University of Maryland University College

UMUC offered its first distance education courses in 1972. Today, more than 30 percent of our students are enrolled in courses that do not require on-site class attendance. The Internet serves as their link to the university.

UMUC holds the highest honor given in Web education: the Sloan Consortium Award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Asynchronous Learning Network Programming.

Distance education students use state-of-the-art technology to connect to faculty members, coursemates, and advisors. The great advantage of distance education is that it gives students the flexibility to achieve an appropriate balance of work, family, community, and educational commitments.

UMUC's distance courses link students with their faculty member and coursemates online through the World Wide Web (WebTycho). Online courses are asynchronous, which means that students can sign on and participate at times convenient to them.

Online students need to be prepared to interact with their faculty member and coursemates in writing. Strong reading and writing skills in the English language are critical.

Typical elements of online courses include:

asynchronous, frequent student and faculty participation
lectures and assigned readings (from textbooks and online resources)
individual and group assignments (for example, case studies and discussion questions)
individual and group papers
literature analyses (graduate)
use of online library resources
online (graduate) and proctored (undergraduate) quizzes and examinations

UMUC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215)662-5606.