Advising
English advisors are available to help with academic and career planning, preparation for graduate school or study abroad, and navigating university resources.
All English majors must complete at least one advising appointment before scheduling classes for next semester. Advising appointments fill quickly, so contact us at least two weeks in advance of your registration time (which you can check in Testudo) to ensure that you get a suitable appointment. You are also welcome to schedule an advising appointment at any time if you have questions or concerns about your degree progress, an English course or professor, or university resources.
Question? Email english@umd.edu.
Internship and Career Advising
English majors can prepare for their future beyond UMD by taking full advantage of specialized career advising offered by the University Career Center. All appointments are scheduled through the University Career Center & The President’s Promise. Get started by reserving an appointment on Careers4Terps; log on and click "Request a Career Advising Appointment" in the shortcuts menu or call (301) 314-7225 with questions.
Study Abroad Advising
Students who are abroad go through the same pre-registration advising they would if they were on campus, except via email.
Students studying abroad should send an email to english@umd.edu that includes their name, UID and registration date. In this initial email, students should also include which classes they are actually taking abroad as they often differ from those listed on the Study Abroad Course Approval (SACA) forms.
The advisor will let students know if they also have a college-level registration block. If they do, they must email Paula Nadler in ARHU at pnadler@umd.edu.
Academic Probation
Probation Advising
University Academic Performance Policy (Probation and Dismissal)
Departmental Requirements for Probation Students
English majors who are on academic probation are assigned a specific English advisor and are required to meet with that advisor three times during the course of the semester. The first meeting should be during the schedule adjustment period, the second meeting should be after the first month of classes and the third meeting should be mid-semester. All English majors and minors have mandatory pre-registration advising, so you may want to use one of your probation advising sessions to conduct pre-registration advising as well. We will use these three meetings to review your past and current performance, to discuss any concerns you might have regarding your current courses and to plan a future academic schedule that will lend itself to success. To make an appointment for academic probation advising, please call English Undergraduate Studies at (301) 405-3825, and indicate that you are on probation and need to meet with your assigned advisor.
College Requirements for Probation Students
English majors on academic probation are also required to meet three times a semester with an advisor in the ARHU. Contact ARHU's Office of Student Affairs at 301-405-2108 to schedule an appointment.
Departmental Requirements for Dismissed Students Applying for Reinstatement
If you fulfill the three-meeting requirement, your English advisor will be able to write a letter of support to ARHU. Such a letter of support is viewed very favorably by the readmission committee should you apply for reinstatement. No student who fails to meet their academic probation advising requirements will qualify for such a letter.
Transfer Credit
There are several ways in which English courses from other institutions may be counted toward your major, general education, college or university requirements. The Department of English strives to accept as many transfer courses as possible, but making this happen requires your assistance. Please choose the category of course below that you have taken, or intend to take, to determine its equivalence.
ENGL101 Course Equivalency
All ENGL101, or freshman English, course equivalence is handled by the Academic Writing Office in 1116 Tawes, (301) 405-3771.
You may receive an exemption from English 101 in three ways: by AP Language and Composition test score, through a course equivalency, or by portfolio. Before you submit any materials, please contact the Academic Writing Office at 301-405-3771 or academic-writing@umd.edu.
Under the new General Education Requirements, in effect for students entering the University of Maryland on or after July 1, 2012, students who have earned a score of 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition Exam may be exempted from Academic Writing (English 101).
Professional Writing Course Equivalency
If you are seeking equivalence for a professional writing course, you must contact the Professional Writing Office directly at (301) 405-3762 or visit them in 1220 Tawes.
For All Other English Transfer Courses
Find information and guidance.
Undergraduate Advisors
Melvette Melvin Davis, Ph.D.
Favorite Shows/Flicks:
Lean on Me; A Different World; Psych; Call the Midwife; Doc Martin; Christmas movies
Memorable “Reads”:
“The Lesson” (Toni Cade Bambara)
Honey, I Love, and Other Love Poems (Eloise Greenfield)
Anything J. California Cooper
The Coldest Winter Ever (Sister Souljah)
Favorite Lines/Lyrics:
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
—Bob Marley
"We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes."
—Sweet Honey in the Rock
"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
—Proverb
Tell Me About:
A new activity you’ve tried recently
Your favorite comfort food
Your favorite way to refuel/self-care
Let’s Talk About:
Scholarships
#1 Piece of Advice for Students:
Scholarship opportunities are not limited to high school students. Before college, I thought scholarships were awarded mainly to students transitioning from high school to college. However, throughout my collegiate and graduate school years, I continued to search for and receive numerous scholarships and grants from external programs and organizations. I encourage you to search for scholarship opportunities through faith-based organizations, cultural groups, your state or county representatives, UMD, or other local or national community organizations. Be proactive, be resilient (there will be some rejections), be diligent, and be courageous about applying for scholarships and sharing your brilliance and uniqueness.
#2 Piece of Advice for Students:
Don’t be afraid to be first. This was the chorus to the soundtrack of my undergraduate life. Everywhere I turned, it seemed people were constantly throwing me the line, “Well, we’ve never done that before” or “We don’t usually do it that way,” but my vision, my purposefulness, my self-advocacy, and my persistence yielded me opportunities and resources I would not have had if I would have simply accepted, “No.”
Yvonne Roe
Favorite Lines/Lyrics:
“We Can Do Hard Things”
—Glennon Doyle
Tell Me About:
- Your most treasured piece of writing
- Your career goals
- Your favorite type of cereal (you can tell a lot about a person from this)
Let’s Talk About:
- Teaching English at the middle school, high school, and/or college-level
- Monsters in Literature
- Growing up bilingual/multicultural
#1 Piece of Advice for Students:
Don’t be afraid to listen to your gut. We are all inundated with information and advice (see the irony here?) daily, but part of growing up is listening to what YOU truly value. Be open to figuring out what excites you and be patient with yourself throughout this journey. Remember that we are all here to help you in any way we can.
Recommended reads:
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari