Transfer to Notre Dame
We make it easy to transfer credits and complete your degree on time. For a smooth transition and a respected degree, consider Notre Dame. Women's College scholarship deadline for fall admission: March 15.
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Attention Women’s College Alumnae
In recognition of our transition to University, and to celebrate the special place Notre Dame holds in the hearts of its graduates, all Women’s College alumnae are invited to show their love by participating in the Love the New 'U’ Decade Challenge.
Blue and White Ball
Celebrating 15 years of transformational leadership and academic innovation
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel
7 p.m. to midnight
Black tie
First Thursdays Open House - March 1
Come to one of our First Thursday events to learn about our graduate and undergraduate programs for men and women. We offer flexible and convenient scheduling that makes it easier to earn or finish your degree. Choose from semester-long, weekend and accelerated courses, and certificate programs in education, nursing, business and more.
Learn more and reserve your space at the next First Thursday event here. ›
We are a great value!
For the third year running, Notre Dame of Maryland University is named to “Great Schools, Great Prices,” U.S.News & World Report’s annual ranking of schools offering high quality academic programs for significant value, coming in at the No. 10 spot. The University also ranked No. 32 among Best Regional Universities-North.
About the University
Founded more than 100 years ago on the progressive vision that education can transform the world, Notre Dame prepares compassionate leaders who change lives.
Undergraduate Women's College
Graduate Studies
Undergraduate Adult Studies
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First Thursdays
First Thursdays offer prospective students seeking flexible undergraduate or graduate programs the opportunity to meet faculty and network with future classmates. The evening features a wine and cheese reception, followed by breakout sessions tailored to each college and program of interest.
Feb
23
US Secret Service Information Session
11:00am - 1:30pm
Feb
24
Godspell
8:00pm
Feb
25
Annual AIMS Job Fair
8:30am - 1:00pm
Feb
25
WinterFest
7:00pm - 9:00pm
About Our History and Traditions
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1873
Notre Dame of Maryland Collegiate Institute opens on Charles Street Avenue.
1873
Notre Dame of Maryland Collegiate Institute opens on Charles Street Avenue.
On the Saturday evening before the first building opened on Notre Dame of Maryland’s Charles Street campus in 1873, the sisters lit every light in the five-story structure and tower, turning on all gas jets in order to test the fixtures. A published history of the College notes: “the illumination made a spectacle which drew admiring neighbors from far and near.”
1876
President Grant attends commencement.
1876
President Grant attends commencement.
President and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant attended graduation ceremonies in Commencement Hall, which was located on the fourth floor of Gibbons Hall. Their niece, Bessie Sharp was a student at the Collegiate Institute. President Grant conferred the awards.
1895
College of Notre Dame of Maryland is established.
1895
College of Notre Dame of Maryland is established.
The SSNDs established College of Notre Dame of Maryland in 1895 as the first Catholic college for women in the United States to award the four-year baccalaureate degree. A press clipping from the time predicted the new college would “meet the ever increasing demand to give women the opportunity for intellectual training as thorough and comprehensive as is afforded to men in the best colleges of the country.”
1899
Notre Dame awards first baccalaureate degrees.
1899
Notre Dame awards first baccalaureate degrees.
The Class of 1899 included Helen Burr, Catherine Coll, Ellen Coll, Mary Theresa Curran, Dorothea Kilkoff and Louise Power. Charles Joseph Bonaparte, great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, spoke at the first commencement ceremony. He remarked: "Today and here for the first time in America, a Catholic college for the education of young ladies bestows the bachelor's degree."
1910
Cardinal Gibbons dedicates College Hall (now Meletia Hall).
1910
Cardinal Gibbons dedicates College Hall (now Meletia Hall).
Originally called "College Hall," Mary Meletia Hall was built in 1910 to accommodate Notre Dame's growing enrollment.
1927
Sing-Song becomes an annual tradition.
1927
Sing-Song becomes an annual tradition.
Sing-Song began as an informal competition among the four undergraduate classes as to which could produce the best lyrics for popular tunes and sing them the most entertainingly. It remained a beloved tradition for the next 60 years!
1963
Author Flannery O'Connor visits campus.
1963
Author Flannery O'Connor visits campus.
O’Connor was not only the most important female Catholic writer of the 20th century, but was also a treasured correspondent of poet and College of Notre Dame English professor Maura Eichner, SSND ’41, through late 1963 and early 1964. O’Connor’s letters to Sister Maura offer insight on her abiding Catholic faith, as reflected in her body of work.
1970
Quest '70 commits to remaining a women's college.
1970
Quest '70 commits to remaining a women's college.
When many single sex colleges and universities in the country moved to co-education, Notre Dame organized Quest ’70, a landmark event that brought students, alumnae, faculty and trustees together in dialogue about single sex education and to determine the school’s future course. After thoughtful and often lively debate, participants reached an overwhelming consensus: Notre Dame would remain first and foremost a women’s college, as envisioned by the SSNDs nearly three-quarters of a century earlier.
1973
Loyola/Notre Dame Library opens.
1973
Loyola/Notre Dame Library opens.
The Loyola/Notre Dame library is the first in the country to be jointly owned by two independent colleges.
1975
Mother Theresa of Calcutta visits the Notre Dame campus.
1975
Mother Theresa of Calcutta visits the Notre Dame campus.
Addressing the students, Mother Theresa stressed the gifts that women can bring to service to the poor. She was one of many internationally known women who helped Notre Dame celebrate the International Women's Year with an historic lecture series.
1983
Students choose the 'Gator as the official mascot of Notre Dame athletics.
1983
Students choose the 'Gator as the official mascot of Notre Dame athletics.
1984
Graduate Studies launches master's in management.
1984
Graduate Studies launches master's in management.
Notre Dame begins master’s in management program, its first graduate-level offering.
1995
Pope John Paul II comes to Baltimore.
1995
Pope John Paul II comes to Baltimore.
As Notre Dame celebrated its centennial, His Holiness Pope John Paul II visited the nearby Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. He observed: "Catholic schools, historically and as a matter of duty, have made a substantial contribution to society by giving special attention to economically disadvantaged segments of society. I hope that you will continue to look for ways of ensuring the continuation of this essential service, despite the financial burdens it entails. Catholic education serves the future of all Americans, by teaching and communicating the very virtues on which American democracy rests."
1997
Trustees name first permanent lay president.
1997
Trustees name first permanent lay president.
Mary Pat Seurkamp, Ph.D. becomes Notre Dame's eleventh president and the first layperson permanently appointed to the role. Dr. Seurkamp's inauguration festivities drew more than 1,000 students, alumnae and friends to the campus.
2009
School of Pharmacy welcomes first class of students.
2009
School of Pharmacy welcomes first class of students.
Notre Dame opens its first professional school, the School of Pharmacy, offering the Pharm.D. Nearly 500 students apply for the 70 seats in the inaugural class. It is the first pharmacy school located on the campus of a women’s college in the United States and the second in Maryland (after University of Maryland).
2011
College becomes Notre Dame of Maryland University.
2011
College becomes Notre Dame of Maryland University.
On September 9, 2011, the 116th anniversary of the first day of classes at the College, Notre Dame of Maryland University is dedicated.