Creating a graduate school to meet that charge was not easy. UMUC was attempting something that was not being done by the other Maryland institutions. "We surveyed the graduate schools in the area," recalls Milton Grodsky, dean of the Graduate School from its inception until 1991 and the person tasked by then-UMUC chancellor Stanley Drazek to develop a graduate program, "and found that none of them targeted the working professional." Further complicating the effort was the fact that the other institutions that form what is now the University System of Maryland (USM) were skeptical, to say the least. "I literally had to go from school to school," says Grodsky, "to try to get their approval." Grodsky’s persistence paid off, and eventually UMUC was given the go-ahead to offer an applied graduate program. "We would never have been able to convince the other USM schools that we should be allowed to go forward," Grodsky insists, "if we had not demonstrated that our program would be of high quality."

To avoid duplication of existing graduate business programs in Maryland, and to take advantage of UMUC’s considerable experience in continuing education for working adults, the graduate program was carefully designed to appeal to middle and senior-level managers by emphasizing the activities related to those types of positions: planning, budgeting and resource allocation, organizational communication, managerial leadership, and so on. A "capstone" course, called Organizational Decision-Making, was created to bring together at the end of the program all the subjects of the previous courses. The program also called for students to pass a comprehensive examination and to complete and defend a management project. To further differentiate it from other USM graduate programs dealing with management, GSMT’s program, which was based on the belief that management is the realm of generalists, led to a degree called the Master of General Administration (M.G.A.). UMUC’s graduate program differed from other area programs in another important way: its faculty. In the beginning Grodsky and three full-time faculty members taught all the courses in the curriculum, but the unexpectedly high number of applicants to the program necessitated an increase in the faculty. By 1985, GSMT had largely adopted its current mixture of academic administrators and adjunct faculty. The academic administrators fulfill many of the functions of full-time tenured faculty at traditional institutions: in addition to teaching, they develop and update courses in their areas of specialization, recruit and supervise adjunct faculty, and advise students. The adjunct faculty are selected on the basis not only of their academic achievements but also of their experience. "Eighty-seven percent of our adjunct faculty have terminal degrees," explains Christina Hannah, acting dean of graduate studies, "and all have many years of experience in their areas of expertise. That’s why we think of them as ‘scholarly practitioners.’" This combination of academic and professional experience helps ensure that GSMT’s programs stay close to the needs of its students.

As unique as its faculty is the Graduate School’s student body. Drawn from all sectors of the economy and the working world, GSMT’s students are typically part-time, generally somewhat older than those found in more traditional graduate programs, and very much interested in applying what is learned in the classroom to real-world situations in the workplace.

"What attracted me to UMUC’s graduate program was the combination of theoretical and practical material in the courses," says Frank R. Kent III (M.G.A. ’91), director of corporate human resources at CAIS Internet in Washington, D.C. "The theory provided me with a good foundation in basic business issues, and the practical work was directly applicable to the workplace." GSMT’s students also demonstrate a commitment and self-discipline that sets them apart. "The quality of the students has always impressed me," says Marie Hallion, an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School’s general management department since 1980. "I know they’re juggling family, careers, and other responsibilities, yet they are still committed to learning."

From 1978 on, the number and diversity of GSMT’s students continued to grow, and the Graduate School began to add new programs and courses. By 1982, the M.G.A. had a variety of specialty tracks in such areas as health care administration, marketing, and management information systems. In 1983, GSMT began offering the M.G.A. as an "executive" degree program as well, allowing busy senior managers to obtain their master’s degrees in 18 months through an accelerated Friday evening/Saturday seminar format.

By 1986, in response to the growing importance of technology in all aspects of society and the workplace, two new degree programs joined the M.G.A.: the Master of Science (M.S.) in Technology Management and the M.S. in Computer Systems Management. The 1980s also saw the creation of the Master of International Management and the M.S. in Telecommunications Management degree programs, as well as a joint program with University of Maryland Baltimore County.

In the 1990s, the Master of Software Engineering (another joint program, this one with University of Maryland, College Park) and the M.S. in Environmental Management were added to the program inventory. Today, GSMT’s eight degree programs span 22 specialty tracks.

"Changes in the workforce brought about a constant need for innovation in program design," says Nicholas Allen, dean of graduate studies from 1991 to 1998 and currently acting executive vice president and provost of UMUC. "At the same time, that balance between theory and practice remained the most important consideration in our curricula."

UMUC’s goal has always been to provide quality educational opportunities at times and places convenient for the working student. This has led GSMT, like its undergraduate counterpart, to develop a strong program of distance education, using a variety of delivery methods with special emphasis on the World Wide Web. Five of GSMT’s eight degree programs are now available online, via UMUC’s WebTycho platform, as well as in the more traditional classroom format. In the fall 1998 semester, GSMT had online students in 27 of the 50 United States.

"The new instructional technology presents both challenges and opportunities," says Hannah. "One thing is certain, though: it has enriched the learning experience for our students, faculty, and staff."

As it approaches the 21st century, GSMT continues to innovate and to explore new options for meeting the needs of an increasingly technology-oriented and global workforce. In 1998, the Graduate School began offering the Master of Science in Management as its general management degree, in response to the needs of today’s managers for greater specialization and a more quantitative orientation. It also unveiled a new executive master’s program (its fourth), the Executive Program in Information Technology. Proposals for a doctoral degree in management and an accelerated online Master of Business Administration program are currently being developed, and GSMT faculty are constantly experimenting with the capabilities of the online delivery system and its accompanying pedagogical challenges.

"Twenty years ago when GSMT started," says Hannah, "we were one of the few schools that acknowledged the special educational needs of the adult, working student. Today, a great many more institutions have finally caught on." The dominance of technology, the shift from the traditional "four years of college" to the need for lifelong learning, increasing competition from other colleges and universities seeking to attract part-time graduate students—these and other factors will shape GSMT over the next two decades. Judging by what it has accomplished over the last 20 years, the next 20 promise to be a busy and exciting time indeed.

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