UMUC University of Maryland University College
8 ratings since posting on Friday, November 26, 2004
Overall Rating   based on 8 ratings |
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DO NOT GO TO UMUC!!! I am fighting tooth an nail to complete my second degree with them and I have nothing but bad things to say about the school. Additionally, anyone looking to hire you will see UMUC on your resume and ask "do you have any other qualifications?" Seriously, they will really do it! Here is my story: In September 2007, I was assigned to Ft Meade, MD with PCS orders through my service in the US military. I immediately enrolled in the University of Maryland University College’s (UMUC’s) BS program. In September 2009, I exited the military, became employed and began paying Maryland state income taxes. I have resided in Maryland continuously since 2007. In 2009 I also applied for the graduate program at UMUC and filled out the complete application form, including the residency application. I finished the BS degree through UMUC in December 2009 and began taking graduate classes in Spring 2010. It was originally my intention to use the Post-911 GI Bill for law school so I secured financing through FAFSA student loans and was utterly shocked when my tuition statement came back with a higher tuition rate. I immediately called my advisor and asked about the increased rate. I was told that the higher rate reflected an increased tuition for the graduate program. This phone conversation was a conference call with my advisor, myself and my spouse. This seemed to corroborate with the information I had at the time since I was not in the military for my last semester of undergraduate study and was charged the lower rate. I have enrolled in numerous classes since that first semester of graduate study and am now 18 credits into my 36 credit program. I am 100% employed by a company in Maryland, have never resided outside of Maryland since 2007, married and have had two (2) children since 2009 in Maryland, and have paid Maryland State income taxes on every dime I have earned since 2009. In Spring 2012, I decided to use my Post-911 GI Bill for UMUC tuition and was notified after the VA’s disbursement of funds on my behalf that I still had a balance. At that time I called my student advisor to discuss the matter and I was finally told that I was classified, for unspecified reasons, as a “non-resident” student for tuition purposes. They advised me to submit a residency application form (again) because they had no record of a previous form and I was denied residency because I had purchased a new vehicle at the end of 2011 and because I did not get a MD driver's license until 2012 (oops) but who cares right? ...they do. They will do what they can to charge the maximum allowable fees for a public institution. I have sat in numerous job interviews since graduating from UMUC (which I call "you-muck") and all I can say is that I wish I could somehow purge that blight from my record! The only thing that saves me in job interviews is my extensive work history and NON-umuc certs/credentials. LOOK ELSEWHERE to make all of your wildest dreams come true!!! Seriously, Howard U. Bowie U. or DCU look better on resumes than UMUC - because they are better schools, and they are just as easy to get into - there are options, use them!!! - Jonathan , posted 09/18/12 |
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Cannot comment on their academics, though I haven't heard anyone fail from their online schools. In fact I was told the online program is easy, so I went to an open house. The admissions people were nice and a campus recruiter who I talked with must have entered my info. She said she needed the info so I could check out the online example. About 5 months later I started to receive letters stating I owed $50 for applying. After talking with the billing department, they didn't care to help me and told me I was responsible for the fee. I have read many complaints online about this school doing this, I would call 'scam.' Considering if you apply online, step #4 required a credit card. I did not complete any application, nor did I want an easy online school if I am paying money for an education. Sad to see so many who have been caught up in this scam. Recommend writing the Attorney General and explain the situation will resolve this. Also, ensure you leave a critique online to warn others of this unscrupulous scheme. - Saint , posted 06/03/11 |
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This school contains all of the dumbest people, except a few instructors. All of the staff members are actually dumber than a box of rocks. They will charge everyone out of state tuition even if they live in Maryland. You have to go above and beyone to "prove" that you are a Marylander! The University of Phoenix is so much less complicated and really worth the extra cost of this stupid UMUC school! WOW, talk about a stupid school! - Jon , posted 06/01/11 |
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It's overpriced. The grades are fixed. The teachers allow cheating to continue (I had my work stolen on a group project and no one contributed). I was in the cybersecurity program which is a joke because government agencies want engineers and computer scientists not paperpushers. Plus the number of additional certifications to make into the ranks. The government also wants former military members not civilians with completed secret access. Also, UMUC networks are not secured. There was a report put out by the State Comptroller's office stating that the network was a mess. Obviously, security really isn't that important to UMUC and it's probably not anywhere else, since I consulted with several organizations about the program and they said they aren't interested in that kind of degree. The college has you working with teams and that's a nightmare since no one believes in teamwork anymore, so why force it on students. I had my grade attached and the stress of dealing with jerks while recovering from injuries from a car wreck and an emergency move, was unbelievable. I hate the University of Maryland, University College. The guy Obama hired as his Cyber chief, was right to hide his shame. I wish I didn't attend this hot mess of an online university. Disgusted. - Ann , posted 10/11/10 |
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"Fraud" might be too strong a term...but it might not. The school is terrible -- so terrible that the rest of the schools that are part of the University of Maryland don't automatically accept credit from this branch. They'll collect your -- or your employer's -- money and waste your time, but you have no guarantee that you're actually LEARNING anything, much less getting viable credit. The student advisers turn over regularly and have no clue about how the school works or make any effort to help you. No matter what they say or promise, DON'T BELIEVE IT. There's no single authority to turn to, and no one to resolve questions or disputes. It can take MONTHS for something as simple as a question about what course to take to be answered and there's no guarantee that you'll get the correct answer. Just so this doesn't sound like sour grapes, I "graduated" with a 3.9 average and couldn't get into a decent graduate school ANYWHERE -- even University of Maryland. What a waste! - Nan , posted 08/31/08 |
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I have had multiple problems with this institution. My experience is that it is a cash cow for the the people who own or run the "university". I would not reccommend anyone to attend. Do Not and I mean DO Not apply or register any personal information with UMUC or you will regret it! There are plenty of other very accredited Universities that you can attend via online or in distance learning. - dean , posted 06/26/07 |
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I recently received a bill from University of Maryland University College in which they declared money was owed. After finally reaching them by telephone (they failed to answer letters or e-mail) they seemed unsure why the money was owed. The billing notices kept coming, and eventually they threatened legal action that would hurt, if not destroy, my credit. Quite truthfully, I didn't owe them any money, but eventually had to pay or face a long legal process against a large institution with deep pockets. My experience was that UMUC collected money very efficiently, but in a disputed situation could not offer an adequate explanation as to why money was owed. I attempted to contact the UMUC President's office, and the Provost's office, but to no avail. If the money wasn't paid registration was blocked, and the matter referred to a credit agency with deeper pockets. In my opinion, through my experience with several departments at UMUC they don't care at all about students. Student advising was another major headache at UMUC. A student advisor eventually contacted me (though I contacted them about 20 times with no response) and assured me of the "proper courses" and distribution requirements. I later learned from the transcript that the course credits were improperly recorded, and that I would have to register for additional courses. They eventually wanted to know if I had any questions about my academic audit which was irrelevant since I completed the additional courses by the time an advisor again got around to contacting me. Nobody seemed to know what anyone else was doing and it was my experience that the majority of UMUC staff did not know what they themselves were doing. A simple typographical error or improper entry of data resulted in long battles with advisors, academic director, and other administrators. After these expensive lessons at UMUC I began looking into their operations, and was surprised to learn the following: 1) UMUC in Europe hired an adjunct professor to instruct psychology who had a license revoked for unethical behavior involving a patient. This was surprising news, because who would want to take a course offered by an alleged sexual predator, unless it's in a scared straight program. 2) The UMUC course catalogue lists so many courses which in fact are rarely offered. Many courses that are listed on the bi-semester schedule actualy cancel. At some UMUC sites, there are no courses offered. This encourages students to enroll in their only other UMUC option, web-based courses rather than class-based courses. 3) There are many complaints by students about the quality of web-based and class-based courses at UMUC, the low quality of texts, and some instructors who are apparently not qualified to instruct in their assigned field, as well as complaints against the so-called academic directors who oversee the educational programs. For example, UMUC not only hired a psychologist with a revoked state license to instruct courses, but another psychologist is instructing statistics (rather than quantitative methods for the social sciences), an anthropologist is instructing a biology lab, and an office assistant is instructing a computer science course. Other students have complained about the low quality of computer science courses, the web-based delivery program, and lack of resources (such as proper lab facilities and research materials). My impression is that UMUC hires faculty and administrators off the streets (as was reported in one newspaper) at low wages, rather than seeking out highly qualifed faculty which of course costs more. 4) Having had prior college experience, I felt that the quality of upper-level courses were "dumbed down" to lower-level courses (or high school level courses) to encourage passing grades. Grade inflation, plagiarism and cheating by both faculty and students was rampant, with some students even unable to read their "research papers" that had clearly been downloaded from the internet. Many of the elderly professors simply repeated courses conducted years before with out-of-date data and information. 5) UMUC is involved in a $2 million partnership with Household Finance, a subsidiary of Household International and HSBC bank. The complaints by service members of alleged violations of the Soldier's and Sailor's Relief Act are numerous causing dsetroyed credit ratings, and the list of alleged imroper billing procedures is longer. UMUC derives most of its income from a series of 10 year multimillion dollar military contracts, and at the same time is partnered with a company that encourages indebtedness. UMUC now offers advice on student financing and debt consolidation on one of its web sites. According to an invetsigation by the London Observer the parent company, HSBC, is linked to money laundering of former Iraqi regome assets. That UMUC link to HI and HSBC makes me wonder what US soldiers and marines are fighting for in Iraq. 6) One student put it this way in a recent survey, "The school does not foster the growth of the mind, but keeps a tight, almost Orwellian control on the military contract that is the financial basis of the school's existence and the jobs of the school staff... . It's about the military contract not higher education. If you want to be indoctrinated with official pro-school propaganda, and pro-UMUC testimonials, and do not wish to actually learn how to improve analytical skills in the field, UMUC is the place. UMUC simply manufactures self-serving testimonials, and provides few cutting edge educational experiences (other than perhaps providing the peripatetic adjunct professor). UMUC is under contract with the Department of Defense and US Army in Europe. Or put another way, you, the taxpayer, pay for what UMUC loosely calls a higher education program." 7) There are also complaints about the unorganized nature of the program, inattentive staff, mishandled records (including confidential student identification information), and censorship of private student groups for occasionally criticising the administration of UMUC (one private student web site was closed after its owner was threatened with legal action by an administrator). The publication of confidential student information was perhaps a violation of FERPA and was brought to the attention of the accrediting agency, Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education (MSA-CHE). The UMUC President is on the board of MSA-CHE, and nothing was done about the complaint. The UMUC Provost is somehow related to the local Better Business Bureau, so don't go there either. My bills are now paid, and my transcripts appear to be in order, but I do advise UMUC to clean up its problems at some sites in some divisions because students may eventually bolt from UMUC. Many of the academic directors, for example, have been running various UMUC programs for many, many years and have mismanaged the programs in recent years. Given the quality of education, and the declining value of the UMUC diploma, I would not recommend UMUC to anyone seeking higher education until UMUC is improved at some sites. It is a disorganized mess that does not benefit students. Although I am still enrolled there, I, and many others, hope that reform in the administration will correct the problems so that UMUC will again be recognized for the good education that it used to be known for. - U , posted 11/26/04 |
UMUC University of Maryland University College was recommended for:
- Tribe: The Whining Station
