Prince George’s County Public Schools students can now earn a specialized college certificate in disciplines like artificial intelligence and leadership while receiving their high school diploma, thanks to a new partnership with the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Starting this month, high school students can dually enroll in Maryland’s online university for free, the two institutions announced Thursday. Students can earn college credits and pursue a UMGC certificate in artificial intelligence foundations; leadership and ethics; or Spanish for business and the professions.
College credential certificates fall between an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree, said Chris Motz, the university’s chief partnerships officer. They require between 16 and 18 college credits. Earning a certificate could help high school students work toward a bachelor’s degree faster.
“We’re creating a pipeline to provide an early opportunity for high school learners to experience UMGC and college in general,” Motz said. “This program is all about flexibility and helping students leave with credits that can be easily transferred.”
Participants are automatically enrolled in a preparatory course that teaches them about UMGC and learning online. All classes are asynchronous, meaning students complete lessons on their own time, but they will have access to coaches during school hours to help them with coursework.
Partnering with UMGC allows the school district to “remove financial barriers and provide our students with direct, high-value pathways into the modern workforce,” said Superintendent Shawn Joseph in a statement.
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“We are not just giving our high schoolers a head start on college credit — we are empowering them with practical, industry-aligned skills that give them a competitive edge in their future careers,” he said.
The school district picked the three certificates available to students, said Motz. UMGC administrators were “surprised, quite honestly” that the district chose one focusing on Spanish for businesses, but district leaders assured them that many students in the school system were proficient in Spanish and interested in the program.
The public school system is paying about 75% of tuition and mandatory fees for students, and UMGC waived the remaining 25%, said Motz. Annual costs to the school system are expected to fluctuate based on student enrollment, credit hours and selected coursework, officials said.
Under the agreement, the cost for each UMGC credit is $267.75, including tuition and the technology fee. Current enrollment stands at 73 students, but will likely fluctuate until classes begin on Sept. 16. Total annual costs will depend on confirmed enrollment, credit hours and program selection.
While the program is only available to Prince George’s students so far, Motz said that UMGC has had conversations with other school districts around Maryland about launching similar programs.
“Our goal is to continue to expand these kinds of dual enrollment relationships in Maryland, even beyond,” he said. “This is our way of committing to really strengthen the future workforce of our state.”
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