University of Maryland University College - Master of Business Administration

Experience as an MBA grad from UMUC

By: dc2bay (Graduate) on August 3, 2006

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I graduated from University of Maryland, University College in August 2005 after completing the part-timeMBA graduate program. Overall, the greatest value of the UMUC graduate degree is the program's affiliation with the University of Maryland college system. Unlike other for profit higher education institutions, the state of Maryland has a tradition of providing a high quality education and graduates of the UMUC program stand to benefit from that reputation. With that said the UMUC MBA program is geared towards working professionals who are already established in their careers and searching for opportunities to advance within their respective companies or a designed field in which they already have considerable experience. 

One of the weakest aspects of the institution in general, is that there is little support in terms of career development or recruitment opportunities for individuals seeking to transition into a different career path after obtaining their MBA. To give you an example, while earning my MBA at UMUC, I was laid off from my job as a sales manager. I found that the university provided few career resources. The resources available were geared towards undergraduate, not graduate students. Also, with few exceptions, you also felt that you were simply a small number in a fairly successful program. I heard that with some other institutions, the graduate advisors take a more active approach and help the students reach their career goals through the graduate program.  To its credit, I think the institution is able to attract top faculty due to its association with the University of Maryland’s higher education system. 

The MBA program at UMUC is structured into cohorts. Students progress through the program at the same pace, providing support for one another during the more strenuous parts of the program. I highly recommend the combination online and face-to-face MBA program format, particularly for the requisite study group sessions. Having a physical "face-to-face" point of reference helps for the study group cohesion, group interaction and group involvement - a huge benefit in subsequent courses. 

Overall, the UMUC MBA program is a great value compared to other MBA programs. The price per credit hour is the same regardless of residency status. Since I'm also pursuing another graduate degree at UMUC currently, I've noticed the University has taken great strides to leverage its alumni pool and have alumni serve as career mentors for recent graduates.