UST 1000: Information For Students

UST 1000: Learning in Community advances what you learned during orientation about the expectations of college life, while connecting you to information and resources as you need them and to the people who will help you along the way. Throughout the course you will learn about and reflect on your strengths, and celebrate the strengths of others in a community. 

By completing UST 1000, you will gain:

• skills to communicate effectively in your classes, with your fellow students, across differences, and during disagreements.
• strategies to perform your best while meeting the demands of your academic coursework.
• information about the multitude of opportunities and resources that exist on campus.
• connections with your classmates that can support you throughout your time at UMD.
• a greater sense of belonging and more confidence to succeed.

UST 1000 is open to all students, but is a requirement for students in the following UMD colleges:

• College of Education and Human Service Professions
• College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• Labovitz School of Business and Economics

Students entering the Biology B.A. program are also required to take the course.

Transfer students entering UMD with 30 or more credits are not required to take the UST 1000 course.

UST 1000 is offered in 5-week, 7-week, and 15-week formats. The content is the same regardless of the format.

There are also several 2-credit versions of UST 1000 in which instructors bring additional expertise that may be of interest to students, such as:

• Health and wellness
• Major and career exploration
• Community engagement

The UST 1000: Learning in Community requirement can also be fulfilled through the following courses (which are not offered every semester):

• EHS 1000 - Into the World (3 Cr.)
• ES 1000 - Global Cultural Perspectives on Environmental Sustainability (3 Cr.)
• PSY 1100 - Living Your Best Life: Applying Positive Psychology (3 Cr.)

Transfer students entering UMD with 30 or more credits are not required to take the UST 1000 course.

Several sections of UST 1000 are available during the spring semester for incoming students. Currently, only 1-credit versions of the course are offered during the spring.

Yes! UST 1000 is available to all incoming undergraduate students regardless of college, department, or major. Transfer students are also encouraged to take the course to help them connect at UMD.

If you have already completed one or more semester at UMD, then we would recommend enrolling in a Student Success Program course instead.

Students who have successfully completed UST 1000 are eligible to become a UST 1000 Peer Leader. Interested students register for a semester-long 1-credit training course (SSP 3005) during the spring semester. In this course, the UST 1000 program coordinator will introduce you to a theoretical understanding of student development in higher education and a practical collection of skills in working with faculty. 

Upon successful completion of the course and after going through the selection process, those chosen to be Peer Leaders are assigned a section of the UST 1000 course for the following fall semester. Peer Leaders work closely with the instructor of the class and register for SSP 3006 during the semester in which they work with UST 1000 students. 

If you are interested in being a UST 1000 Peer Leader, contact Jade Sandbulte ([email protected]).

"I wanted to be a peer leader to encourage students to embrace themselves by staying true to their personalities, seeking out their interests, and developing their strengths." - Kate Murner, UST 1000 Peer Leader