering

Common Sticking Points

  • The homepage lists departments and institutes together, so it is easy to mistake a research center for a degree-granting department. Check whether the unit awards degrees before applying through it.
  • Program names and admission details change; confirm current requirements on the department page rather than relying on a general description.
  • Events and news items on the homepage (information sessions, career fairs) are useful for timing your application, but they are not a substitute for the official program pages.