University of Maryland University College Degree Programs Available
UMUC appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Computer Science Online.
Given the 2018 EC-Council Circle of Excellence Award, the University of Maryland University College delivers lower-division courses at 53 locations or online via LEO for 10 associate and five technical certificates. For example, the AA in Mathematics has a 60-credit, “Military Friendly” digital curriculum that introduces quantitative functions after the General Education core. Chaired by Dr. Harriet Smith, the 60-credit AA in Management Studies belongs to the IACBE-accredited Business Division and offers CareerQuest services for connections like Booz Allen Hamilton. Since Spring 1990, the AA in Psychology has accepted up to 45 transfer credits from military members, spouses, and children dedicated to learning our behavioral quirks. Reporting a mid-career median salary of $70,300 on PayScale, the Computer Networking Certificate is an 18-credit, hands-on CompTIA certification track for configuring IT systems. Additional UMUC options include the AA in Women’s Studies, AA in Foreign Language Studies, AA in Accounting, Human Resource Management Certificate, and Spanish for Business Professions Certificate.
Deemed America’s #3 best college for adults on Forbes, UMUC maintains an 18:1 student-professor ratio with 68,996 undergrads in 29 high-demand bachelor’s majors for 84 percent job placement. For instance, the Healthcare & Science Division builds inquiry oversight skills with a 120-credit BS in Laboratory Management that requires one semester-long Adelphi research project. Chaired by Dr. Christopher Lew, the unique 120-credit BA in East Asian Studies examines this ethnocultural region of over 1.6 billion people with study abroad trips from Tokyo to Taipei. For $294 per credit, the BS in Gerontology and Aging Services helps fulfill fast-paced 17 percent job growth with 15-week InternPlus placements like ManorCare, Hillhaven Assisted Living, or Althea Woodland Nursing Home. Ideal for IAI certification, the BS in Investigative Forensics transfers up to 90 credits, such as Fingerprint Analysis, and utilizes a Virtual Crime Lab. Other University College opportunities include the BA in Graphic Communication, BS in Environmental Management, BS in Marketing, BA in Humanities, BS in Legal Studies, and BA in Digital Media.
Enrolling 17,475 UMC post-grads with minimum 2.5 GPAs, the Graduate School is a 2016 Distance Education Innovation Award finalist ranked #4 by Great Value Colleges for granting 18 master’s and two doctoral majors online. For example, the 36-credit MS in Cybersecurity Technology produces CISSP-certified ethical hackers with practice at the White Hat Academy and Symantec competitions. Headed by Dr. Virginia Pilato, the Master of Arts in Teaching plots a 30-credit, NCATE-accredited online path to initial Grades 7-12 licensure with 18 weeks of secondary school experience. For PMI certifications, the MS in Management has a 36-credit Project Management Specialization building toward the MGMT 670 capstone with courses like Procurement and Risk Analysis. Maryland cohorts of 15-20 complete the 48-credit DM in Community College Policy and Administration in 36 months with two-day semester residencies and dissertation research.
More University College choices include the MS in Health Informatics, MS in Data Analytics, MBA in Finance, MS in Biotechnology, MS in Learning Design, and DBA in Organizational Leadership.
About UMUC
The University of Maryland University College has a long history of offering classes for professional students. Founded by the University of Maryland as an extension center in the 1920s, it used the name of the College of Special and Continuation Studies. This school offered programs that allowed adult students to go back to college and earn degrees. The school split off on its own and became the University of Maryland University College. It is now part of the University of Maryland System. The university’s name comes from the fact that it is a university that has its own college system. Though some people use its full name, many call it simply UMUC.
Since its early days, UMUC offered distance education programs. Its early programs provided students with workbooks and assignments that they completed at home and then mailed back to the campus to receive credit. The distance education programs now available are all online. Students can earn a certificate in one of 48 subjects or finish a bachelor’s degree in one of 32 fields through the online system. UMUC also has regional campuses in parts of Maryland and nearby states as well as campuses in overseas locations. Its foreign campuses provide opportunities for military students. Enrollment across all levels and all UMUC campuses now includes more than 85,000 students.
University of Maryland University College Accreditation Details
As UMUC is such a large university system, some people think that it doesn’t offer the right type of accreditation. The university actually has regional accreditation, which is a more specialized type of accreditation than national accreditation. This is one of the requirements that the United States Department of Education has for students who want to get financial aid. Regional accreditation of this type also allows students to bring credits to UMUC that they earned somewhere else. The university will accept 90 credits towards any of its undergrad programs. Some of the UMUC degree programs have specialty accreditation also.
University of Maryland University College Application Requirements
One of the advantages to applying to UMUC is that the university accepts all students who apply and meet its basic requirements. The university accepts both home schooled students and those with a GED rather than a high school diploma. Those students will need to provide proof of the home programs they completed or the scores they received on the GED test.
There is an online application that all prospective students can use. They will need to list any schools they have attended and the classes taken from those schools. The application also asks for contact information that allows the university to get in touch with students. Veterans will list on the application when they retired or left the military, while those on active duty will need to list their enlistment dates. UMUC offers a separate application for students who want to take classes on one of its foreign campuses or military bases.
In addition to this application, the university requires that students pay a $50 fee when they finish the form. It charges the same application fee for all its undergrad and graduate programs. The only other thing UMUC asks for is a transcript. High school students need to provide a transcript that shows class ranking, cumulative grade point average and most recent classes taken. Transfer students and high school graduates bringing college credits with them must submit transcripts from those schools. The university allows students to enroll in classes as soon as it receives their applications and transcripts.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Though many UMUC students enroll in its online programs, the university charges the same rates for all students. Students qualify for an in-state tuition rate if they can show proof that they lived in Maryland for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling. The university has an in-state tuition rate of $285 per credit hour, but this rate increases to $499 per credit hour for students who live outside of Maryland or outside of the country. Students enrolled in a hybrid program that allows them to take classes both online and on one of its campuses pay $418 per credit hour. Military students, their children, and their spouses qualify for a discounted rate that reduces their tuition to $250 per credit hour.
As UMUC has regional accreditation, students can use the FAFSA when applying for financial aid. The majority of students attending the university receive financial aid in some form. Their packages can include grants and loans, but students can also apply for alternative loans or for parental loans. UMUC provides thousands of its students will millions of dollars in scholarships every year too. Some of these scholarships act as discounts that reduce the cost of the classes they take. Scholarships award students at least $500 each year. Those who qualify for the Maryland Competition Scholarship can earn a full bachelor’s degree for less than $12,000 in total.
