A University and Its Community

Shady Grove Center Opens

UMBC has joined the Universities at Shady Grove, "a new concept in advanced education" pioneered by the University System of Maryland. The Universities at Shady Grove brings together select programs from 11 universities in the University of Maryland system at a campus in Rockville, Maryland, allowing students to complete the last two years of requirements for their baccalaureates in daytime classes at a convenient location. This boutique approach--in which participating universities offer a few of their most popular programs--is considered unique in the nation, and may well serve as a blueprint for expanding classroom access to higher education far from traditional campuses.

UMBC is offering degree programs in information systems and social work at Shady Grove, where students pay UMBC tuition, meet regular departmental requirements, and receive a UMBC diploma. Enrollment at Shady Grove is expected to expand rapidly from the 230 students who signed up for the inaugural semester last year to more than 2,000 by 2008, with a corresponding expansion of the Shady Grove facilities and degree offerings by the university partners. For more information about UMBC programs at Shady Grove, visit www.shadygrove.umd.edu/institutions/umbc/.

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