The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC, formerly University of Maryland University College) is a public university in Adelphi, Maryland. It is the largest institution in the University System of Maryland^[5] Established in 1947 with origins in the College of Special and Continuation Studies of the University of Maryland, College Park for mid-career working professionals and non-traditional students, UMGC offers online, hybrid and face-to-face instruction at education centers across the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, throughout Maryland, and across the world.

A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (July 2023)

Quick Facts Former name, Type ...

University of Maryland
Global Campus

Former name	University of Maryland University College (1947–2019)
Type	Public university
Established	1947; 77 years ago (1947)
Academic affiliation	CUWMA
President	Gregory Fowler[1]
Chief Academic Officer	Blakely Pomietto
Academic staff	3,800
Undergraduates	47,253[2]
Postgraduates	13,350[2]
Location	Adelphi , Maryland , United States 38°59′8.93″N 76°57′24.12″W
Campus	175+ locations[3]
Colors	Yellow, Black and Red[4]
Website	www.umgc.edu

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UMGC is open to all applicants for undergraduate programs,^[6] and is among the top 10 recipients of the federal G.I. Bill benefits.^[7] The university offers 125 academic programs in online, hybrid and face-to-face classes, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as undergraduate and graduate certificates.^[5] UMGC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.^[8]

UMGC is an outgrowth of the evening program for adults at the University of Maryland, which began in the 1920s. In 1947, the College of Special and Continuation Studies (CSCS) was established.^[9] In 1959, The CSCS became the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). In 1970, UMUC became an independent institution, and was a founding member of the University System of Maryland in 1988.^[9]

UMUC formerly had an international campus in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, (near Stuttgart), until 2002. It also ran a two-year residential campus in Munich, Germany, from 1950 to 1992, which then moved to Augsburg, Germany, from 1993 to 1994, and then to Mannheim, Germany, in 1995 until it finally closed in 2005.^[10] The residential campus offered a two-year associate degree and mainly served high school graduate children of U.S. military and government personnel stationed in Europe.^{[citation needed]}

In 2023 UMGC has more than 175 classroom and service locations on military installations and other education centers throughout the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, as well as in Asia.^[9] In 2004, UMUC shared the ICDE Prize of Excellence from the International Council for Open and Distance Education.^[11][12]

UMGC is one of the largest online public universities in the United States.^[18][19] Courses are delivered in online, hybrid and face-to-face formats. Even before the advent of online education by way of the World Wide Web, UMGC was a distance education pioneer and offered distance learning using its WebTycho interface by way of dial-up access. UMGC later adopted the use of the Web for connectivity to its online classrooms, as well as using television and correspondence courses to deliver course content.

The university has three schools:

• School of Integrative and Professional Studies
• School of Business
• School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology

UMGC offers more than 30 bachelor's degree programs and undergraduate certificates, awarded in cybersecurity, biotechnology, business management, computers/information technology, communications, criminal justice/legal studies, and social sciences.^[20] Undergraduate students can earn credit through coursework and prior-learning programs, which recognize professional and workplace experience, including military service.^[21]

UMGC offers more than 55 master's degree programs, graduate certificates, and doctoral degrees.^[22] Most graduate programs are available in online and hybrid formats.

UMGC specializes in distance learning for adult, non-traditional students in Maryland, across the country, and around the world by operating education centers and offering online instruction.^[35] In FY 2023 the university enrolled almost 53,000^[12] military-affiliated students from around the world.^[12] In FY 2023, more than 32,000 Marylanders attended UMGC.^[12]

About three-quarters of the undergraduate students attend part-time.^[36] Over ninety-two percent of UMGC students are employed full-time.^[37] The majority of undergraduate students are female.^[36] The median age of stateside undergraduate students is 31. Almost two-thirds of the graduate MBA students are married, half are female, and over a third are minorities.^[38] Over a third of UMGC's stateside students were African-American, and this minority group earned over a third of the degrees awarded by the university.

UMGC was ranked #1 in The Military Times “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” list of top online and nontraditional schools in 2015.^[39] Military Times “Best for Vets” is one of the most respected and comprehensive rankings for veterans who are considering higher education.^{[according to whom?]} The publication looked at U.S. Department of Education statistics on student success and academic quality, as well as areas such as university culture, student support, and academic policies in evaluating hundreds of schools.^{[citation needed]}

U.S. News & World Report ranked UMGC #131-171 in Regional Universities North for its 2022 edition of Best Colleges.^[40]