History The history of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at The University of Maryland is simply the history of the University itself. The University of Maryland was chartered in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College. Charles Benedict Calvert spent $21,000 to purchase 420 acres in College Park, Maryland, and later that year founded the college. The school opened on October 5, 1859 with a total of 34 students. In 1864, the state legislature designated it as a land grant college under the Morrill Act of 1862, which made federal funds available. By the end of the Civil War, the University, having been hit hard by financial problems and a decline in student enrollment, found itself bankrupt. The state legislature assumed half ownership of the school in 1866, which pulled the college out of bankruptcy, and made the college, in part, a state institution. Enrollment slowly increased at the University, and over the next 26 years Maryland gained a reputation as a strong research institution. The federally funded Agricultural Experiment Station was established under the Hatch Act of 1887, and new state laws granted the college regulatory control over several areas of agriculture and public safety. The school has grown over the years, adding several other academic departments. However, it still remains a land grant university, and continues to have a strong college of agriculture and natural resources. Departments and options Agricultural and Resource Economics Agricultural and Resource Economics Business Management Environmental and Resource Policy Food Production International Agriculture Political Process Animal and Avian Sciences Animal and Avian Sciences Animal Care and Management Equine Studies Laboratory Animal Management Pre-Veterinary medicine Sciences/Pre-Professional Animal Biotechnology Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Plant Science Horticulture and Crop Production Landscape Management Plant Science Turf and Golf Course Management Urban Forestry Landscape Architecture Agricultural Science and Technology Agricultural Science Education Nutrition and Food Science Nutrition and Food Science Dietetics Food Science Nutritional Science Environmental Science and Technology Environmental Science and Technology Ecological Technology and Design Environmental Health Soil and Watershed Science Natural Resource Management Environmental Science and Policy Environmental Science and Policy Environment and Agriculture Environmental Economics Environmental Restoration and Management Soil, Water, and Land Resources Wildlife Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Agriculture A 2-year certificate Management programs in: Golf Course, Turfgrass, Agribusiness (Concentrations in Equine and Sustainable Agriculture), Equine, Landscape, Ornamental Horticulture, Golf Course Construction, Sports Turf Management. Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary