Destination:
The Five College Area / Pioneer Valley
of Western Massachusetts

The coeducational and nationally ranked research institution of the University of Massachusetts is surrounded by beautiful hills, forests, lakes, and meadows in the culturally rich environs of Amherst.

As a public university assisted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, UMass offers an excellent education at an affordable price. Here, undergraduates become directly involved in research and receive hands-on experience through internships or other similar field experiences.

With an enrollment of an approximate 24,000 (18,000 undergraduates, 6,000 graduates), UMass Amherst is the flagship campus of a university system whose other undergraduate campuses are in Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell. UMass has a medical school and affiliated teaching hospital located in Worcester and is the founding member of the nation's oldest and most successful college consortium, which in addition to UMass, includes Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges.

UMass students can take courses - at no extra charge -- at any of the schools belonging to the consortium. A free bus system links the five schools' campuses.

The university's faculty also has international ties and has landed and 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. In fact, faculty member Lynn Margulis, a pioneer in the field of symbiosis theory, has been named one of the 100 most influential scientists in history.

UMass also offers a rich cultural experience to both students, townspeople, and visitors alike. The Fine Arts Center features performances and exhibitions from artists around the globe. Its diverse offerings include music, dance, theater, Broadway, children's concerts, contemporary art, and educational activities.

On the other side of the spectrum lies UMass' Mullins Center, home to the UMass men's and women's basketball teams and the UMass hockey team. Offerings include sporting and skating events, concerts, family shows, and trade shows, and the ice rink is open daily for public skating.