History, Affiliations and Rankings
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst was established in 1863 under the federal Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act to give teaching in "agricultural, mechanical, and military skills" to Massachusetts residents. Initially, the development of UMass Amherst was slow but the institution was prospering at the turn of the century, and it swiftly extended its curriculum to include liberal arts. In 1907, the education curriculum was formed. The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which accredits colleges in the six New England states, has accredited the University of Massachusetts campuses at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and the Medical School. UMass Amherst was placed 68th on U.S. News & World Report's list of "Best National Colleges" in the 2021 edition of America's Best Colleges, and 26th among 141 public universities in the United States. Globally, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst has been ranked #148 and #=246 by U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2022 and QS World University Rankings 2022 respectively.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is located on 1,450 acres of Nipmuc land in the town of Amherst. In all directions, the campus stretches for roughly a mile (1.6 km) from the Campus Center. The research labs and academic buildings are in the centre, encircled by a ring of seven residential districts and two university-owned housing complexes. A ring of athletic facilities, minor administration buildings, and parking spaces surrounds them. The university mandated in 2008 that all new buildings and substantial renovations on campus attain a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification at the very least, as a result, on-campus, UMass Amherst features a number of green buildings, including those that have been accredited by the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design programme (USGBC). The flagship campus of the Commonwealth's University System, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a major research university enrolling over 30,000 students, from 49 United States and over 85 countries. Its 10 schools and colleges offer over 100 undergraduate majors, 78 masters and 48 doctoral programs. Sponsored research activities total over $200 million a year.
Accomplishments and Alumni
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). On October 21–24, 2018, the most current and complete accreditation assessment took place. On April 12, 2019, NECHE voted to renew UMass Amherst's accreditation for another ten years. In the fall of 2023, a regular fifth-year interim report will be presented for review. Four Nobel Laureates, a National Humanities Medal winner, numerous Fulbright, Goldwater, Churchill, Truman, and Gates Scholars, Olympic Gold Medalists, a United States Poet Laureate, as well as several Pulitzer Prize recipients and Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Award winners are among the university's past and present students and faculty. Alumni networks are critical in supporting major university activities, generating funding for scholarships, and promoting the University of Massachusetts system to future generations of students. Richard Gere is an actor from the United States. Some notable alumni include Catherine Coleman, an American scientist and former NASA astronaut; Jeff Corwin, an American biologist and animal conservationist; Paul Theroux, an American author and travel writer; and Stephane Lasme, a professional basketball player.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
As a worldwide university, The Institution of Massachusetts Amherst is delighted to have a diverse and inclusive community of academics, staff, and students. International students make up a large percentage of the university's student body. Students from Australia, Botswana, Canada, Gambia, Ghana, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, and South Africa add to the variety and diversity. The university's CICS Recruiting Program aims to make it simpler for students to meet a range of recruiters from large corporations. Amazon, IBM, Adobe Research, Viasat, Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and many others are among them. These companies attend employment fairs to recruit students and host tech presentations and other events to get to know them personally. Many of them have specialised recruiters on hand to answer questions and assist students with the application process. These Career Partners represent a diverse range of companies that appeal to students of computer science and informatics. They also have a lot of technical positions.