UMGC Global Media Center
University of Maryland Global Campus to Host First-Ever Virtual Commencement

Online Ceremony to Include Keynote Address by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Photos and Inspirational Messages from Graduates, Faculty and Families

Website to Go Live Beginning Saturday, May 16, at 9 a.m. EDT

ADELPHI, Md. (May 6, 2020)—University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), the nation’s largest online public university, is producing a special virtual commencement ceremony that will be available for graduates and their families to view anytime and from anywhere, beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern daylight time on Saturday, May 16.  The virtual ceremony honors the university’s 2020 Spring Commencement degree recipients and takes the place of in-person stateside ceremonies scheduled for May 14–17 that have been cancelled because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. (An in-person celebration will be planned for a later date.) The virtual ceremony will be available to graduates and guests and will include prerecorded video addresses from:

• Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who will deliver this year’s keynote.
• UMGC President Javier Miyares, who will offer greetings and confer all degrees.
• Student speaker U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Timothy French, who will speak on behalf of the graduating class.

The website also includes a section comprising the names of graduates with their photos and inspirational messages, and it showcases additional messages of congratulations from UMGC faculty, staff members and others.

Worldwide, the class of UMGC 2020 Spring Commencement degree recipients is 13,320 strong.  The virtual commencement website will include the names of the 11,277 graduates living in the U.S.

UMGC holds separate in-person commencement ceremonies annually in Germany, Tokyo, Okinawa, South Korea and Guam for military personnel and their families who are serving overseas. Those ceremonies have been postponed and will be rescheduled for later in the year.

Here is a snapshot of UMGC 2020 Spring Commencement degree recipients:

Youngest Graduate: 18 years old

Oldest Graduate: 81 years old

About University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus (formerly University of Maryland University College) is a world leader in innovative educational models, with award-winning online programs in disciplines including biotechnology, cybersecurity, data analytics, and information technology that are in high demand in today’s increasingly technical, global workplace.

With an enrollment of some 90,000 students, UMGC offers open access with a global footprint and a specific mission—to meet the learning needs of students whose responsibilities may include jobs, family, and military service. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, including doctoral programs.

A pioneer in distance education since 1947, UMGC today is harnessing the power of learning science and technology to deliver high quality, low cost, accessible higher education.