Program of Study

More Information on Program of Study Types

Find examples of Program of Study Types below: 

• Degree Program: Most students will have a degree program, which will typically be their Primary Program of Study during their time at UMD. Some students may have multiple degree programs, but only one can be their Primary Program of Study.
• Non-Degree: Students can take courses without pursuing an official Program of Study, diploma, or degree. When students choose a Program of Study that has a type of non-degree, UMD will not confer educational credentials for that program.
• Minor: Students may choose to declare a minor, which they will complete in tandem with their Primary Program of Study.
• Concentration: Students can have degree programs and certificates that include a Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) acknowledged area of focus, called a concentration in Workday.
• Certificate: A certificate may be a standalone credential a student can earn that is not constrained to any degree program or minor they are completing.  

Primary Program of Study

A Primary Program of Study is the Program that drives the student’s academic journey and academic record. Every student in Workday will have only one Primary Program of Study per academic record, and their Primary Program of Study does not need to be credential granting. 

A student can have any standalone program as their Primary Program of Study. Programs that can be standalone include degree programs, certificates, and non-degree programs. 

A program that is not a standalone program cannot be a Primary Program of Study. Programs that are not standalone include minors and concentrations. 

The degree program a student chooses when admitted will be identified as their Primary Program of Study, but their Primary Program of Study can be changed during their time at UMD. 

Addable and Stackable Programs

The capability for students or administrators to add a Program of Study, like a second degree program or a minor, to a student’s record depends on which programs have been configured as Addable or Stackable Programs to the student’s Primary Program of Study. 

In Workday, Addable Programs need to be finished concurrently with a student’s primary program. For example, a student with a primary program of Government and Politics might be able to add an additional minor in History. The Addable Programs feature can also be set up to restrict students from participating in certain degree programs and minors together. For example, UMD can set up Workday so that a student cannot be both an English degree program and an English minor. 

In Workday, Stackable Programs do not need to be finished concurrently with a student’s primary program. For example, UMD can set up a Stackable Program for a certificate that can be completed before or after they complete their primary program of study.

Program Statuses

Program(s) of Study will have different statuses that correlate with a student’s progress in the program. These statuses will reflect on the student’s academic record. Examples include:

• In Progress: Student is currently active at UMD, completing coursework and educational objectives toward their Program of Study.
• Complete: The student has finished or ‘completed’ their Program of Study. Programs of Study will include their own academic requirements that students must satisfy to complete a program.
• Discontinued: Student is no longer pursuing the Program of Study.

Examples:

Note: Please keep in mind that these are examples of the concept and not a decision of how UMD will use this functionality.

Meet Aisha. Aisha is a student with two Programs of Study. Aisha has one degree program, Computer Science, which is her Primary Program of Study, and one minor, Mathematics. A minor cannot be a Primary Program of Study, so Aisha’s Computer Science degree program is automatically noted as her Primary Program of Study. 

In this case, Aisha’s Mathematics minor is bundled with the Primary Program of Study of Computer Science, otherwise known as an Addable Program, so the Mathematics minor must be completed together with the Computer Science degree program.  

Meet Sam. Sam is a student with one Program of Study. Since Sam only participates in one Program of Study that has a Program of Study Type of degree program, this program will be automatically noted as their Primary Program of Study.