University of Maryland Global Campus

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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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.

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... Read More 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.

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... Read More 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.