College of Arts and Sciences University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the 7 colleges belonging to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth). The college enrolls nearly half of the university's students and offers 5 distinct graduate programs: biology, chemistry, English, Portuguese, and psychology. Programs use collaboration, service, and engagement to prepare students to be leaders within both the community and their fields of interest.

Alumni of the College of Arts and Sciences are leaders in business, communication, government, public service, and science. Notable graduates include the Director of the Urban Initiative, the Founder of Yomega Corporation, and an NSF expert for geosciences.

Apply Now

Graduate Programs in Biology

The proximity of UMass Dartmouth to coastal habitats allows for unique opportunities in biology research. The university offers the Master of Science (MS) in Biology/Marine Biology to students interested in areas such as animal behavior, biological oceanography, marine biology, and marine benthic ecology. Students interested in continuing their educations past the master's level can pursue the interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marine Science and Technology.

UMass Dartmouth also offers a nationally recognized PhD in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (BMEBT). The program offers faculty members, curriculum, and hands-on experiences with a rare intersection of biology, engineering, and technology. The program uses a multidisciplinary, team approach to address contemporary issues within biomedical industries.

Graduate Programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry

The College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers an MS with 5 specializations: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or physical chemistry. Students can also delve into the specialized areas of biotechnology and environmental chemistry.

Graduate students participate heavily in research projects, and have access to a number of research laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment, including DCS calorimeters, mass spectrometers, laser spectrometers, and more than 16 high performance liquid chromatographs.

Students pursuing their degrees beyond the master's level can complete the PhD in Chemistry, offered jointly with the UMass Lowell's Department of Chemistry.

The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Development

UMass Dartmouth offers Graduate Certificates in Sustainable Development (GCSD) to students and professionals seeking to explore, identify, and develop best practices in many areas of sustainable development, including sustainability auditing, carbon management, and energy management. The post-baccalaureate program is offered completely online and uses a hands-on, multidisciplinary approach to provide one of the few programs worldwide that offers professional credentials at the graduate level. MBA students may choose to concurrently earn MBAs with concentrations in Sustainable Development along with the GCSD degrees.

Graduate Program in Psychology

UMass Dartmouth offers Master of Arts (MA) in Research Psychology degrees to students who are planning to pursue PhDs, as well as those seeking higher-level careers in research. The MA program creates opportunities for close interaction and collaboration with faculty members, both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Coursework uses a number of research skill objectives, such as critically analyzing research, writing literature reviews, developing ideas for research, and designing studies.

Graduates have found careers in institutional or market research, career resources, junior college, or business training.

The university also offers an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program, which prepares students for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination. Unlike many ABA programs, the UMass Dartmouth program leads students to earn MAs in Psychology. The flexible program allows for maximum individualization; classes are offered in the late afternoon and evenings, and post-MA certificates are available for students who have previously earned their MAs.

The Master's degree in Clinical Psychology is a 3 year program directed at meeting the requirements for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts. Although the curriculum provides a broad exposure to a variety of therapy modalities the emphasis is on training in a behavioral perspective.

Graduate Programs in Professional Writing

The UMass Dartmouth professional writing program offers an MA in Professional Writing, along with a Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing. The program is tailored to people currently working within or aspiring to work in fields such as journalism, public relations, publishing, technical and business communication, or web authoring and design. Small classes and frequent opportunities for personal expansion offer students a solid background in rhetorical and communication theories, along with extensive writing and editing experience.

Supported by a Dedicated Faculty with a Wide Range of Experience

The faculty members within the College of Arts and Sciences comprise 13 diverse departments. However, faculty members from each of the departments have a wide range of professional and research experience, and are dedicated to student collaboration and development.

For instance, Dr. Erin Bromage in the biology department works with 2 graduate students on research related to antibody mediated protection.

Dr. Karen Gulbrandsen from the English department has extensive experience in publications and grant writing. Her research focuses on issues related to technology transfer between universities and private research laboratories to industry.

Dr. Andrew Revell is an assistant professor in psychology. He has recently been presented with the Joseph P. Healey Endowment Grant for his achievements in research related to cognitive development.

Financing Graduate Education at UMass Dartmouth

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is committed to providing an affordable and accessible education. The financial aid office on campus works to find assistance for more than 65 percent of students through federal, state, and university source. Qualifying students may apply for grants and waivers, loans, scholarships, work-study, or campus employment opportunities.

Teaching, Research and Graduate Assistantships are available and awarded by the department to many students who qualify.

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth -- Noted for Educational Excellence and Architectural Design

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus has its roots in several textile schools in the area. Today, the university offers over 40 diverse graduate degree programs and 25 graduate certificate programs in many fields of study. Noted architect Paul Rudolph was responsible for the campus's original master plan in the early 1960s, as well as the design for most of the buildings. His influence can be seen in the Brutalist style with decorative fluting, exposed structure design, and repeated geometrical shapes. UMass Dartmouth is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

The University of Massachusetts system has been providing top quality education opportunities since 1863. The system is made up of 5 physical locations in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and the UMass Medical School in Worcester, as well as the award-winning distance learning division, UMassOnline. The University of Massachusetts School of Law is located on the Dartmouth campus.

• Department of Biology
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Portuguese
• Department of Psychology
• Program in Professional Writing

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Postbaccalaureate Certificate
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Science (MS)
  Post Master Certificate (PMC)
  Master of Arts (MA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 46
• Doctoral Degrees 2
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees 7
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied230
• Accepted118
• Acceptance Rate51%
• Enrolled63
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $60
• Application Fee - International $60
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE, MAT, statement of purpose (minimum of 300 words), resume, 3 letters of recommendation, and official transcripts, writing sample for Portuguese and professional writing (10 pages)
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE, MAT, statement of purpose (minimum of 300 words), resume, 3 letters of recommendation, and official transcripts, writing sample for Portuguese (10 pages)
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced Degreesstatement of purpose (minimum of 300 words), resume, and 3 letters of recommendation (for applied behavioral analysis only), official transcripts
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 533 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$2,071
• Out-of-state tuition *$8,099
• International student tuition$8,099
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$14,929.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMarch 1
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Career or Field-Related Internships, Federal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students181
• Female Percentage69%
• Male Percentage31%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students181
• Part-time Percentage54%
• Full-time Percentage46%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino7%
• Black / African American3%
• White / Caucasian83%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian0%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races3%
• Unknown4%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty132
• Full-time Percentage62%
• Part-time Percentage38%
• Female Percentage47%
• Male Percentage53%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchTranslation studies, adaptations in fish via genetics, photochemistry, behavioral medicine, technology transfer
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last year$3,027,000