UMUC aims to produce graduates who are well prepared to be responsible citizens of a global society as well as effective participants in the complex, fast-changing world of work. A bachelor's degree from UMUC offers a multidimensional experience, combining a solid educational foundation with cross-curricular breadth and focused study in an academic discipline. Through that experience, UMUC graduates develop and demonstrate the hallmarks of the educated person: intellectual ability, curiosity, and flexibility; fundamental skills in reasoning, analysis, and expression; understanding of the principles of scientific and intellectual inquiry; awareness of global and historical context; and civic and ethical responsibility.

UMUC demands that students meet expectations in specific core learning areas across the bachelor's degree as well as within the major disciplines. The UMUC degree begins with basic intellectual tools, ensuring through the general education and crosscurricular requirements that students are able to:

• Demonstrate competence in effective writing and oral communication.
• Understand information technology broadly enough to apply technology productively to academic studies, work, and everyday life; recognize when information technology would assist or impede the achievement of a goal; and adapt to the changes in and advancement of information technology.
• Demonstrate competence in information literacy by using libraries and other information resources to locate, evaluate, and use needed information effectively.
• Demonstrate the application of mathematical and numerical reasoning skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to understand key concepts and principles of the natural, social, and behavioral sciences and apply these principles appropriately within their lives.
• Demonstrate knowledge of relationships to other times and cultures, past and present, and an appreciation of major contributions of various events and individuals to human civilization; gain a chronological knowledge of the past and/or factual knowledge of a specific historical period; and study historical topics, trends, or events in the context of other disciplines to foster an understanding of issues of cause and effect.

These core learning areas are further promoted by integration throughout all programs. UMUC conducts learning outcomes assessments to measure and improve student learning in these areas as well as in specific disciplinary knowledge and skills.

In pursuit of an academic major (and minor), the UMUC student acquires mastery of a considerable body of knowledge in a specific academic subject area or group of related subjects. Each major and minor provides clearly articulated objectives for the knowledge, skills, and abilities a student acquires in completing the major.