UMUC

A good example of the differences between UMD and UMUC are the MBA programs offered by each. UMUC's Graduate School of Technology and Management offers an MBA program either traditionally or online. UMCP (or UMD as it is now refered) offers PT MBA programs through its nationally ranked Smith School of Business.

At the end of the day, admissions standards are different, placement offices are different and the degrees are different. In fact, UMUC's degrees actually say in big letters "University of Maryland University College" along the top and "Conferred in Adelphi Maryland" along the bottom although this may vary depending on where given. UMCP's degrees say "University of Maryland" along the top and "Conferred in College Park, MD" along the bottom regardless of whether the MBA classes are delivered on College Park campus or in DC or wherever RH Smith has a campus.

The two programs, along with U Balt. another USMD institution are listed separately on www.businessweek.com click "bschools" "PT MBA Program" and scroll to Mid Atlantic.

Point is the University of Maryland programs that rank in the US News report are all UMD programs (or "UMCP" Programs if you will) and not UMUC programs. Just like UNC refers to the Chapel Hill Campus and UNCW, for example offers its on degree in Wilmington.

Links:

UMUC MBA

http://www.umuc.edu/grad/mba/


UMD MBA

http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/


Hope this clarifies things

 

WELL, then!

WOW, portb71! Thank you.
I'm sure I'm not alone in having believed you were a crank--but, at least, stand corrected!

The point is surely a subtle one lost on yokels not from the region.
But in such "restructurings" snd their politics does the modern megaversity and "multiversity" system of state sponsored higher education depend. Such fine points are fitting fodder for this board.

Surely the difference is often lost on outsiders, and the institutional politics of compromise is therein revealed.

--Orson

 

Orson,

You gotta know what you're buying in my opinion. With the exception of Engineering graduate work, what is key to remember is that in general distance learning has a long way to go before the flagship state universities of a given system stamp their approval 100%. The state of Maryland system as yet does not truly accept the concept, as evidenced in my opinion by the relegation of 90% its on line offerings to a UMUC and U Baltimore rather than front rank schools like UMCP or UMd Med/Law-Baltimore. This is not to say there aren't good programs at UMUC...there are GREAT programs at UMUC. It's just a different school from UMD, and rankings always favor the Flagship schools by default which is especially crucial in MBA recruiting, for example. (Recruiters DO know UMUC and UMD are different).

Not too many years ago, the concept of a "continuing Studies" or "extension school" was used to denote part time programs. In fact this is how UMUC was born. In due course, many of the main divisions of Flagship schools began "accepting" that PT work was as acceptable as Full time work, however and began running part time programs out of their main campuses and divisions rather than relegating their attainment solely thru second class status in some "Continuing Studies" division (ie: UMCP Smith, a top 30 Full Time MBA program, only recently started a legit UMD PT MBA program at Smith...and it is now the #13 PT MBA in the nation according to USNews..others like UMUC and Univ of Balt.- Merrick have been doing it for years but do not enjoy such rankings).

Without trailblazers like UMUC, U Balt. and other original PT schools, Major schools like UMD, UVA, UNC etc etc would not have gotten into the PT game. Indeed UMUC is now a trailblazer for the online world, and hopefully the major schools will follow their example in this arena too to provide for ops for all of us. Until then, be aware of which school you actually attend. The USMD system is a great system of great schools but a degree at one of the 13 does not mean you have a degree from ALL of the 13, which is a common mistake people seem to make in this realm.

My .02