Planning Your Program of Study

Goal Setting

Students who expect to be successful at the college should make every effort in the first semester to clarify both their short and long-term educational goals. When these goals are clear, students are better able to make intelligent choices among the wide variety of college programs available and to make efficient, productive use of time in college.

Among the many services on campus to help students do this are the following: individualized advisement; interest assessments; a career decision-making course (STU 1050); ARTSYS, a database including all academic programs of the University System of Maryland, with transfer equivalencies of community college courses and programs; departmental program orientations; and reference materials. The faculty can offer both academic and career expertise.

Each new student should make an appointment with an academic advisor to discuss and select a program of study. Students who wish to change their program of study at any time during their enrollment must speak with an academic advisor to make the appropriate adjustments. All previous credits are reevaluated at this time.

Students are responsible for seeking out the kind of information that will help them make their most important decision at the college-program selection. The PROGRAMS OF STUDY section of this catalog contains a complete listing of academic programs offered at the College of Southern Maryland. Additional programs may have been developed since the printing of this catalog. Students should refer to the CSM web site for the most current information on new and existing programs.

Planning to Enter a Career

Students who are planning to enter a career immediately upon completing a degree or certificate program should take advantage of the services offered by the Career Services office at any campus. Goal setting, interest assessments, and career development workshops are available to help students clarify their career objectives and develop job search strategies. CSM Offers a Career Decision Making and Life Planning Course (STU 1050) to assist students in the career planning process. Opportunities for combining work and formal study are available through a cooperative education program. Career programs offer students the opportunity to prepare for entry into an occupation or to upgrade their job skills in their current positions.

Planning to Transfer

Students who are planning to transfer to another college or university should select their programs at the College of Southern Maryland early in order to make efficient and effective use of their coursework. Acceptance of transfer courses is the decision of the receiving institution.

The general education core courses should be completed first. Students then need to match their program requirements at the college with the requirements of the major they intend to pursue at the upper level, bearing in mind that most colleges and universities require a GPA of 2.0-2.5 to transfer, depending on the program of study. Visit the CSM transfer web page (www.csmd.edu/TransferServices) for additional information on transfer preparation.

Career and Transfer Resource Services

Transfer research materials and other online resources are available at each campus to assist students as they prepare to transition to a four-year college or university. The Career Services and Transfer Resource Center on the La Plata Campus, offers transfer resources, and the Student Services offices at the Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses have a selection of college catalogs, admissions applications, scholarship information, and curriculum and college guides. Information on special events and services such as transfer orientations and workshops is also available.

ARTSYS

A computerized database (http://artweb.usmd.edu), developed and maintained by the University System of Maryland, is available to inform students in Maryland community colleges about the transferability of each community college course. The system allows students to determine if courses are transferable and indicates the four-year institution’s equivalent course number. It also indicates the general education area(s), at both the sending and receiving institution, applicable to the course. The system is presently in use at all Maryland public institutions and many independent colleges and universities.

Maryland Transfer Web Page

Additional resources for students transferring in Maryland are available online by accessing the Maryland TransPort web page (http://mdtransfer.usmd.edu). The web page provides current news, updates, and links of interest for the transfer student. The Maryland TransPort link suggests the following steps to a successful transfer:

Visit your community college advisor or transfer coordinator in order to discuss your intentions to transfer and to obtain advisement.
Request information from four-year institutions that interest you. A great way to discover educational opportunities is to attend the transfer advising days held at your community college.
Find out about transfer requirements and deadlines for the institutions to which you intend to apply.
Visit the campus(es). While you are there, arrange to meet with either an admissions representative or a department advisor to discuss your chosen major of study.
Obtain an application form, or apply online.
Complete and send the application(s) for admission.
Arrange to send transcripts from your current college and all previously attended institutions to the institution(s) to which you are applying.
Complete and send all required financial aid/scholarship information by the prescribed deadlines to the institutions to which you are applying.

Advisors will help students access and assess the data they need to transfer both within the state system and elsewhere. Students who take advantage of these services generally experience less loss of credits in transfer.

Statewide Transfer Opportunities

CSM is part of Maryland’s articulation process and its Associate of Science in Engineering (ASE) degrees in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering and its Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) are designed to transfer as a block of courses, rather than on a course-by-course basis into four-year baccalaureate granting institutions in the University System of Maryland, along with Loyola College and Capitol College. As a result, students can transfer without losing credits and can graduate with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or a BA degree in Teacher Education in an additional two years, if they attend the transfer institution full time.

Guaranteed Transfer Agreements

CSM continuously seeks partnerships with four-year colleges and universities. The partnerships create opportunities for students to seamlessly transfer into bachelor’s degree programs with no loss of credit. In some cases, bachelor’s degrees can be completed without leaving Southern Maryland. A partial list of four-year partners is listed below, but new partnerships are added daily. For an up-to-date listing of partners and programs, visit our website at: www.csmd.edu/guaranteedtransfer

American Public University
Bowie State University
Capitol Technology University
Chadron State College
Delaware State University
Drew University
Drexel University Online
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Excelsior College
Florida Institute of Technology
Frostburg State University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Grand Canyon University
Howard University
Longwood University
Morgan State University
Norfolk State University
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Old Dominion University
Salisbury University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Shepherd University
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Stevenson University
Strayer University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland College Park
University of Maryland, School of Medicine
University of Maryland University College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech

Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP)

University of Maryland College Park

CSM students can now be a part of the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP) that guarantees University of Maryland admission to qualifying students who complete the program requirements. Students may begin studies at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and transition to University of Maryland programs in College Park or at Shady Grove. This innovative program not only eases the transfer process, but also makes it possible for students to begin taking classes at University of Maryland College Park at a tuition discount while still attending CSM.