About the College of Arts and Sciences
About Us
Whether a student enters with a major firmly in mind or is still exploring his or her academic options, the College offers the intellectual challenge and the close support to gain entrance into some of the nation's finest graduate schools or to launch a chosen career.
The College offers students three different ways to focus their studies on academic areas that interest them--through majors, minors, and programs of study.
- A major provides in-depth study in a specific discipline, or in a combination of two disciplines. A major consists of at least ten courses.
- A minor is optional and consists of a sequence of at least six courses in a field.
- A program of study is a grouping of courses--typically drawn from a number of departments--that offers significant exposure to a field or is related to a specific set of skills.
Click Here to see a complete list of CAS's programs.
A faculty fanatically devoted to undergraduates.
Teaching undergraduates is a top priority. At most large universities, where research takes priority, that would not be the case. The College's faculty - all of whom are actively contributing to their fields - put their undergraduate teaching first. Most classes, including introductory courses, are taught by senior members of the faculty. As early as the first year, an undergraduate has the opportunity to work closely with these professors in seminars enrolling only 22-25 students. Among a student's teachers - and mentors - might be a Pulitzer Prize winning writer, scientists recognized by the National Science Foundation, Guggenheim, Fulbright or Ford Foundation scholars, or artists whose work have been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Choices and flexibility.
At the College, students enjoy many exciting options and a good deal of flexibility when designing their academic programs. To fulfill your distribution requirements, for example, you will select 12 courses from among six of seven broadly defined areas including the arts, historical and cultural studies, philosophical and humanistic studies, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and computer languages, and foreign languages.
Academic offerings that fill 171 pages of the UMass Boston Bulletin.
The choices available to students are nothing short of extraordinary. From Japanese language to Latin American politics, from Irish literature to black women's history, from biochemistry to documentary film to cognitive psychology, the curriculum is as culturally rich as the students and faculty themselves, and as dynamic as the interests, talents, and passions students and faculty bring to their studies and teaching.
To your advantage.
Minors are another way to create a program exactly suited to your interests and goals. A wonderful enhancement to your major, a minor provides a depth of knowledge in a particular field that will impress graduate school admission committees and future employers. One of the College's most popular minors is in management.
For the academically talented, a four-year University Honors Program
In this highly selective program that attracts some of the most talented students in the university, students take special honors seminars and courses, complete a senior honors project, and share an intense intellectual experience with equally dedicated students and some of the College's finest faculty scholars. The program sponsors undergraduate research, lectures, workshops, and social events.
Study abroad at Oxford and the Sorbonne, to mention a few.
Through the University's affiliations with some 40 universities world-wide, students may enrich their education and deepen their understanding of different cultures - for an entire year, a semester, a summer, or during January intercession - in countries such as Japan, Colombia, China, Australia, Spain, Ireland, and Mexico.
Research and special projects with faculty.
Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences encourage students, especially those considering graduate or professional school, to take on independent work and discover the rigors and rewards of an intense academic experience. Students may propose their own independent study, collaborate with a faculty member, or arrange a project with one of the University's acclaimed Institutes, such as the McCormack Institute for Public Affairs or the Institute for Asian American Studies.
From the State House and the Boston Globe to Merrill Lynch -- internships.
Through the University's Internship Office, their professors' wide ranging contacts, and their own initiative, students find professional internships, as well as co-ops, in every imaginable field. Students of the College of Arts and Sciences, in fact, pursue the most internships of any students at the University. At the College, many internships are built into the major program.
A high percentage of students admitted to law and medical schools.
Great advising is one reason. The College's faculty-led Program in Premedical Studies and Health-Related Careers provides a science curriculum and advising support to assist students with course planning and applications. Pre-law students work with advisors who suggest appropriate courses and activities to give them a competitive edge when applying to law school.
Outstanding graduate programs.
When you're ready to earn your master's or doctorate, come back to UMass Boston. The College offers superior opportunities to advance in your profession, from a master's program in areas such as applied sociology or American Studies to a doctoral program in fields such as clinical psychology and computer science.
Excellent neighbors.
The JFK Library and the Massachusetts Archives. Resources of these fine facilities, located next to the campus, are available to students for research and study.
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