University of Maryland Global Campus Reviews of Master's in Cybersecurity

Where to begin.... My advice is to avoid the UMGC cybersecurity technology masters program at all costs - unless you enjoy being in a management position and not knowing how to do your job (which is unfortunately true of many cyber leaders - they love policy, but have no idea how to implement the deeds they preach)! Five of the six courses in the cybersecurity technology program are 100% policy based, meaning that the bulk of your assignments are based on writing cyber policy with regards to, or... Read More in response to some convoluted situation that rarely makes sense. Labs and writing prompts are not in alignment. The labs mainly use the Citrix workspace to connect to universities the virtual environment and Citrix almost universally offers students a terrible user experience. The labs are not graduate level labs, they are at best lower division undergraduate level labs. This degree will only teach you how to format papers and how to regurgitate policy! I really hope the university is reading this review and stops cheating students out of the skills they need to be of value in the cyber field!

I got an immense education from my efforts invested in the University of Maryland University College Cybersecurity program. The availability of this online course made a Masters possible. The quality of the instructors ranged from a one mediocre (but growing and learning), one good, two very good, and two excellent. All cared a great deal. Already a decent writer, my writing improved tremendously. My understanding of Cybersecurity issues also grew, especially coming from a generalist background with... Read More technical training but little cyber focus. Work groups were a challenge. I truly respect the real-world nature of the working groups and enjoyed most of the working relationships. The teams were balanced deliberately, I believe, in that there were always two fully committed students (yes, I was always one of them), one medium committed and more occupied with life, and one that barely showed up. That is real life, although I always hoped the instructors made the effort to differentiate who was doing what level of contribution. This worked best when groups ensured all work was represented within the classroom (as opposed to personal email). The student gets out of this course what effort they put in to this course. I would do it all over again, and I would recommend it to others. The only thing I would improve is to ensure I downloaded a laboratory to a spare computer to improve the training time on the tools and technologies; much easier to do today. I would also use breaks between classes to complete certifications. That is a winning combination.

If you are looking for easy classes where you do a bit of writing and get an A, this is it! if you are looking to learn, not so much. You will be placed in a class with a few really bright, determined people and more than a few slackers who do the bare minimum and somehow manage to get up to the next class. I really do not know how badly you have to do to not advance but it must be basically not turning any work in. Group projects are a complete joke. There is always one (or two!) person who contributes... Read More nothing, but the professors do not mark them down or allow the team to skip those steps, but require the team 'workers' to complete everything and then awards the group an overall grade. Those of you wanting an A? Well you just helped the slackers get an A as well. It is so incredibly frustrating for those of us paying the full rate and genuinely trying to learn when there are so many individuals just looking to do the bare minimum to get the letters, and succeeding. I made it to the end but this place is most definitely about UMUC getting money and not one bit about you getting any sort of education.

If I had to do it again, I would definitely choose another school. I received my Masters in Cyber Security in May 2018 and all we did was write papers. There was very little hands on technical teaching which in today's world is what employers are looking for and a lot of beginning students desire. What UMUC should be teaching is technical skills, especially being in the DMV area. I wouldnt recommend this school if you want hands on technical experience as its nonexistent in the Masters of Cyber Security... Read More program. I have resorted to teaching myself and taking classes at the community college. I know Maryville University has a great Cyber Security program that several of my friends are in now and they love it because of the hands on teachings and robust labs.

I recently graduated with my Masters in Cybersecurity, and I can genuinely say that UMUC is an exceptional school. For those people that have this school at 1 star, you have to ask yourself, "Are you putting in the effort?" UMUC is one of the top online schools for military and civilian alike. I have at least four offers from my Masters and oh, by the way, I'm still on active duty until next year when I retire. Right now I'm working on my dual master's program (MBA), and it's very tough and challenging.... Read More Guess what? It should be! UMUC has an excellent reputation, and I would HIGHLY recommend this school to anyone. It's known worldwide, and I'm proud to say that I'm an alumnus. Not to mention that I teach classes with UMUC so I can give back what's given to me. Choose UMUC!

I see some writing terrible reviews of the University of Maryland University College. What they are attesting to (sparse rants really) has not been my experience at UMUC. I think that UMUC is an excellent school and many of their programs are written with industry employers input. In other words, employers are more interested in you if you possess a degree from UMUC over other schools that do not have this relationship. In class, you will often notice students with hurt feelings in that they thought... Read More that they were better than they actually are. I feel sorry for these people. There are others who honestly believe that an online program is a breeze over the brick and mortar venue; for these people, I also feel sorry for. Come to the University of Maryland University College; study like you are really interested in learning something; take it seriously, dont play grab-a** with your future; participate and youll do just fine. In fact, you will be just as prideful as I am!