Graduating Seniors: Apply to be the BSOS Commencement Speaker

 Every graduating class has a story to tell. Each year, one student is chosen for each BSOS commencement ceremony to represent their class as a Commencement Student Speaker. This student reflects on their college journey, celebrates shared achievements, and sends their classmates forward with a message of encouragement and hope. Could that be you?

We're looking for a student to deliver a 4 minute speech at each of our commencement ceremonies. Therefore, we are looking for two enthusiastic student speakers who have a unique story and a message to share with their graduating class. 

Apply by Friday, March 20, 2026.

New Business Impact Student Opportunity – Finance Focus

 Join CSVC and the Smith Investment Fund for the inaugural Business Impact Challenge Series!

The CSVC Equity Research & Valuation Challenge is a brand new 14-day, student-run competition designed to simulate a real equity research assignment. Undergraduate teams act as analyst groups evaluating a publicly traded company, building a defensible valuation, and ultimately presenting a Buy/Hold/Sell recommendation to a panel of professionals.

Undergraduate students of all majors and years are encouraged to participate. Apply by Wednesday, March 11th at go.umd.edu/BICS-2026. Final Presentations will take place on Friday, April 10th from 10:00AM - 1:00PM. 

Interdisciplinary AI Summer Undergrad Research Opportunity

The Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 TRAILS Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (TRAILS-SURF)!

TRAILS-SURF is a 10-week program running June 1 through August 7, 2026, that brings together an interdisciplinary team of undergraduates to conduct hands-on research on trustworthy artificial intelligence at the University of Maryland in College Park. Fellows receive an $8,000 stipend and have the opportunity to work alongside internationally recognized UMD faculty and graduate student mentors.

This program is open to undergraduates from all majors — not just computer science. If you work with a student who has curiosity and relevant experience in any dimension of trustworthy AI, including law, public policy, social science, design, or data, we hope you'll encourage them to apply.

Applications are due March 27, 2026 (was March 13, 2026)

Apply here: https://go.umd.edu/trails-surf-26

Neil Moskowitz Economic Lecture - March 5th

 

We are pleased to be hosting the sixth Neil Moskowitz Economics Lecture. This lecture series brings high profile academic and policy-making economists to campus to talk about what economic research can tell us about the contemporary challenges facing countries and societies across the globe.  The lecture series is named in honor of Neil Moskowitz, a UMD Economics alumnus who continues to support our department and college in many important ways.  All faculty, staff, students and alumni are welcome.

Parag Pathak, Professor (MIT Economics).

"Who Gets What in Education: Can School Matching Improve Student Achievement?"
We examine two approaches to improving urban school systems: changing who gets to go to existing schools (reallocation) and restructuring school portfolios through closures and reconstitution (resource augmentation). Using data from New York City high schools, we estimate models of school effects allowing for both vertical school quality differences and horizontal student-specific match effects. While sophisticated reallocation policies that optimize student-school matches can generate modest educational gains, they are constrained by limited seats at highly effective schools. Simple resource-augmentation policies targeting replacement of low-performing schools achieve comparable improvements with less systemic disruption. Analysis of NYC's school closures reveals that basic graduation rate metrics effectively identify struggling schools, suggesting complex value-added models may be unnecessary for targeting closure decisions. Our findings indicate that capacity constraints, rather than poor school matching, primarily drive educational inequality.

3:30-5pm on Thursday, March 5 in Francis Scott Key Hall 0106

UMD Spring Career & Internship Fair

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 - Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 11:00 am - 4:00 pm | The Hotel at UMD | Register and review employers attending 

All UMD College Park undergraduate & graduate students are welcome to attend the 2026 Spring Career & Internship Fair, an annual event showcasing local, regional, and national employers all seeking to hire our Top Terp Talent! This is the largest recruiting and networking event of the semester. QUESTIONS? Contact the University Career Center at ucc-studenthelp@umd.edu. Hosted by the University Career Center.  Prepare to attend with the Feller Center. 

Feb. 24 - STEM Focus
Feb. 25 - All Industries & STEM Focus 
Feb. 26 - All Industries

BSOS Students, Quick List Meet Employers from all industries (download)

• ECON Majors

Smith Business Minors: Deadline Extended Until February 23rd. Apply Today!

 

Deadline Extended!  

Smith Business Minor applications are now open until February23@11:59PM.

For more information and to apply: go.umd.edu/businessminors

2026-2027 Office of Sustainability Internships

The Office of Sustainability is excited to announce that applications for our 2026-2027 student internship cohort are now open! These are one-year, paid positions for students enrolled in the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters. The positions and their descriptions can be found on the Office of Sustainability website.

Applications are due by Friday, February 27th, 2026 at 11:59 pm.

Annual BSOS Student Faculty Social

The Student Faculty Social will serve as a great opportunity for students and faculty of all majors/departments to network, discuss their academic and research interests, and to overall strengthen the community of BSOS.

The event will be held at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Atrium on Tuesday, March 3rd from 6-8 pm. Drinks and food will be provided, and speakers from the BSOS College will be present. There is no charge to attend.

To RSVP, please fill out the following form by February 20th (One week prior to the event) at 11:59 PM: BSOS Dean's Student Advisory Council Student Faculty Social RSVP Link.

 

Study Abroad Summer 2026: UMD-Mexico International Economic Policy in Action (ECON358C)

Immerse yourself in Mexico City’s dynamic culture and policy environment and gain a global understanding of how international economic policy works in practice in this 3 credit course. Students will participate in expert talks at major policy institutions like the central bank, the finance ministry, private financial institutions, and universities in Mexico City to learn first-hand about trade and macroeconomic policy and their effects on institutions and entrepreneurship. In this program, you will also participate in a variety of cultural activities and visits to archeological sites, such as the pyramids at Teotihuacan and a Mexican cooking class. The course will include a series of mandatory pre-departure short modules (online) and 2-3 pre-trip orientation sessions (in person and online).

Eligibility

• UMD and non-UMD freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply.
  
• You must be in good academic and judicial standing and you must not have any registration blocks to participate in this program. 
• The minimum GPA for this program is 2.5
• Students are expected to have completed ECON200 and ECON201 with a minimum grade of C- achieved to participate in this program.

Learn more at our Information Session. Wednesday, Feb 11th @ 5pm in TYD 2102!

UMD Fellows Program (Maryland, Federal and Global Fellows) – Submit Admissions forms now!

Call for applications for the University of Maryland Fellows Program (Maryland, Federal, or Global Fellows)! Open to all majors!

Apply Now! Apply by Sunday, March 1, 2026 for first wave consideration! 

Are you interested in gaining professional experience in federal, state, or local government; non-profits; international organizations; embassies; think tanks and more? Apply for the UMD Fellows program (formerly Federal and Global Fellows), a one-year program that combines a fall seminar and a spring internship. We offer a unique opportunity to integrate your academic learning with real world experience and professional development. Join a passionate, multi-disciplinary, and engaged student cohort and become a life-long member of a thriving network of over 2000 alums! 

Program Perks Include:

A Fall Seminar Course, taught by expert practitioners, meets once a week, mostly scheduled in the evenings. (Each seminar is cross-listed with Honors). 

• Civic Leadership and Human Service

• Economic Diplomacy

• US Intelligence and Policy Making

• Global Health Challenges and Water Security

• Energy and Environmental Policy

• Science Diplomacy

• Public Health Policy 

• Homeland Security and National Security Policy

• US Diplomacy

• Critical Regions and International Relations 

• Political Engagement and Advocacy

• Crisis Leadership and Emergency Management 

• *Maryland General Assembly Writing Internship* ENGL381/HONR368A (apply via English Department)

Connecting you to Internships through our rich network and partnerships with prestigious sites such as foreign embassies, congressional offices, the Maryland General Assembly, federal agencies, Maryland state agencies,nonprofits and many more!