University of Massachusetts - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Many students feel the faculty at UMass are more than capable of doing their jobs. The most popular and nationally acclaimed departments at UMass are business, psychology, communications, engineering, and computer science. Despite the overwhelmingly large general education requirements that each student must satisfy, the breadth and scope of classes involved allows students who have not yet picked a major to become exposed to fields that they might not have previously considered. Due to UMass’s size, students are sure to experience varying degrees of quality among the faculty.

UMass teachers are very good at making themselves available to students on an individual basis. Whether through e-mail, office hours, or weekly tutoring sessions, teachers are readily accessible. Evaluations conducted at the end of each semester by the students are taken quite seriously by the faculty, keeping the class formats up-to-date. About 99 percent of classes with 100 students or more have at least one teaching assistant (TA). However, depending on the department, many TAs do not speak English very well. This is only a problem if your class requires you take a lab/discussion led by a TA, in which case you can simply switch to another. One strength that UMass possesses over most other schools is the Five-College Interchange. This allows students to take courses at any one of the four colleges in the immediate area—Hampshire, Holyoke, Smith, and Amherst—for no additional charge.

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Students Speak Out

MGaubinger says: University of Massachusetts 2010 Law and Legal Studies

It Depends on You B+ At a school as big as UMass, its easy to get lost in the crowd. If you know what you want to study or find something that inspires you you should be okay. Professors are generally available, but you must be proactive and seek them out. Its also easy to just take the easy classes and have a good GPA without learning much, but if you're willing to challenge yourself you can get a world-class education. 12345 Academics: December 16, 2009 Report

markmark says: University of Massachusetts 2009 Business

Interact With the Teachers A+ Great academics and professors. Take advantage of meeting with them during office hours so you can benefit the most. Teachers give better grades if they know your name. 12345 Academics: November 30, 2009 Report

sdeady says: University of Massachusetts 2012 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences

Curriculum A UMass is a large university, and the consortium with the 4 other surrounding colleges makes the curriculum as large as possible. If UMass itself isn't offering what you want/need, it is almost guaranteed that the class will be at one of the other colleges. 12345 Academics: November 25, 2009 Report

tjmctiernan says: University of Massachusetts 2011 Business

Business - Operations Management A+ I came to UMass for Isenberg, the School of Management. This is the type of place where dreams come true and students are given every opportunity to realize them. In how many other schools can the head of a major say "Stop worrying, you're all going to get internships"? Please, for all the other benefits I get from being a part of the UMass community as a whole, there are few, if any, places I'd rather be. 12345 Academics: November 18, 2009 Report

akochan says: University of Massachusetts 2011 Social Sciences

Diversity of Majors A One of the things I find really helpful about UMass is the broad range of different majors offered to students. If you can't find a major that suits you, you can do BDIC in which you create your own major. No matter what, UMass has something for everyone to enjoy. 12345 Academics: November 17, 2009 Report

Facts

Did You Know?

UMass alumni are high achievers. They count among their ranks an astronaut, a Nobel Prize winner, Pulitzer Prize winners, four MacArthur “Genius” award recipients, state and federal lawmakers, Olympic athletes, several Fortune 500 CEOs, and scores of influential scholars, scientists, and engineers.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Danielle Muise
Hometown: Medway, MA
Major: Marketing and Communication Disorders

Fun Fact: Sophomore Plays and writes music Member of the UMass Marching Band Involved in student programming through House Council Among the top 1% of student leaders as a member of National Residence Hall Honorary

Contributing Author Internship

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more about the internship.