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The University of Massachusetts

UMass is ranked #10 among national public universities by the 1999 U.S. News & World Report.

Description

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a coeducational, nationally ranked research institution located in a beautiful, culturally rich New England town surrounded by hills, forests, lakes and meadows, just a few hours from Boston and New York City.

Unlimited opportunity

UMass is a public land-grant university that was founded in 1863 and is assisted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its size, diversity, and the richness of its academic and extracurricular offerings, provide almost unlimited possibilities for personal growth and professional development. A distinctive feature of UMass is the opportunity for undergraduates to become directly involved in research, and get hands-on experience in numerous areas through internships or field experience. UMass also offers a wide range of service learning and volunteer opportunities.

Enrollment

Each year about 18,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students attend UMass from all 50 states and nearly 100 foreign countries. Students can earn bachelor’s degrees in nearly 100 areas, associate’s degrees in six, master’s degrees in 68, and doctorates in 50, within the University’s 10 undergraduate schools and colleges, and the Graduate School.

Top faculty

In recent years, UMass faculty members have won an impressive array of the world’s most prestigious awards, including: the Nobel Prize; the Pulitzer Prize; the National Book Award for Poetry; the Tanner Prize for Poetry; the American Book Award for Fiction; the Draper Award in Engineering; and numerous MacArthur, Guggenheim, Sloan, Woodrow Wilson, and Fulbright Fellowships. Faculty member Lynn Margulis has been named one of the 100 most influential scientists in history for her work on symbiosis theory. And the UMass faculty love to teach. In any given year, about 90 percent of regular faculty do some teaching of undergraduate students. The student/faculty ratio is 18:1.

Former students

UMass alumni have achieved distinction in virtually every field and are an impressive and diverse group. They include: Jack Welch, former president of General Electric Co., and Jack Smith, president of General Motors; entertainer Bill Cosby; actors Richard Gere, Bill Pullman and Tsidii Le Loka; singer Natalie Cole; authors William Manchester, Paul Theroux, Valerie Martin, and Brett Lott; former Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino; and Olympians Briana Scurry (soccer) and Danielle Henderson (softball). Many graduates also continue their education at some of the most prestigious graduate and professional schools in the world.