page_title: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
section_title: Landscape
hierarchical_section_title: University of Maryland, Baltimore County / Campus / Landscape
caption_attribution_description: English: View of The Commons at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The Commons serves as the university's student union, meeting center, and activity center.
context_page_description: The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is a public research university in Baltimore County, Maryland. It has a fall 2019 enrollment of 13,602 students, 61 undergraduate majors, over 92 graduate programs and the first university research park in Maryland.
  Established as a part of the University of Maryland System in 1966, the university became the first public college or university in Maryland to be inclusive of all races. UMBC has the fourth highest enrollment of the University System of Maryland, specializing in natural sciences and engineering, as well as programs in the liberal arts and social sciences. Athletically, the UMBC Retrievers have 17 NCAA Division I teams that participate in the America East Conference.
context_section_description: UMBC's main entrance is approached from Metropolitan Boulevard where there is a UMBC Campus exit that leads to UMBC Boulevard. Soon after the campus exit, UMBC Boulevard intersects Research Park Drive which leads into UMBC's Research & Technology Park. UMBC's campus is also served by Wilkens Avenue, which provides access to the Baltimore Beltway and Rolling Road. Entrances off of Wilkens Avenue include Hilltop Road and Walker Avenue. Hilltop Road leads towards Catonsville's Business District on Frederick Road and Spring Grove Hospital Center. On the other side of the campus, Poplar Avenue gives direct access to Arbutus's Business District on East Drive. The campus core is served by Hilltop Circle, which creates a complete circle encompassing the campus.
  Academic Row is known to be the central pedestrian concourse and maintenance vehicle highway in the campus that borders along a series of buildings. Beginning south at Administration Drive, the pathway is covered by mature trees on either side. Friendly squirrels are a common sight near the University Center where students tend to feed them waffle fries from Chick-fil-A. Academic Row is bordered by the Administration Building, the Retriever Activities Center, Janet and Walter Sondheim Hall, Sherman Hall (Previously named Academic IV), University Center, Math and Psychology Building, Biological Sciences Building, and the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building. At the northern end, the walkway is intersected by Schwartz Breezeway leading to the Commons, the university's student union. Academic Row terminates at the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, where multiple paths radiate across Erickson Field towards the Commons, the Physics and Public Policy Buildings, West Hills, Hillside, and Terrace Apartments, as well as additional dormitories.
  Taking any of the tree-lined staircases to the next level of campus leads to the ITE, Engineering, and Fine Arts buildings, all of which can also be accessed though shortcuts from any of the multitude of buildings on Academic Row. As of 2015, the new Performing Arts and Humanities building has also been servicing students, which is another short walk up from the Engineering building. New lots have also been constructed outside of the Performing Arts and Humanities building in order to accommodate more commuter students and faculty. Fall of 2015 brings with it two new roundabouts that have been made at the intersection of Administration Drive and Research Park Drive and between Research Park Drive and the entrance ramp on to I-95.
  On the southern side of the Commons, a large grassy area known as the Quad is where many student events and activities take place throughout the school year. Another area of student congregation is at UC Plaza in front of the University Center. The University Center houses multiple dining options, the UC Ballroom, as well as additional university event and teaching space.
caption: The Commons serve as the university's student union, meeting center, and activity center. Food venues in The Commons include: Salsarita's, 2Mato, Mondos, Masala, Wild Greens, Pollo, Outtakes Food to Go and Au Bon Pain. The venues on the mezzanine level include Hissho and Mondo Subs.[36] Operational hours vary by semester and location.
exif: {"Image Make": "Apple", "Image Model": "iPhone 5", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "iPhoto 9.5.1", "Image DateTime": "2014:09:03 18:45:52", "Image ExifOffset": "200", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[39, 15, 279/20]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "W", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[76, 42, 4347/100]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "113062/1223", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[22, 45, 52]", "GPS GPSImgDirectionRef": "T", "GPS GPSImgDirection": "13232/495", "GPS GPSDate": "2014:09:03", "Image GPSInfo": "942", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/570", "EXIF FNumber": "12/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2014:09:03 18:45:52", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2014:09:03 18:45:52", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "16673/1821", "EXIF ApertureValue": "4845/1918", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "12559/1471", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "103/25", "EXIF SubjectArea": "[1631, 1223, 1795, 1077]", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "389", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "389", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "466", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "531", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "33", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[103/25, 103/25, 12/5, 12/5]", "EXIF LensMake": "Apple", "EXIF LensModel": "iPhone 5 back camera 4.12mm f/2.4"}