Programs, Curricula & Courses (PCC) Manual

Introduction
Table of Contents
Programs
Departments
Approval Routes and Times
Centers and Institutes
College Contacts

The Design of Academic Programs

Curriculum Changes
Faculty Governance
Off-Campus and
Distance Learning
Minors
Bachelor's Degrees
Honors Programs
Master's Degrees
Doctoral Degrees
Certificates
Combined Bachelor's /
Master's Degrees
Dual Master's /
Doctoral Degrees
Credentials
Master and Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies

Approved Programs

2008-09 Academic Planning and Programs Calendar (Please contact the Graduate School for information about spring Graduate PCC and Graduate Council meetings.)

Design of Academic Programs

Section XII: Credential Programs

(Original proposal only)

April 20, 1991

This is a proposal for a new, continuing education "Credential Program" which could be offered by departments at UMCP for the purpose of allowing and encouraging working adult students to update or expand their expertise in a limited, specified area of knowledge, and of providing them with documentary evidence that they have completed the block of courses that define that area.

A "Credential" could be awarded to a student who has successfully completed a specified series of graduate courses in a specialty area designed to meet the continuing educational needs of government and/or business. Any department would have the option of proposing its own Credential Program. Such proposals would require the normal approval of department, college or school, and Graduate Council PCC Committee. Attached to this proposal is a specific proposal for a Credential Program in six areas in the Department of Electrical Engineering (Enclosure III).

I. General Concept

To obtain a Credential under this program, the student would have to successfully take a specified sequence of at least nine credits of graduate courses in one specialty area; the courses offered would be normally selected from regularly scheduled graduate courses with the goal of meeting the continuing education needs of working adult students. The courses offered would be subject to the availability of university resources. They would not be offered at the expense of existing degree programs. The proposers of any such program would have to demonstrate that the sequence offered meets the specific needs of such students and constitutes a coherent entity, the completion of which warrants the issuing of a Credential.

As a land-grant public institution and as the flagship of the University of Maryland System, the University of Maryland, College Park has a diverse and important set of service functions. As indicated in its mission statement, these include:

• providing high-technology service to state industry.
• Providing in-service training and continuing educational opportunities to professionals in such areas as computer science, engineering, business and management journalism, and education.

This new continuing education Credential Program would provide an efficient and cost-effective method of contributing to the achievement of this mission of the University. The obtaining of a Credential would, in the case of a candidate for an advanced degree, serve as tangible evidence of accomplishment prior to receiving the degree; in the case of a non-degree candidate (who may be reluctant or unable to enroll in a complete graduate program) the Credential would affirm that his or her skills had been upgraded in a specified, limited area.

Stanford University recently began to offer a non-credit "Certificate Program" in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Their program (Enclosure I) is similar to the Credential Program here being proposed and has met with great success.

II. General Guidelines

The proposed program would be available (A) to candidates for graduate degrees; (B) to Advanced Special Students, and (C) to a special category of ITV students ("NRO" students - see below) who are non-candidates for graduate degrees.

Candidates for graduate degrees, both on-campus students and ITV off-campus students, would be eligible to participate in the Credential Program. The following rules would apply to candidates for graduate degrees seeking a Credential:

1. Eligibility for a Credential: A student to be eligible must be enrolled as a candidate for a master's or a doctoral program.

2. Course requirements for a Credential: Requirements will be a specified set of courses in a specialty area consisting of at least nine credits (with at least six mandatory and remaining three elective from an approved list). The courses must be successfully completed within a period of no more than three years.

3. Grade point average requirements: To obtain a Credential the student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the nine required credits, with no grade less than a "C."

4. Awarding of the Credential: The Credential will be awarded by the college or school in which the program is offered. It affirms that the student has successfully completed the specified courses in the specialty area.

5. Records: The office of the Registrar will record on the student's transcript the award of the Credential.

Advanced Special Students, both on-campus students and ITV off-campus students, would be eligible to participate in the Credential Program. The same rules would apply to Advanced Special Students seeking a Credential as to candidates for graduate degrees (rules 2 through 5 above).

NRO is an acronym for "Non-Registered Option"; an NRO student category is an option available only to ITV students. NRO students must have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. NRO students cannot be candidates for a graduate degree. They may take graduate UMCP courses on ITV without matriculating; they receive a grade, but no credit for the course. Other than receiving no credit, NRO students are treated exactly as credit students by the instructor. If an NRO student is approved as a candidate for a Master's degree, up to six NRO credits may be applied to the Master's degree program with the approval of the department involved and the Graduate school. A description of the NRO category and some relevant background information is given in Enclosure II. (Omitted!)

The following rules apply to NRO students:

1. Eligibility for a Credential: An NRO student may be admitted to the Credential Program by earning "B" or better in one of three Credit Courses for the specialty of interest, and upon admission may apply up to two three-credit courses as Credential program courses.

Rules 2 through 4 are the same for candidates for graduate degrees (see above).

5. Records: The Office of the Registrar will handle all NRO students in the same manner as they do now for non-Credential program NRO students. Thus the office of the Registrar maintains a special internal record for all those who choose the non-registered option. Once the student is admitted to the Credential Program, the appropriate courses will be identified as Credential Program courses on a University Official Academic Transcript.

III. Value of the Proposed Credential Program

The program at Stanford University, which is similar to the proposed Credential Program, has proven to be very popular with their ITV students, who are mostly engineers and scientists. Before offering their Certificate Program, Stanford's ITV system experienced a decline in student enrollment in degree programs; their ITV program was not meeting the need of their participating organizations and ITV students; thus, they initiated the Certificate Program to satisfy the needs for continuing education by employees of their ITV participating organizations.

Increasingly, our ITV program is learning from our corporate clients, who are primarily technologically oriented, that a more flexible alternative to a master's program in engineering and computer science is important to them. IBM, in particular, has requested that we provide groupings of courses in particular interest areas. These courses would teach critical new skills to IBM employees which would enable the organization to maintain its competitive edge. IBM has repeatedly stressed that their interest lies in reskilling and retraining the existing work force and providing lifelong learning opportunities for their employees, who are not eligible for candidacy, an opportunity to continue their education directed to the type of work they are doing. A letter supporting the Credential Program from the IBM Manassas Educational Manager is shown in Enclosure IV.(Omitted!>

Also shown below in Enclosure IV are letters recommending the Credential Program from Dr. Dieter, Dean of the College of Engineering, and from Dr. Destler, Chair of the Electrical Engineering Department.(Omitted!)

Offering this Credential Program would be of value for a number of reasons:

1. For the students who have advanced degrees and are not interested in a degree program, or who are not eligible for candidacy and who otherwise would not take courses, or who cannot or are unwilling to spend the time and effort for a complete graduate degree program, the program offers the opportunity to continue their education in a way that improves their work-related abilities and their advancement potential.

2. The Credential is documentary evidence of accomplishment of the student, evidence that increases the opportunities for promotion both within and outside the student's current place of employment.

3. The Credential Program sets a finite goal for students who want to have a feeling of accomplishment beyond an individual course, but who are not able to complete a full degree program.

4. For employers, it is a means to increase the value of their employees to the organization in a job-related way.

5. For the College involved, the Department, and ITV it is an opportunity to meet the important need of providing continuing education to a large group of employees in area industry, business, and government organizations.

6. For the College Park campus, this program helps to fulfill its service mission, as stated in its mission statement, without cost to its academic programs.

7. For the State of Maryland, the program offers the potential of contributing to the strength of the State's economy.

 

Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Planning & Programs
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