== Introduction ==
The University of Maryland was founded in 1856 as a land grant institution and the state’s flagship public research university. The University of Maryland, College Park is the largest institution in the University System of Maryland. As of Fall 2013, the University’s undergraduate enrollment was 26,487 and its graduate enrollment totaled 10,500 students. The university offers over 100 undergraduate majors and 120 graduate degrees. The University has strong ties to its region in the greater Washington Metropolitan area, including strong research partnerships with the federal government.