This represented the culmination of the efforts of Dr. Horace H. Hayden and Dr. Chapin A. Harris, two dental practitioners who recognized the need for systematic formal education as the foundation for a scientific dental profession. Together, they played a major role in establishing and promoting formal dental education and in the development of dentistry as a profession.

BCDS served as a prototype for dental schools gradually established in other American cities and originated the pattern of modern dental education, with equal emphasis on sound knowledge of general medicine and development of the skills of dentistry. Through the prominent role of its faculty and graduates and their contributions to dental and medical progress, BCDS has exerted a remarkable influence on professional dentistry.

The present dental school evolved through a series of consolidations involving the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, founded in 1840; Maryland Dental College, founded in 1873; the Dental Department of the University of Maryland, founded in 1882; and the Dental Department of the Baltimore Medical College, founded in 1895. The final consolidation took place in 1923, when BCDS and the Dental Department of the University of Maryland were combined to create a single entity as part of the university under state supervision and control.

Vision

Good oral health is integral to general health and quality of life. We will achieve preeminence through excellence and innovation in education, patient care, research, public service, and global engagement.

Accreditation

The University of Maryland School of Dentistry program in dental education is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Departments offered standard graduate work and sought to place the quality of work on par with the best graduate schools in the nation. Work in accredited research labs such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies was accepted as partial fulfillment of the resident requirement for future degrees. The Baltimore campus of the Graduate School awarded the first master’s degrees in 1924, the first PhD in 1933.

Today, the Graduate School offers graduate education and training in biomedical, health, and human service sciences. The school offers Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs, and postbaccalaureate certificate programs in these areas of study. The school also offers dual degrees with the University’s professional schools, including PhD/MD, PhD/PharmD, and PhD/DDS degree programs, and participates in inter-institutional studies in biochemistry and gerontology with other University System of Maryland campuses.

All doctoral students are actively engaged in research with faculty members to address some of society’s most pressing problems and biomedical research’s most challenging questions in basic and translational research. These innovative efforts, supported by research grants and contracts, are undertaken collaboratively with the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Institute of Human Virology, and others.

Mission

The mission of the Graduate School is to empower scholars, practitioners, and researchers to become agents of innovation and leaders of change through distinctive, relevant, and rigorous education.

Accreditation

The Physician Assistant Program, which is part of the Graduate School, is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

UMSOM works closely and in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and University of Maryland Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically based care. UMSOM works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries worldwide.

Mission

The University of Maryland School of Medicine is dedicated to providing excellence in biomedical education, basic and clinical research, quality patient care, and service to improve the health of the citizens of Maryland and beyond. The school is committed to the education and training of medical, MD/PhD, graduate, physical therapy, and medical and research technology students. We will recruit and develop faculty to serve as exemplary role models for our students.

Accreditation

The University of Maryland School of Medicine’s programs are accredited by numerous specialized accreditors, including the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association (MD program), Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (continuing medical education), Council for Genetic Counseling (Master of Genetic Counseling program), Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (Medical Dosimetry Certificate program), National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (Medical Research & Technology BS and MS programs), National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (Pathology MS program), American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (Doctor of Physical Therapy program), Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (post-MD training programs at the University of Maryland Medical Center), and the Council on Education for Public Health (Master of Public Health program). 

UMSON was originally associated with University Hospital, and early students spent most of their time working in the wards in addition to studying in the classroom. The school grew during the early decades of the 20th century, and school officials, faculty members, and alumni constantly sought to improve standards and advocate for the nursing profession to state and federal officials. In the 1970s, the school began to emphasize nursing research in addition to its education and practical roles. In 1998, the school opened a new building to accommodate its ever-expanding numbers of faculty members, staff, and students. Today, the University of Maryland School of Nursing is one of the premier nursing schools in the country.

Mission

We shape the profession of nursing and the health care environment by developing leaders in education, research, and practice.

Accreditation and Licensure 

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and postgraduate APRN certificate programs at the University of Maryland School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s BSN and MSN Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) programs have been approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing, and graduates of those programs are eligible for Registered Nurse licensure in Maryland. Maryland is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact for RN licensure. 

The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s DNP Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) specialties and programs are approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing, and graduates of those programs are eligible for APRN certification in their specialties in Maryland.

The Doctor of Pharmacy program at UMSOP equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter practice prepared to meet the challenges of a dynamic health care environment. The curriculum is designed to provide an excellent foundation for those graduates who choose to gain additional training in residencies or fellowships, or choose to complete a graduate degree. Starting with the biomedical sciences, the curriculum progresses to patient care and expands to deal with system and population issues. The accompanying experiential curriculum begins with an emphasis on pharmacists’ roles, progresses to a consideration of persons as patients, and then focuses on population-based concepts in practice. As graduates transition into practice, they emerge as lifelong learners prepared to advance the pharmacy profession to meet the current and future health care needs of society.

Mission

We globally engage and lead education, pharmacy practice, scientific research, and pharmapreneurial initiatives to collaboratively and equitably improve the health of society.

Accreditation

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

A strong community focus on education, research, and service helps prepare students to work and succeed in all types of social work environments, including urban, suburban, rural, and international.

Mission

Our mission at the University of Maryland School of Social Work is to develop practitioners, leaders, and scholars to advance the well-being of populations and communities and to promote social justice. As national leaders, we create and use knowledge for education, service innovation, and policy development.

Accreditation

The School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The Carey School of Law’s experiential programs are among the most extensive in the country. Through a nationally recognized clinical law program, students can enroll in an array of courses to represent a criminal defendant, an emerging business owner, someone with HIV/AIDS, an environmental group, a disabled person, or perhaps a scientist wanting to patent a new drug. Students meet regularly with their professors to review the professional, ethical, and practical issues raised by their work. They also explore the connections between what is taught in the classroom and the practice of law as they are experiencing it.

Mission

The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law strives to develop outstanding professionals educated in the law. Through excellent teaching in both classroom and clinical settings, the school seeks to prepare our students for productive leadership and professional roles in the law, public service, business, and government in Maryland, the nation, and beyond. In their capacity as scholars, members of the faculty contribute to the development of law-related knowledge and enhanced understanding of the functioning of law and justice. Public responsibilities as lawyers and connection to the broader community are underscored by enhancing access to justice, by providing pro bono legal services, and by serving as a resource for members of the profession and others who work to achieve justice and a better-functioning society.

To achieve its mission, the school is dedicated to the following core commitments:

• Excellence in classroom and experiential teaching that facilitates student understanding of the knowledge, skills, ethics, and values they need to achieve success as lawyers, as leaders, and in other professional roles.
• The creation, synthesis, and dissemination of law-related knowledge that assists lawyers, judges, scholars, and other professionals and leaders in society in understanding how law and justice shape the world.
• The pursuit of justice through improving legal-delivery systems, contributing expertise to public discourse, and serving those, particularly in Baltimore and Maryland, who suffer historic, systemic, or other disadvantage and face challenges in effectively accessing the legal system.
• Interdisciplinary education and scholarship designed to promote comprehensive understanding of complex social and policy issues and to develop interdisciplinary approaches to address them.
• The pursuit of diversity among students, faculty, and the legal profession as a whole.
• A commitment to collaboration, engagement, and professionalism in interactions with students, colleagues in the law and in other disciplines, and the greater community.

Accreditation

The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association.