Why Earn an Online Master’s at UMGC?
With a variety of innovative, career-focused online master’s degrees to choose from, UMGC is a great choice for the next step in your education journey.
Unlock your potential with an online master’s degree from University of Maryland Global Campus. Gain workplace-ready skills in high-demand subject areas, and build graduate-level leadership, management, and communication skills to help take your career to the next level. Most of our programs are rounded out by a research or capstone experience that allows you to put your knowledge into practice. And with more than 40 master’s degrees and concentrations, you can start building your professional value right away.
You can get a head start on many of our master's degrees if you’ve taken the appropriate undergraduate coursework or earned a graduate certificate at UMGC.
Did you know eligible active-duty military students, reserves, and their spouses and dependents who enroll in most master's programs could save 30 percent per credit with a low-cost tuition rate? Learn about our military tuition rate eligibility.
With a variety of innovative, career-focused online master’s degrees to choose from, UMGC is a great choice for the next step in your education journey.
Compare programs online: Evaluate up to three degrees, concentrations, and certificates side by side. Explore program descriptions, cost, transfer credit, program formats, course content, and more.
Estimate your costs: Found your program? Estimate your tuition, fees, other costs, and graduation date using our helpful online tools.
Gain lifetime career services: UMGC has relationships with many employers and offers virtual recruiting events with companies who are actively seeking to fill current openings.
Learn at a respected university: Take courses online knowing that your education is backed by the reputation of a public state university.
At UMGC, we want you to be happy with the investment you make in your education. UMGC’s online graduate programs provide flexibility and convenience for working adults, and we provide the student support and resources you need to succeed. We offer high-quality, relevant coursework delivered online from an accredited state university backed by the reputation of the University System of Maryland and work hard to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. If you don't want to commit to a master's degree just yet, consider starting with a certificate. The graduate certificates can be completed in as few as 12 to 18 credits and can then be applied to the related master's degree.
Several of our online master's degrees carry program-specific accreditations. At the university level, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This accreditation means that UMGC meets the standards for quality and integrity set by the accrediting agency.
The length of time it takes to complete an online master's degree at UMGC varies depending on a number of factors, including the specific program you choose, the number of credits required, the number of transfer credits you have, and the number of credits you are able to fit into your schedule each term. At UMGC, master’s programs are generally 36 credits. UMGC’s online Master of Business Administration can be completed in 18 months.
UMGC focuses on helping busy professionals like you earn the credit you deserve so you can graduate sooner, save money, and prepare for your next success. While UMGC offers generous transfer credit policies for working adults, opportunities to apply transfer credits to graduate coursework are more limited than opportunities to apply transfer credits to undergraduate coursework. Once you have applied to UMGC and are ready to start your graduate program, you can submit a graduate transfer credit evaluation form to see if your credits may transfer.
A concentration is a specific area of study within a degree program. At UMGC, concentrations are available within some master’s degrees. To earn a concentration, a student takes a series of discipline-specific courses. Each master’s degree concentration requires at least 12 credits in the discipline. Concentrations are recognized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and appear on transcripts.
A specialization is a group of elective courses in an area of study within a degree program that is fewer credits than a concentration. UMGC offers specializations within certain master’s degrees. Specializations do not appear on transcripts, but students may be eligible to receive a digital badge upon completing a program with a specialization.
The main differences between a specialization and concentration are that a concentration has more discipline-specific coursework, is recognized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and appears on transcripts.
Each academic program page will indicate whether the focus offered in the degree program is a specialization or concentration. If you have further questions, please contact your success coach.