April 25, 2024

Graduate Enrollment on the Rise

UMW just enrolled its largest spring graduate class since 2011 and the fourth largest spring class of graduate students in more than a decade.

In late November, after unanimous approval from the Board of Visitors, graduate admissions began promoting the MBA GRE/GMAT waiver for working professionals with 5+ years of professional work experience.  Localized marketing/recruiting efforts, press releases and word of mouth created a spike in MBA interest in new MBA applicants.  MBA prospective students for spring semester increased year over year by 55 percent.

There has also been an early uptick in MBA applicants for fall term.  New MBA enrollments were up 29 percent for the first eight weeks of spring, and we have additional applications secured for another wave of MBA enrollments for the second eight weeks.

The Virginia Educator Scholarship assisted in a successful spring launch of the Literacy Specialist cohort. Graduate education applications for spring term increased by 38 percent year over year, and new graduate education enrollments for spring term increased by 71 percent compared to spring 2015.

Finally, the MSGA program has experienced an increase in applications year-over-year.  Compared to spring 2015, MSGA applicants are up 70 percent, and new enrollments into MSGA core and prerequisite courses are up 100 percent compared to the prior year.

Come learn more about graduate recruitment initiatives scheduled for fall 2017. Christy Pack, director of graduate admissions, will host a brown-bag lunch on the Stafford campus, Thursday, Feb. 18, at noon.

UMW’s M.S. in Geospatial Analysis Program Begins This Fall

Students interested in the University of Mary Washington’s new Master of Science in geospatial analysis program will have an opportunity to meet with faculty and tour the facilities at an open house on Wednesday, May 14. The open house will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Monroe Hall, Room 346. Professor Brian Rizzo (right) works with students in UMW's GIS lab. Geospatial analysis encompasses geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and global positioning systems (GPS) to organize, analyze and display spatial information. UMW will be one of only two institutions in Virginia to offer an advanced degree focused solely on geospatial analysis. The M.S. in geospatial analysis will be an intensive 12-month program designed for both recent graduates and working professionals. The graduate degree was approved by the Board of Visitors and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in 2013. A complete course outline is available at http://cas.umw.edu/gis/masters/. UMW’s program will require 30-course credits, which will be available through evening classes and can be taken by both full-time and part-time students. Applications for the program have a recommended filing date of June 1. For more information, contact Brian Rizzo, director of GIS programs, at rizzo@umw.edu or Steve Hanna, chair of the Department of Geography, at shanna@umw.edu.

UMW Graduate Program in Geospatial Analysis to Begin Fall 2014

The University of Mary Washington’s Master of Science in geospatial analysis has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, paving the way for students to enter the program for the fall 2014 semester. The M.S. in geospatial analysis will be an intensive 12-month program designed for both recent graduates and working professionals. Geospatial analysis encompasses geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and global positioning systems (GPS) to organize, analyze and display spatial information. UMW will be one of only two institutions in Virginia to offer an advanced degree focused solely on geospatial analysis. The M.S. in geospatial analysis will be an intensive 12-month program designed for both recent graduates and working professionals. The graduate degree was approved by the Board of Visitors in February. A complete course outline is available at www.umw.edu/gis. “UMW is an ideal place to study geospatial analysis because of its location mid-way between Washington, D.C., and Richmond and because of its commitment to the liberal arts and sciences,” said Steve Hanna, chair of the Department of Geography. Professor Brian Rizzo (right) works with students in UMW's GIS lab. He said that, in addition to needing employees with advanced technical skills, employers look for a flexible workforce, with expertise in world cultures and languages, mathematics, statistics, computer science and the natural sciences, and spatial thinking. “Employment announcements stress the need for written and oral communication skills,” said Hanna. “All these are emphasized in the UMW curriculum.” UMW’s program will require 30-course credits, which will be available through evening classes and can be taken by both full-time and part-time students. Applications for the program will have a recommended filing date of June 1, 2014. For more information, contact Brian Rizzo, director of GIS programs, at rizzo@umw.edu or Steve Hanna, chair of the Department of Geography, at shanna@umw.edu.