Accreditation
UMUC Is Regionally Accredited
University of Maryland University College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000), one of the six regional accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. UMUC is governed by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Program Accreditation
Master of Business Administration
UMUC has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), located in Olathe, Kansas. The following business degree programs are accredited by IACBE:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
UMUC's MBA program provides information about academic quality and student achievement in its Annual Report to IACBE.
Master of Distance Education
UMUC's Master of Distance Education program is accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development - Technology-Enhanced Learning (EFMD CEL), Swiss Centre for Innovations in Learning, University of St. Gallen, Dufourstr 40a, St. Gallen CH-9000, Switzerland.
EFMD is a global organization devoted to the continuous improvement of management development; CEL accreditation is awarded to programs that have achieved the highest international standard in technology-enhanced learning within the field of management education.
Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is accreditation?
A. Accreditation publicly demonstrates that an organization is of an acceptable institutional quality. Once an organization opens itself to outside examination, a regional or national accrediting body reviews specific standards and criteria and offers the institution opportunities for self-improvement. The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United States Department of Education (USDE) evaluate and recognize all accrediting bodies.
Q: What is the difference between regional and national accreditation?
A. Regional accreditation is only available to select institutions in specific regions of the U.S. There are six regionally accrediting bodies. Regionally accredited courses meet a higher education standard, so they are accepted for transfer credits by most national colleges and universities. The majority of U.S. graduate programs will only accept applicants who have earned regionally accredited bachelor's degrees.
National accreditation is available to any U.S. learning institution that requests to be reviewed. Nationally accredited courses are less likely to be accepted by a regionally accredited institution for transfer credits. Many graduate programs will not accept applicants who have earned nationally accredited bachelor's degrees.
Last updated: 27 August 2010