University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

A constituent unit of the University of Massachusetts, UMass-D’s seven schools provide 49 undergrad and 20 Masters programmes to 9,053 students

Offering the advantages of sweeping rural and urban vistas and easy access to the Atlantic coast, the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (UMass-D) is a constituent unit of the University of Massachusetts — one of America’s most prestigious universities. Ranked #42 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013, the University of Massachusetts is spread over five campuses on the east coast — Boston, Amherst, Lowell, Worcester and Dartmouth — each a centre of academic excellence in its own right. Yet perhaps the most scenically attractive is UMass-D, just an hour’s drive from Boston, Providence and bustling New York.

Its scenic location apart, UMass-D’s seven schools — arts and sciences, business, engineering, visual and performing arts, nursing, law, and marine and science technology — offer undergraduate degree programmes in 49 disciplines, 20 Masters and six doctoral programmes to 9,053 students instructed by 376 full-time faculty. An indicator of the university’s commitment to uniquely broad-based contemporary education is that all students, regardless of their major, have to mandatorily sign up for courses in scientific inquiry, aesthetics, interpretive understanding, humanity and society, and skills for the 21st century.

UMass-D traces its roots to 1895, when the Massachusetts state legislature chartered the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River. In 1960, these colleges were merged to create the Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) and nine years later, SMTI became Southeastern Massachusetts University. It became a UMass campus in 1991 when Southeastern Massachusetts University was merged into the University of Massachusetts system.

Dartmouth. A coastal New England town comprising a chain of historic coastal villages, vineyards, and farms, Dartmouth (pop.5,064) is an aesthetic blend of rural, suburbia, coastal and urban ambiences. The town is separated into North and South Dartmouth. North Dartmouth hosts a large commercial district with a mall, movie theatre, retail stores, and several restaurants.

South Dartmouth borders Buzzards Bay where a lively fishing and boating community thrives. Off its coast is the famous Martha’s Vineyard and Cuttyhunk. Horseneck Beach, one of the finest beaches in New England, is an hour’s drive from the campus as are Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.

The climate of Dartmouth is typically temperate with weather fluctuations characteristic of the New England area. Temperatures vary between 30oC in summer to -20o C in winter, when snowfall is common.

Campus facilities. Once 710-acres of rolling farmland, the UMass-D’s campus architecture is strikingly post-modern with its 13 buildings housing 122 classrooms, 113 instructional labs and studios, and halls of residence surrounded by playing fields. Five miles from the main campus in New Bedford is the School for Marine Science and Technology, one of America’s top-ranked marine education and research institutions.

UMass-D’s superbly well-stocked Claire T. Carney Library offers access to over 438,887 print volumes and 77,584 e-books and microforms. The library also houses special collections including rare books, faculty publications, and the Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Archives — the largest collection of resource material on RFK’s assassination in 1968. Moreover in 2007, the university inaugurated a 22,000 sq.ft Research Building which focuses on science and houses the Botulinum Research Center.

Sports facilities are extensive and include a gymnasium, swimming pools, athletic tracks, practice soccer fields, softball diamonds, tennis courts, and intramural fields. The Campus Center is the hub of co-curricular services and amenities, and hosts the university’s campus store, McLean Eatery, Campus Center Cafe, faculty dining room, the Mirasols Express, ATM, UMass Pass One Card system, and information center. Moreover, there are over 110 student organisations on campus which host co-curricular activities round the year.

Admission. Admission into UMass-D is competitive and heavily dependent upon candidates’ pre-university academic track record. Academic success apart, admission is based on essays, recommendation letters from teachers/guidance counselor, special demonstrated capabilities, and participation in extracurricular activities. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into undergraduate programmes is successful completion of Plus Two. Foreign students need to demonstrate proof of proficiency in English and submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Another requirement is success in the Scholastic Aptitude Test (math and critical reasoning) or American College Testing (ACT) exam. Students can apply online (http://www.umassd.edu/apply/) ($60). The deadline for submission of application forms is March 1 for admission into term beginning September 2015.

For further information, contact Undergraduate Admissions Office, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285, Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300. Tel: 001 508 999 8605/ Fax: 001 508 999 8755/; email: admissions@umassd.edu; website: www.umassd.edu. Queries about graduate admissions should be emailed to graduate@umassd.edu.

Accommodation. UMass-D offers 14 halls of residence and a variety of residential plans, including apartment-style living. Most first-year students live in suites, two to a room with a shared bathroom. All residences offer laundry and mail facilities, lounges, areas for study groups, etc. Sports facilities (tennis and basketball) are usually contiguous.

Degree programmes. The university’s seven schools offer 61 undergraduate and 32 postgraduate programmes. These are augmented by options within majors, internships, and the freedom to sign up for inter-disciplinary courses (see box).

SUMMIYA YASMEEN