Undergraduate - UMUC Europe

Higher Education in Maryland
Higher Education in Maryland
Few states have as rich and proud a heritage as does the State of
Maryland, especially in education. The University of Maryland
was founded in 1807 at the site of the present Baltimore Campus
with the establishment of the nation’s fifth College of Medicine.
The school soon added colleges of dentistry, pharmacy, and law.
A half-century later, the College Park Campus, one of the largest
in the nation, began as the College of Agriculture. With the
uniting of these campuses in 1920, the University of Maryland
began its development into one of the great public systems of
higher learning in the United States. Maryland’s present university
system was established in 1988 as the University System of
Maryland and is comprised of 11 degree-granting institutions
and two research and service components.
Maryland Programs in Europe
The mission of the Maryland programs in Europe is to provide
academic programs to members of U.S. military communities
throughout the European Command. The goal is to make those
programs accessible to students who already have substantial
commitments to careers and families. Through the undergraduate
and graduate programs offered, members of the military services
and civilians overseas can take individual classes for personal
enrichment or pursue a program of coursework leading to a
certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree.
Through UMUC and Bowie State programs, students who
studied in Europe earned during the past academic year more
than 650 associate degrees, 700 baccalaureate degrees, and 100
master’s degrees. And these figures do not include the many
students who begin their education with Maryland and complete
their degrees elsewhere. Because military students move frequently,
many transfer their Maryland credits to other colleges and
universities when they return to the United States.
Undergraduate Programs
University of Maryland University College
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is the global
university known for offering high-quality academic programs,
products, and services independent of the constraints of time
and place. UMUC primarily serves adult, part-time students
through both traditional and innovative instruction.
UMUC offers degree programs from the associate of arts through
the doctor of management, undergraduate and graduate
certificates, and personal and professional development programs
that respond to the needs of the lifelong learner. Undergraduate
degree programs are offered in disciplines in the arts and
humanities, behavioral and social sciences, business and
management, computing, and technology; graduate programs
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focus on education, management, and technology. UMUC’s
noncredit programs include professional development in
management, technology, and executive leadership, as well as
professional certification programs and conference services.
UMUC’s statewide mission is to extend access to opportunities for
postsecondary education to individuals who combine work with
study and in particular to satisfy the educational needs of
Maryland’s professional workforce. The university’s global mission
is to sustain international eminence by extending access to its
degree and noncredit programs worldwide. In fulfilling this
mission, UMUC strives to serve U.S. citizens and their families
overseas and to expand into international markets that, in turn,
will enhance Maryland’s economic development as a center for
global commerce.
UMUC offers live or face-to-face courses to students throughout the
State of Maryland, the District of Columbia metropolitan area,
and military communities in the United States and around the
world. UMUC’s distance education program provides
undergraduate and graduate education opportunities to students
around the globe. With about 80,000 individual students, UMUC
has the largest enrollment and the second largest full-time student
equivalents of the eleven degree-granting institutions of the
University System of Maryland. Last year, UMUC offered courses
in 30 countries and territories on all seven continents. The
observation made four decades ago by Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer
that “the sun never sets on the University of Maryland” is as true
today as it was then.
The University of Maryland began serving adult students in the
1920s by offering classes in the evenings. In 1947, the College of
Special and Continuation Studies was established as a division of
the University to administer off-campus evening classes. In 1959,
the name was changed to University College to emphasize the
fact that this campus draws upon the resources of the entire
University System of Maryland and makes these resources available
to adult, part-time students. In 1970, the importance of
University College was recognized both in the state and overseas
when it was designated a separate campus within the University
System of Maryland.
UMUC programs have expanded to meet the needs of adults
seeking to continue their education. In cooperation with the
Department of Defense, UMUC administers two overseas
programs, UMUC-Europe and UMUC-Asia. Stateside, UMUC
credit courses and programs are administered by the School of
Undergraduate Studies and by the Graduate School.
University-level, noncredit training and education are offered by
the Professional and Career Development Programs. An Office
of Instructional Development develops educational
2003/2004 Undergraduate Catalog