University of Maryland Global Campus Reviews

"When I initially applied I was told I would be able to start my program with my unofficial transcripts and degree verification from a previous institution. I spent two months collecting documents only to be told by admissions at the final stage of matriculation that none if this was enough and that I would need my official transcripts which are on hold because of a balance. A total waste of my time. This erroneous policy had been communicated to me by 3 different advisors! You never speak to the same person twice so you are constantly repeating yourself and being told conflicting information. The entire process felt very “for profit”. Zero stars and would not recommend."

"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 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 started with UMGC in 2019 and chose them for their pricing, lack of book costs, and payment plan options. Rather then take out more student loans I was able to make interest free payments for each semester and go at my own pace (which not only helps balance my busy schedule but also helps with my budget) I was able to take 2 to 3 classes a semester and finish my degree in 3 years. As with all programs there will be good instructors and bad but the majority of my classes were well run with an attentive and caring instructor. I would highly recommend UMGC to anyone looking to get their degree while still working full-time. The flexibility of their rolling start dates and class timing was perfect for me and I am not looking at continuing with my masters through UMGC. My only complaint is that they do not currently offer a masters program in Gerontology."

"UMGC is a waste of time. They only care about collecting money. Professors generally have other jobs and don't care about the students. There are a couple good ones out there, but most couldn't care less. The curriculum is at least a decade old, and there is no instruction in the classes. The courses are almost 100% self study with outside resources since there are no books for any classes. The course materials are usually nothing more than a 10-15 year old PDF from a random industry source, not a book. Professors will take off points if you submit 1 minute late, but they won't grade your assignments for weeks after the due date. By the time you get their feedback, you have already turned in 2-3 other assignments with the same "mistakes" in them, and the professors will take off points every time. If the only thing you're looking for is a piece of paper saying you have a degree, UMGC is good enough. If you're looking to actually learn anything, look elsewhere."

"UMGC is the WORST SCHOOL you can get a cyber security degree!! I did 2 years and it's very easy to graduate but they teach you nothing!! I failed 4 security analyst interviews and I dont know even basic principles of cyber security, unfortunately. Please work hard and go to a different college OR if you want just degree, then this college is perfect and you can do certifications on the side. I feel horrible that I am part of UMGC and embarrassed to represent them! Their image is extremely low-class amongst the professionals and this school is just do suck your money out hand you a 4 year degree."

"The Cybersecurity division of this school is really bad. I've gotten good grades but quality of education is poor and professors take forever to grade. Most of the courses outsource textbooks/labs to ucertify which constantly has issues. Also, they still reference Windows 10 in all of the readings, when Windows 11 has been out a couple years now. It shows that they do not update the text to the newest changes in the industry. At UMGC, you essentially pay for a degree and class flexibility. If you want to be prepared for a career, UMGC is not a good choice."

"UMGC was great for me as an active duty service member. It made it possible for me to earn a degree before I left the military and got me a job in the federal government/ several job offers after. I learned a lot through the computer science curriculum. You will get the breadth needed for any CS job. You will need to put in extra work to get depth and leetcode on your own to be successful in interviews. There admissions/financial/student first teams were very responsive and helped me with all my questions in a timeline manner. Their writing center and other tutoring services were also valuable for me. I recommend making use of all the resources available to you as a student here (free books, etc). I was also accepted into GATech's OMSCS after graduating. And because I am used to the online format the classes have been a smooth transition. Definitely recommend for any CS alums interested in continuing their education"

"I've been to several colleges and most of the professors were more qualified. The professors at this institution believe they’re entitled to treat others in any shape or form if they don't see or write from their perspective. I will no longer attend this school or recommend anyone else to attend. I was recommended to this school because I was told "ITS MILITARY FRIENDLY." Well, that turned out to be a lie. I give this school a rating of one in all categories. Worst college experience I've had. Please everyone stay away from this school and their high tuition."

"UMGC, formerly UMUC, or University of Maryland Global Campus is a great institution for those adults who are willing and able to self-learn. There is no doubt that the overall material can be rather ambiguous and some instructors are 'absent', however, majority of my instructors were some of the best professionals who helped mold me to be better at this craft. Example - During my PenTest course, the instructor reached out and had discussions with the class via virtual calls, teleconferences, and even posted update videos of what we need to focus on. This made learning offensive security fun and intriguing while also shedding light on additional sources to research for my own profession. This degree program WILL NOT be a one-stop shop to just get a degree and land a job without any work from the student. The students must be willing and able to also take their educational studies and cross-reference with other online sources to continue building their background. Additionally, you get to choose majority of your courses for the CS degree... For example, I was able to learn video game programming in Java as an elective for my minor while still working through CCNA, Net+. Ethical Hacker and PenTest work for my major. This school WILL give you the building blocks to be successful, and this degree program is one of the best in the country for online students and military affiliates. I would recommend this school to anyone who needs a place to start with their IT transition."

"This school does not prepare you for a job as a cybersecurity professional. There was never a day that I was challenged in a constructive way. The only "challenge" presented by the school was the long list of arbitrary assignments that have little to no application in the real world. The "teachers" are absent and are only there to collect a paycheck, there is ZERO original material, and you get stuck with incompetent "success" coaches. I am not just someone complaining to complain I love learning and challenging myself in the past two years I earned net+, sec+, CySA+, GCIH, and GAWN while still attending classes at UMGC and none of the courses came CLOSE to preparing me for the exams they were supposedly preparing you for. Take for example the capstone, this is supposed to be a time where you take all of the material you learned and then put it together and make a final project/paper on it right? Guess again you are redoing assignments from the cloud class (the material you purchased is likely expired by the time you take the capstone) and you are then asked to write a white paper about SDN/IBN which you didn't learn about until that class. How does that make any sense? Then when you look at the writing classes you must take for your degree they are nothing but a waste of time. Technical writing second assignment writing instructions for how to use a website. What a waste of time and money while inducing stress on multiple assignments that lack any real-world impact."

"I enrolled at UMGC back in late 2019. The process was simple requiring minimal effort. I chose UMGC due to their tuition being affordable and having an office at my military installation. TA and the Pell Grant covered all of my tuition costs. I now have my Bachelors without using the GI Bill which is amazing. UMGC grants transfer credits from military school transcripts which allowed me to start off with 25 credits earned without ever taking any classes. The first 4 classes I took at UMGC were hybrid classes with a mix of both online and face to face lecture. My professors in these courses were passionate and helpful. I earned an A in all 4 classes which motivated me to keep going. Once the pandemic began the rest of the courses I took were online without lectures. The rest of my learning was all self study with the course materials provided. The professors for these courses were average at best in most cases and were not readily available. They had zero tolerance for late assignments but were not too strict with grading. My academic advisors were all knowledgeable and helpful. I only had negative experiences with the graduation services department. UMGC should look into process improvement for this department. Other reviewers that called UMGC a diploma mill are wrong. UMGC is a not-for-profit public university. They are regionally accredited being part of the University of Maryland system. The alumni network is not so strong but that is the typical trade off when choosing affordable online schools over outrageously expensive brick and mortar institutions. I would do my MBA here but I plan to attend a prestigious university which matters more for graduate programs. Lastly just to provide context to those who received their Masters in Healthcare Administration but upset about not being accepted as an officer. A lot of masters programs have a special accreditation. The MSC IPP (Healthcare Admin Officer) program requires applicants to have a degree from a CAHME accredited program. UMGCs Masters in Healthcare Administration program “is not” CAHME accredited. Choosing a different school is a must if this is the path that you plan to take. Prior to changing my mind it was my plan to attend Florida International University since they have an online CAHME accredited MHA program."

"Summary: Attending UMGC is a solid career advancement move for working adults. You will not receive a premier Ivy League education, but a degree from UMGC does return solid value while preparing you for the workforce. The Bad: Most complaints about the school center on administration processes (academic advising, financial aid, etc). They're not wrong, the admin processes at the school can be slow and inefficient. But here's my take on it. If you're an adult you should be able to determine what classes you need to take and how you're paying for them. You'll be required to figure out processes like these in order to be successful at most employers. Curriculum: Classes are tailored to reflect real-life conditions, while introducing some theory. For my program the instruction was often designed to help you earn industry certifications in conjunction with your college credits. I personally earned some CompTIA certifications while finishing my curriculum. This is a force multiplier. You're already paying to learn something, you can immediately apply it, then you finish with a degree and certifications that make you very competitive. Many students don't take the extra step, but the classes do prepare you for it. You get out what you put in. Instruction: The professors generally come from industry. Sometimes they preferred to be called "Bob" instead of "Doctor Johnson". Interactions and grading are based on real-world applications, not strictly theoretical or "fluffy" material. I preferred this to classes I previously took at a large brick-and-mortar state university. Overall, not a world-class education but a solid value. I would not recommend to every 18 year-old young adult, there is no "college experience". I would recommend to most working class individuals."

"Overall UMGC is a solid school and is a type of school where you get as much as you put in. If you take the time to read and understand the labs, you will have a great learning experience. One of the big things that UMGC does that not many other colleges do is have excellent scheduling and cost. With UMGCs 8 week course interval set up, you can work full time or even just enjoy life while also being able to attend college full time. For the past two years, I have been able to build my experience in my field while at the same time build my education up at the same speed. Another huge plus is that UMGC is not crazily expensive. With scholarships, I have found that I only pay around $3,000- $6,000 thousand dollars a semester. Compared to my co- workers and friends who now have a some 10,000- 60,000k in debt and are at the same level as me in the job market or similar."

"All of the negative reviews on this website are confusing to say the least. I attended UMGC and graduated with a BS in Business Administration. The professors were mostly very helpful, but honestly I didn't even need to contact them about most things. I liked that the classes were only 8 weeks because it allows you to be able to move along in your program quickly. Everything that I needed from start to finish was found online, so I very seldom had to contact my professors or advisors. The academic advisement report should be your best friend, as it will tell you exactly what classes you need to take in order to successfully complete your degree. The material I learned in my classes were applicable to what I wanted to do with my career, and I also thought many of my junior and senior level classes were challenging as well. Oh, and it is incredibly affordable! I graduated with little to no student loans which puts me in a better financial position in the long run. I do not know what people are expecting when choosing to attend this school. Many of the negative reviews stated that this was a scam or that you will receive a better education elsewhere. Yes, receiving a degree from a more well established in-person institution will probably look better on a resume. However, I don't think a degree from UMGC will hinder anyone from following whatever career path they choose. Personally, I feel well prepared for any my career, and I plan to continue my education with this institution for my MBA."

"If it weren't for UMGC and the amazing staff and teachers, I would have never finished college. I love this school so much that I plan to go back for my masters. It was a great experience with professors who are more than willing to help and respond quickly."

"I did my masters in Biotechnology:with a specialization in Bioinformatics. The class I took that for Biotechnology or basic coding related were great. Any class to do with bioinformatics was a joke. You only end up taking a few class that are related to bioinformatics and this leaves you wholly unprepared to work in the bioinformatics field. I work closely with bioinformatics and I could not even do the simplest task they do. I can only break stuff. Bioinformatics requires alot of coding and if you have no experience in that two years of an online school is not going to give you that. This program was slapped together with other classed they already offer in other programs with one or two class that are horrible for bioinformatics. Go here for Biotechnology masters but not for Bioinformatics. Most teachers were good and I enjoyed the flexibility of online. I recommend this school but not this program."

"If you are looking for an online school, good for you, but let me tell you this is not the one. I was a first-time online college student, and when I enrolled and began working with Finacial aid and my success coach I made it VERY clear that I had no idea about what an online college would have to offer. Clearly they weren't listening. I enrolled in October of 2021 and was accepted. I immediately started working on my financial aid, and getting all the documentation they would need. That is where the crap show began. I had to resubmit the same documentation to them because it was always something. They can't see it, the date doesn't show clearly, the notarize did their job incorrectly, and it cant be notarized by an online notary. It took close to a month to get those documents together and during that time I was still enrolled in classes because surely everything would fix itself. Oh, I was so wrong. Not only was it not taken care of in time, I missed the unenrollment date (noting that I ASKED if I should just unenroll but they told me not to do it because I may not be able to re-enroll). I took their advice and ended up having to unenroll from the class. I was already $500 (paying for all the notaries and $459 for the class) in the hole and I hadn't even taken a class. Needless to say, I was already fed up and really thought these people were incompetent. However, I already started the process and it would have been more of a headache to switch schools. Fast forward to the spring semester and I am working with my success coach to get enrolled in classes. We sat there and we went through the classes and I am looking to her for guidance on what the best classes to take are. I ended up in PACE, BMGT, WRTG 111, and HRMN. Let me say this now. If you have to take a BMGT class DO NOT do it as your very first class, and DO NOT do it if you have anxiety, are a visual learner, or honestly if you struggle with any mental health. The teacher was grossly uninvolved, for visual learners it was an absolute nightmare because there were NO examples of how he wanted things done so a lot of overthinking went into the work, and there were projects that again didn't have enough explanation of how it was supposed to be done. I WAS OVERWHELMED. Where was my success coach? When you find out let me know. I was absolutely drowning, I wasn't on my proper medication, and I really felt alone in this whole process. When I started my WRTG class I honestly was just doing the bare minimum to stay afloat at this point. It wasn't until that class (and the teacher) that explained to me that there was an accessibility department. Why didn't my success coach mention this? Regardless I jumped on that and in about a week or so I had the proper accommodations I needed. I began to thrive in my classes after that. I knew all I needed was a 2.0 GPA to make sure I would be able to keep getting financial aid. I ended the semester with two B's, an A, and an F (but I had a 2.5 GPA and was proud of it) However I got an email part way through my HRMN class that said I was meeting SAP satisfactory. Come to find out they measure GPA and Credit hours earned. By the end of my classes, I only had 60% percent when they require 67%. Now I spoke to someone in Financial aid and I was told that as long as I passed my HRMN class I would be ok. That was a lie. No matter what I did, I was not making that 67%. Needless to say, my morale was destroyed. I fought my way up from the bottom to try and come out on top just to still be knocked down. 7% was the difference between me being able to receive financial aid to help me continue my classes. That 7% is also the reason I say with the utmost honesty, UMGC is unprofessional, incompetent, uninvolved, and just overall not worth the stress they caused me. I tried to do an SAP appeal and I needed help from the accessibility department, but they disappeared off the face of the earth. I still don't know where my success coach is through all of this, and honestly, I never wanted to go back to school and they just proved to me that it was a pointless attempt to go back. So don't enroll in this school. You will not have the best experience and they are absolutely not worth it."

"Distinctively contrasting the reviews on here where it seems they only came to vent about a bad experience, I attended UMGC for 6 years from 2015-2021 throughout a Marine Corps career and deployments, and I could not be happier. I have associates and friends in and out of the service and none compare to the level of education and simultaneous amount of flexibility the school gave when it came to classes and schedules. The interface online the schools gives students makes the need to call an advisor a last resort, if you cannot figure it out, then you need not to apply to a university. I took 33 classes and only had 1 professor that I felt was subpar."

"I officially withdrew because of the constant disorganization with my class and the university. I officially withdrew MONTHS ago but continue to get emails asking for my updated contact information. I received another email today asking to provide my contact information so that "we can discuss current deadlines and registration. How difficult is it to correct records to show that I officially withdrew. I also submitted comments saying that I would NEVER re-enroll. I am convinced that the emails are part of UMGC's very misinformed strategy to maintain or increase its enrollment numbers. I repeat, I will NEVER re-enroll!"

"UMGC is absolutely terrible. I spoke with at least 5 different advisors over the course of my final five semsters and I always asked them what classes I needed to graduate. When I had finally got my 120 credits I wasn't able to graduate still because apparently, every single one of these advisors made an error when recommending me classes. I still needed to take an extra class to graduate They told me there is "good news" though because they were willing to offer me my last class free of charge due to their error. It's not really good news though because my plans have completely changed and even though this class is free, I will have to take off more time from work to complete it. In addition, I never should have been taking it in the first place I don't understand how MULTIPLE different advisors can make such a grave error. This is literally their JOB. Terrible University, please don't attend - Meyer, class of 2022"