According to InterEd, a research and assessment firm in higher education, UMUC is currently the largest virtual university in the United States in terms of enrolled students and graduates. When ranked against other accredited, degree-granting schools (e.g., Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Phoenix Online Campus), UMUC has graduated more than four times as many students and has a student enrollment that is more than 35 percent higher than its nearest competitor and has also graduated more than 300 percent more students.

UMUC’s decision to develop a virtual university was driven by the needs of part-time, adult students, its core population. Adult students who juggle many responsibilities often require the flexibility and convenience that come with online education. UMUC’s virtual university program (which by definition includes only those courses that are accessible online) provides students easy access to all the coursework and student services needed to complete a degree.

Undergraduate Programs at UMUC has been providing courses and degrees through distance education for more than 25 years through a variety of media, among which the World Wide Web is becoming increasingly predominant. Currently, UMUC offers 13 academic specializations through distance education, enrolling more than 5,300 students from all 50 states and a dozen foreign countries. At present, hundreds of students are enrolled in the undergraduate courses being offered on the Web. Accounting and business specializations are already available online, and all the most popular specializations will follow by the year 2000.

UMUC’s Graduate School of Management & Technology offers five master’s degree programs completely online, including a Master of Science in Computer Systems Management, Master of Science in Technology Management, Master of Science in Management, and Master of International Management. Currently, more than 2,000 students are enrolled in about 50 Web courses.

All of UMUC’s online courses are highly interactive and feature a variety of tools to facilitate learning (including computer conferencing, e-mail, electronic transfer of assignments, and several online information resources). Faculty members structure conferences around topics, problems, or case studies and assign students to groups to work on projects. Students also form their own online study groups and correspond with each other and their teachers via e-mail. Students and faculty members alike report that the amount and quality of interaction exceeds what they are accustomed to in their classroom-based courses.

Before teaching online, faculty members participate in workshops and online conferences and sometimes "shadow" an experienced teacher. Students also receive orientation and online training for Web courses, and the Office of Information and Library Services provides online consultation through a reference librarian and Web access to more than 60 databases, including full-text retrieval of documents.

Student services are accessible through the UMUC Web site. Students can apply for admission, search a schedule of classes and check seat availability, order books and materials, search for scholarships and apply for financial aid, and check their financial and academic records. In the near future, they will also be able to register for courses, pay bills, and participate in financial aid workshops online.

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