University of Maryland , Baltimore County The University of Maryland , Baltimore County ( often referred to as UMBC ) is an American public research university , located in Baltimore County , Maryland , United States , mostly in the community of Catonsville . Established as a part of the University System of Maryland in 1966 , the university specializes in the natural sciences and engineering , while also offering programs in the liberal arts . Academics . UMBC offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a variety of areas of study . There are 54 majors , 42 minors and 20 certificate offerings in its undergraduate program . UMBC ' s Graduate School offers 33 master ' s degree programs , 23 doctoral degree programs and 20 graduate certificate programs . The university is divided into three colleges , two schools , as well as its graduate school . Campus . Location . UMBC ' s campus is located on 500 acres . It is 15 minutes from Baltimore ' s Inner Harbor and 45 minutes from Washington , D . C . Baltimore Washington International Airport is five minutes away , as are AMTRAK and light rail stations . UMBC , three miles outside the Baltimore city limits , successfully lobbied the government to use ' Baltimore ' as its address . While its suburban campus has minimal interaction with its surroundings , students variously consider it to be located in the towns of Catonsville ( by CDP ) or Arbutus ( whose street grid it borders ) . The campus is undercut by a series of tunnels . Research and Technology Park . UMBC Research and Technology Park is a 71 acre development on the campus hosting technology , bioscience and research organizations , many of which are engaged in partnership with the University . Research Park tenants include the US Geological Survey , US Forestry Service , CardioMed Device Consultants , Audacious Inquiry , Med - IQ , Physician Practice , Inc . , Retirement Living TV , Ascentium Corporation , Solvern Innovations , RMF Engineering , Inc . , Convergent Technology , Clear Resolution Consulting , Fearless Solutions , and Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center . Campus police . UMBC maintains a 24 - hour police staff of sworn officers , supplemented by non - sworn security officers and student marshals . Unlike the campus police of the University of Maryland , College Park and the University of Maryland , Baltimore , the campus police are not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies . Accreditation is expected by the University System of Maryland mandated 2013 deadline . The UMBC police logs all crime reports and statistics as required by law on the UMBC Police Webpage . Student life . The Resident Student Association and Student Events Board provide social programming during all academic semesters at UMBC . Over 200 student - run organizations exist on campus . There are many squirrels on campus who are not afraid of people . LLC ( Language Literacy & Culture ) . This unique interdisciplinary doctoral program draws upon faculty from disciplines in the humanities and social sciences from eight departments and programs at UMBC : Africana Studies ; American Studies ; Education ; English ; History ; Gender and Women ' s Studies ; Modern Languages , Linguistics and Intercultural Communication ; and Sociology and Anthropology . Greek Life . UMBC has 23 officially registered sororities and fraternities with nearly 5 % of UMBC ' s undergraduate students belonging to one of them . Residential life . There are ten housing areas housing approximately 3 , 900 students , which are : Potomac Hall , Chesapeake Hall , Erickson Hall , Harbor Hall , Patapsco Hall , Susquehanna Hall , Hillside Apartments , Terrace Apartments , Walker Avenue Apartments , West Hill Apartments . Chess . UMBC has won the Pan American Chess Tournament 9 times in 13 years ( 1996 – 2009 ) . The school provides substantial chess scholarships to outstanding high school graduate players at the International or Grandmaster level . Former UMBC team captain GM Alexander Onischuk has gone on to become US Champion in 2006 . Professor of Computer Science Alan Sherman has been instrumental in building up the UMBC chess dynasty by recruiting players from around the world . Athletics . The school ' s sports teams are called the Retrievers , with colors black and gold . The mascot of the University is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever , the state dog of Maryland , named True Grit . There is a statue of True Grit that stands in front of the Retriever Activities Center ( RAC ) . The Retrievers participate in NCAA Division 1 as a part of the America East Conference , fielding 17 varsity sports ; eight men and nine women . The Retrievers fight song is the UMBC Riser , and was written by Dr . George LaNoue , a professor of policy sciences . In 2009 , the men ' s lacrosse team secured their fifth consecutive outright or shared America East regular season championship and their third America East tournament championship in four years . UMBC has secured a berth in the NCAA tournament each of the past four seasons . In 2007 , the unseeded Retrievers upset seventh - seeded Maryland , 13 – 9 , in the NCAA tournament to advance to the Division I second round for the first , and so far only , time in school history . The Retrievers won their first regular season American East Men ' s Basketball title in 2007 - 08 , and also qualified for their first NCAA Division I Men ' s Basketball Tournament . They had previously competed in the Division II men ' s basketball tournament . The Retrievers Men ' s Soccer Team won the America East Conference in 2010 receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men ' s soccer tournament . The Retrievers won their first round game against Princeton but lost in the second round in a shootout to a ranked William and Mary team . This is the best UMBC has ever done at the tournament . Star striker , Levi Houapeu , from that 2010 team was drafted as a 5th pick in the 3rd round of the 2011 MLS Superdraft by the Philadelphia Union . He is the first UMBC player to be drafted into the MLS . The men also won the conference again in 2012 , and advanced to the NCAA tournament once again . They won their first round game against Old Dominion , but lost in penalty kicks in the second round to defending champion , UNC Chapel Hill . The Retrievers , Men ' s Swimming and Diving Program captured their 13th straight conference championship in the 2009 - 2010 Season . Since Joining the America East Conference in 2004 , the Retriever Men have not lost their crown . Retrievers Basketball games are broadcast by Paul Mittermeier and Gary Stein as well as Troy Greene and Dan Levin . In 2010 , a contest was launched to find a new logo for Athletics . In May 2010 , the UMBC Athletic Department unveiled a new logo for the Retrievers created by Jim Lord . Financial aid and scholarships . The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at UMBC is a program focused on the cultivation of underrepresented minority scholarship and awareness in the math , science , and engineering disciplines . Other scholarship programs include the CWIT Scholars Program , the Humanities Scholars Program , the Linehan Artist Scholars Program , the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program and the Sherman Teacher Education Scholars Program . Rankings . < table class = " infobox " style = " width : 23em ; font - size : 75 % ; text - align : left ; " > The University is ranked 160th in the latest 2013 U . S . News and World Report rankings of " National Universities " across the United States , and it is ranked 87th nationally among public universities . UMBC ranks fourth among U . S . research universities in the production of IT degrees and certificates , according to U . S . Department of Education data . The data shows UMBC ranking # 21 in MS , and # 31 in PhD IT degree production . In 2012 , U . S . News and World Report rated UMBC as the 12th most under - performing university , citing a gap between academic reputation and performance in the academic indicators . The Carnegie Foundation classifies UMBC as a research university with high research activity . UMBC is one of 50 public institutions in the United States recognized by The Princeton Review as a “ Best Value College ” offering a combination of educational excellence and affordability . The honor is the third major national distinction UMBC has received from leading higher - education rankings publications this academic year . For the second year in a row , UMBC was named America ’ s # 1 “ Up - and - Coming ” national university by U . S . News and World Report . The Princeton Review recognizes UMBC , a research university with nearly 13 , 000 students , for attracting serious students and supporting them with undergraduate research opportunities throughout the Baltimore - Washington region and beyond . The campus location near BWI - Marshall Airport gives students access to internships with government agencies , nonprofits and leading private - sector companies . Approximately 77 percent of students at UMBC receive some financial aid in the form of scholarships , loans and grants . UMBC has earned an honorable mention on The Princeton Review ’ s recently released list : “ Top Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2012 . ” The recognition places UMBC among schools like Georgia Institute of Technology , UC Santa Cruz , and Northeastern University . Released annually , the list features 50 schools from around the country , including their “ top ten ” undergraduate and graduate schools in this category . The rankings were based on a survey administered by The Princeton Review during the 2011 - 2012 academic year that consulted administrators at 150 schools and universities . The winning schools were judged on the quality of their curriculum , faculty , facilities , and infrastructure , as well as their scholarship , financial aid , and career opportunities . Both UMBC ’ s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department and its Visual Arts Department offer programs for students interested in pursuing a career in video game development . Artists can concentrate on “ Animation and Interactive Media , ” while computer programmers can pursue the “ Game Development ” track within the Computer Science major . In addition , UMBC has a Game Development club , and has been a host site of the International Development Association ’ s Global Game Jam for the past four years .