The astrophysics program at UMBC is relatively young, having started only in 1999. However since then, due to the support of the Physics Dept and UMBC Administration, it has growth rapidly.

Currently the program consists of 4 tenured or tenure-track faculty based on campus, and approximately 30 faculty based at NASA's nearby Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Currently UMBC offers both undergraduate and graduate courses in astrophysics, an astronomy minor, and M.S. and PhD degrees in Applied Physics.

UMBC's relatiosnhip with GSFC provides an amazingly-broard range of research opportunities in astophysics-related topics for both undergraduate and graduate students. These include "hands-on" development of balloon & spacecraft instrumentation, data analysis of the data obtained, and theoretical studies.