University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Founded in 1886, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), the State’s Historically Black 1890 Land Grant Institution, offers naturally accredited programs in fields such as aviation science, agriculture, engineering, hospitality management, and allied health. UMES offers 38 disciplines in addition to 16 distinctive graduate programs.
UMES is located in Princess Anne, Somerset County, and brought nearly 4,000 students to the area in 2016. The University has the only Agricultural Education and Technology Education Programs in Maryland and its Aviation Sciences program is the only 4-year, bachelor’s degree program in aviation offered in the University of Maryland system and is among the least expensive 4-year institutions in the state.
HBCU Fact Sheet University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Regional Programs & Courses
Click here for a comprehensive list of all programs and courses offered
Students can earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and General Agriculture, with concentrations in plant and soil science, animal and poultry science, and agricultural studies. The department partners with Mountaire Farms to offer hands-on internship opportunities that connect students to leaders in the agribusiness, poultry, and animal science industries.
Economic Engine – Agriculture
The Engineering and Aviation Sciences department has established strong partnerships with the Aeronautics industry on the Lower Eastern Shore. More than 10 students have served as interns with Piedmont Airlines and at least 5 Aviation Management students have been hired to full-time positions in the last 3 years. Multiple UMES pilots are or have been employed by Piedmont.
Additionally, there are about one dozen engineering graduates from UMES working at Wallops Flight Facility, including NASA and other contractors.
The Hospitality and Tourism Management students have the opportunity to learn and study in a state-of-the-art mini-convention center located on campus then are connected with industry leaders like Real Hospitality Group, Higgins Crab House, and Blue Water Hospitality in Worcester County with the goal of building up a knowledgeable and qualified workforce for the future.
Economic Engine – Tourism and Conventions
The new School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Complex
A new School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is currently seeking accreditation through the American Veterinary Medicine Association-Council on Education, and it would be the first of its kind in Maryland and among the nation’s public historically Black colleges and universities. The school, slated to accept students in fall 2026, dependent on the accreditation process, adds another program to an institution that already offers the most health professions programs among HBCUs in the country.
The goal of the new UMES veterinary science program is to meet the increasing need for veterinarians regionally and nationally, while increasing diversity in the profession. The addition of the veterinary school aligns with UMES’s position as one of nineteen 1890 land-grant institutions in the nation.
Learn more about the proposed School of Veterinary Medicine at UMES HERE.
