UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Undergraduate and Graduate Online Programs
Adelphi, Maryland

Distance Learning Program

UMUC's online courses provide the same rigor, requirements, assignments, and tests as are available in a classroom environment. However, students are free to participate at times and from locations that are convenient to them. Online courses are highly structured and require students to log in several times a week and to participate actively in asynchronous, full-class, and small-group discussions and assignments.

Delivery Media

UMUC provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs via WebTycho, its proprietary online course delivery system. Students taking online classes via WebTycho require a computer running a Web browser, such as Netscape Communicator (version 7.0 or higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 6.0 or higher), connection to the Internet, and an e-mail account.

Programs of Study

The School of Undergraduate Studies offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree programs, with nineteen majors and twenty-four minors available online. Majors include accounting, business administration, communication studies, computer and information science, computer studies, English, environmental management, finance, fire science, global business and public policy, history, human resource management, humanities, information systems management, legal studies, management studies, marketing, psychology, and social science. In addition, UMUC offers twenty-three undergraduate certificate programs online.

The Graduate School of Management and Technology offers nineteen online master's degree programs, including the Global Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, the Master of International Management, the Master of Software Engineering, the Master of Arts in Teaching, the Master of Education, and the Master of Distance Education. In addition, the Master of Science degree is available in the following areas: accounting and financial management, accounting and information technology, biotechnology studies, computer systems management, e-commerce, environmental management, financial management and information systems, health-care administration, information technology, management, technology management, and telecommunications management. The Graduate School of Management and Technology also offers a Doctor of Management program (available with mandatory residencies at UMUC headquarters in Adelphi, Maryland), several dual-degree programs, and forty certificate programs.

Student Services

UMUC offers a complete range of support services online that allow students to apply for admission, obtain pre-entry advising, register, order books and materials, search for scholarships, apply for financial aid, and obtain ongoing academic advising. Once students have been admitted, they also have access to UMUC's Interactive Student Information System (ISIS), which allows them to check their course schedules and grade reports from past and current semesters, financial aid status, statements of account, and unofficial transcripts and to update their personal information.

UMUC students have access to a wealth of online library resources, including more than 125 Web databases with full-text articles and 24-hour assistance from expert library staff members. In addition, students who live outside of Maryland (but inside the continental United States) are eligible for home delivery of University System of Maryland library books. Through the University's Career Center, students can access online search tools, receive assistance with resume and interview preparation, find a career mentor, and participate in online career development seminars.

Founded in 1947, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is one of eleven degree-granting institutions in the University System of Maryland; its Graduate School of Management and Technology was founded in 1978. UMUC's principal mission is to serve nontraditional students by providing high-quality educational opportunities in Maryland and around the world.

Through its online programs, UMUC offers nineteen bachelor's degree programs, twenty-three undergraduate certificates, nineteen master's degree programs, forty graduate certificates, and a Doctor of Management program.

UMUC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (telephone: 215-662-5606) and is certified by the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.

Credit Options

UMUC offers undergraduate students a number of innovative options for earning credit, all of which are available at a distance. EXCEL Through Experiential Learning enables students to earn up to 30 credits for one semester's work toward a first undergraduate degree (15 credits toward a second degree) for college-level learning gained from previous work or life experiences. Through Cooperative Education (Co-op), undergraduate students can earn academic credit in the workplace for new on-the-job learning.

Graduate students can transfer up to 6 semester hours of graduate credit (3 semester hours for the Master of Business Administration) to UMUC if the credit was earned at a regionally accredited institution and is relevant to the student's area of study, subject to approval by the Graduate School of Management and Technology.

Faculty

Before teaching online, UMUC faculty members must complete a five-week intensive training course and be certified. Of the more than 900 faculty members in the School of Undergraduate Studies, more than 50 percent have taught UMUC courses in distance formats. The undergraduate faculty is composed of full-time and part-time faculty members who work actively in the fields in which they teach. The Graduate School of Management and Technology's 60 full-time faculty members have terminal degrees that are relevant to the online degrees. They teach, are responsible for the design of the online curriculum, and provide leadership for the school's approximately 300 adjunct faculty members. More than 85 percent of those adjunct faculty members hold terminal degrees in their disciplines; all have years of practical experience in their fields.

Admission

Students who are applying for undergraduate admission must have graduated from a regionally accredited high school or have completed the General Educational Development (GED) exams with a total score of at least 2250 and no individual score less than 410. (If they completed the GED exam before January 2002, they must have a total score of at least 225 and no individual test score lower than 40.) To be granted regular admission status, students should also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on all college-level work attempted at other colleges and universities.

Applicants to the Graduate School of Management and Technology must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be accepted as a degree-seeking student. Individual programs may have additional requirements. If the applicant's GPA is below a 3.0, he or she may be admitted on a provisional basis. Details are provided in the Graduate Catalog and the UMUC Web site. Test scores such as SAT, GMAT, or GRE are not required for UMUC bachelor's or master's programs.

Tuition and Fees

Undergraduate tuition per semester hour is $230 for Maryland residents and $423 for nonresidents. The tuition for most graduate degree and certificate programs is $353 per semester hour for Maryland residents and $575 per semester hour for nonresidents. The tuition for the Master of Business Administration program is $605 per semester hour, regardless of residency. Executive program tuition varies by program and includes all fees, textbooks, and other materials. The tuition for the Doctor of Management program is $862 per semester hour. Books, certain course materials, and some fees are additional. Active-duty military personnel and their spouses are eligible for the in-state tuition for undergraduate and graduate courses. The undergraduate application fee is $30. The graduate application fee is $50. The Doctor of Management application fee is $100. For both undergraduate and graduate students, schedule adjustments (including withdrawals) are $15, and the late registration fee is $30. Tuition and fees are subject to change. Students are advised to consult the UMUC Web site for the most up-to-date information.

Financial Aid

UMUC offers a variety of financial aid programs to suit the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students. Students are eligible to apply for low-interest loans, state scholarship program funds, the Federal Work-Study Program, and UMUC grants and scholarships. Federal Direct Loans are available to students regardless of income. While UMUC handles most of the processes involved in delivering federal, state, and institutional funds, students are responsible for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the UMUC Student Data Form and for adhering to deadlines. For more information and deadlines, students may contact UMUC by phone or e-mail (listed below) or visit the Web site at http://www.umuc.edu/financialaid.

CONTACT

University of Maryland University College
3501 University Boulevard East
Adelphi, Maryland 20783
Phone: 301-985-7000
800-888-UMUC (toll-free)
E-mail: umucinfo@umuc.edu
Web site: http://www.umuc.edu

Applying

Students interested in applying to any of UMUC's online programs can find information from the points of contact or at the school's Web address. UMUC accepts and processes applications throughout the year.