New and Transfer Student Information

Welcome to the University of Maryland!  We hope that your time as a new Terp will be happy and healthy.

For both undergraduate and graduate students, we are happy to help to serve as your Medical Home  when you are a student at the University of Maryland!  Our providers can often help to coordinate care in the College Park area by providing primary care and referring to local specialty care, when needed.

Proof of Immunizations

Submitting Immunization Information

Immunizations (all new undergraduate and graduate students):  In order to keep our community healthy and free from vaccine-preventable diseases, we require that all new students submit evidence of a number of immunizations.  Required vaccines include:

  • Two measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)  vaccine doses or blood titer evidence of immunity
  • One meningitis ACWY vaccine dose within 3 years of arrival at UMD for undergraduate students
  • One tetanus, diptheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine dose within the last 10 years
  • Completion of a tuberculosis risk screening questionnaire and additional testing depending on your responses to the screening questions.

Please direct questions to health@umd.edu.

The Immunization Record Form must be completed and uploaded prior to your arrival to campus. New students may submit your information online beginning June 1.

You can scan and upload the completed form and enter the immunization information by going to myuhc.umd.edu, using your Directory ID and password to log in, and clicking “Forms” on the left-hand side. Use of the UMD Immunization Record form is preferred, but immunization documentation from a medical provider is also acceptable. If you experience difficulty submitting the form through myuhc.umd.edu, you may fax the completed Immunization Record form to the Immunization Clinic at 301.314.5234. 

Mandatory Health Insurance/Hard Waiver

Annual Requirement and Deadline

Providing proof of health insurance is an annual process. You must provide proof each academic year. 

All Domestic Undergraduate students enrolled in six or more credit hours and all International Undergraduate students are required to purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) unless proof of comparable coverage is furnished.

Unless you have already submitted an approved health insurance waiver, SHIP will be billed to your tuition account once you register for classes at orientation. Students admitted in the fall semester must complete the waiver by September 30 to remove this charge from the tuition account.  After September 30, no refunds are possible for this charge. Students admitted in the spring semester must complete the waiver by February 15 to remove this charge from the tuition account.  After February 15, no refunds are possible for this charge

Please visit health.umd.edu/mandatory-insurance if you have questions about the process or contact the University Health Center Insurance & Billing Office at uhc-insurance@umd.edu or 301.314.8165.

Required Online Wellness Trainings for Incoming Undergraduate Students

What is Required and Why?

All incoming undergraduate students must complete two online health education programs prior to arrival on campusThese requirements are designed to keep you and members of our community as healthy and safe as possible.

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (Campus SaVE) Act (2013) requires institutions to provide education and awareness programs to enrolled students, including sexual violence prevention education. The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 requires institutions of higher education across the country to provide alcohol prevention education to all incoming college students, and the “Start Talking Maryland Act” of 2017 requires similar training, but for opioid misuse, to be provided to all college students in Maryland. 

You must complete all sections of both trainings to be in compliance with this requirement. The courses will be accessible around the clock, and you will be able to stop, save your work, and return to the courses to complete them at your own pace. These programs equip you with knowledge and skills that will help you make responsible decisions regarding alcohol, avoid drug misuse and addiction, and recognize and respond to sexual assault and harassment.

We strongly encourage you to talk openly and often with your parents and family about the complex issues addressed in these training sessions. If you have questions about the required training, please contact wellnesstraining@umd.edu. Additional resources are available at studentaffairs.umd.edu/student-life/wellness-training. 

Due Date for Required Online Wellness Trainings

Courses Open: January 8, 2024

Due Date: February 9, 2024

Accessing Wellness Trainings

Click below to learn more about how to access wellness trainings:

Accessing Wellness Trainings

Questions?

Email wellnesstraining@umd.edu - all inquiries should be addressed within 48 business hours.  

This email address will be checked by a member of our team twice daily, Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Be advised that any emails sent in the evening, on weekends, or during University holidays may receive a slower response.

If you have ongoing medical issues, we encourage you to contact us before your arrival, send records to the University Health Center and schedule an appointment with a medical provider to discuss your condition soon after you arrive.  A treatment summary from your primary care doctor is most helpful. This will help to avoid any delays in receiving care on your arrival on campus.

Behavioral Health Information for New and Transfer Students

Behavioral Health Services

Are you new to University of Maryland? 

Are you beginning college or are you transferring?

Do you have a history of mental health treatment or concerns?

Our Behavioral Health staff understands that starting at the University of Maryland can be a stressful transition for many students, whether you are a freshman, transfer student, international student, or graduate student. Transition times are often stressful, requiring new stress management skills. They often lead to new emotional or psychological issues, or lead to a relapse of previously existing mental health conditions. Whatever the case, there is help at the University of Maryland.

The Health Center provides the following Behavioral Health services to students on campus:

  • Psychiatric evaluation and medication management when indicated
  • Crisis intervention
  • Evaluation and short-term individual psychotherapy

Recommendations

Whether you have had past mental health concerns or you are currently dealing with mental health challenges while preparing for a transition, there are things you can do to help this transition be as smooth as possible. Here are some suggestions:

  • Start planning now for the transition before arriving to campus. Discuss strategies with family members and friends or your current mental health provider for what you will do if symptoms of pre-existing conditions begin to recur or intensify.
  •  If appropriate, meet with your psychiatrist or family doctor to review medications you are currently taking. Make sure you have enough medication refills to tie you over during the transition.
  • Consider continuing to meet periodically with your current mental health professional during your first semester on campus rather than starting with someone new at the Mental Health Service, if possible. Continuity can be very helpful during this transition. Of course, if you are from out of town, the Mental Health Service will be happy to evaluate you to see if we can provide treatment for you here.
  • Prescriptions can be transferred from your home pharmacy to the Pharmacy in the University Health Center. It is located on the first floor of the Health Center.
  • It is always important to take medication as prescribed. It is also always important to avoid using alcohol or other drugs.
  • If you are thinking of transferring your care to the Mental Health Service, please bring with you a summary of your treatment by your home care-provider. Also, it is helpful to have enough medication available until you can be seen at the Mental Health Service. Depending on the time of the semester, waiting time for initial intake appointments can vary from one to three weeks.
  • Maintain or develop a strong support system of family, friends, and others. Be involved in daily activities you enjoy.
  • Develop a stress management plan and get adequate sleep. Increased stress and lack of sleep often can contribute to recurrence or flare up of mental health concerns. Check out the Health Center's Health Promotion and Wellness Services for tips on stress management and taking care of yourself.
  • If you are in crisis or are experiencing an emergency, please contact us as soon as possible. Our number is (301) 314-8106; we are on the second floor of the University Health Center. Tell the person answering the phone that you are in crisis or in an emergency situation and need to be seen urgently.

 

We hope that this information is helpful to you as you settle in to campus. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Mental Health Service if you have questions or to explore recommendations tailored to your particular mental health needs. Call (301) 314-8106 to ask about our services or to make an appointment.

Helpful Numbers and Websites

University of Maryland Counseling Center, (301) 314-7651

Disability Support Services, (301) 314-7682

Center for Healthty Families, (301) 405-3659

Psychology Clinic, (301) 405-4808

Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic & Research Lab, (301) 405-5820

Eppley Recreation Center, (301) 226-4500

ULifeline

University of Maryland Help Center, (301) 314-HELP

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or the Maryland Crisis Hotline at 1-800-422-0009.  These resources are both available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

University of Maryland Police Department, (301) 405-3333