UML student, Jordan Knight, Janson Borowko and Clark Lacossade by Phil Vassar's piano during sound check before the concert.

World-Ready Education

Through effective classroom engagement, research opportunities working with our distinguished faculty and a range of other experiential learning opportunities, students emerge from our degree programs equipped with the skills, insights and perspective needed to achieve success in their careers and improve their communities.

Qurat Ann writes on a whiteboard with a blue marker

Advanced Study Opportunities

Our graduate degree and certificate programs give students the skills and knowledge to assume leadership roles in business, research, education, government and community organizations. Through our accelerated “bachelor's to master's” programs, students may earn dual credits that can be applied to both undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees.

A group of students designing for a 3D printer in the UMass Lowell Fabrication Lab.

Cutting-edge Research and Creative Activity

Our faculty includes nationally and internationally recognized researchers, scholars and creative artists engaged in developing new knowledge and contributing to the cultural fabric of our world. Our college’s research and cultural centers serve as hubs for scholarship and creative activity, and provide ample opportunities for student engagement.

By the Numbers

  • $4.6M
    in external research funding for 2022.
  • 84.4%
    Freshmen Retention Rate.
  • 70+
    Music concerts throughout the year.
  • 11
    Research and Engagement Centers
  • 230
    Full-time Faculty
  • 12
    Academic Departments
  • 32
    Percentage of degrees awarded to FAHSS students in 2014-15
  • 30
    Musical ensembles
  • 2
    Campus art galleries

Student Profiles

UMass student Sandi DeRuntz stands in front of Difference Maker sign.
Sandi DeRuntz '25
Bachelor of Liberal Arts: Art and Psychology

Sandi DeRuntz invented ZipperBuddy, an aid for people with disabilities, through an interdisciplinary class and DifferenceMaker.

I’ve found my purpose: I want to create accessible devices.
Read More About Sandi DeRuntz 
Shaila Bornstein on stage at Durgin Hall as one of the two student panelists for debates among the Democratic primary candidates for Niki Tsongas’ seat in Congress
Shaila Bornstein '19
Criminal Justice, Political Science

A semester in Washington, D.C., interning with a nonprofit that trains women to run for political office galvanized Shaila Bornstein. As soon as she finishes at UML, she plans to return to Washington to gain political experience so she can run for president.

The opportunities I’ve already gotten here are above and beyond what I could have gotten anywhere else.
Read More About Shaila Bornstein 
Michelle Garcia reads aloud in front of a class
Michelle Garcia '21
English, Sociology

Michelle Garcia, a rising spoken word poet, is also learning how to write poetry for the page.

Writing keeps me sane. It keeps me grounded.
Read More About Michelle Garcia 
Colin Ormond dances the salsa with a group of dancers.
Colin Ormond '26
Political Science

Driven by a passion for environmental protection, Colin Ormond found his path at UMass Lowell through political science, sustainability research and public policy work.

I feel like I hit the lottery with (the Office of Energy Transformation fellowship) program.
Read More About Colin Ormond 
Roberta Rivera in his middle school classroom.
Roberto Rivera '18, '20
English, Spanish and Italian & Education

Roberto Rivera combined a B.A. in English literature and Spanish and Italian with a master’s degree in education to become an ESL teacher in the Lawrence schools.

My professors didn’t just make me an English teacher. They made me a teacher: someone who can work with children and teach them properly, whatever they need.
Read More About Roberto Rivera 

Connect with the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

What questions do you have for the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in regard to our programs or undergraduate admissions at UMass Lowell? We're ready to talk about your future.

FAHSS News

  • A young man in a black hoodie and baseball cap poses for a photo outside of a record store.

    Criminal Justice Alum Takes a ‘Counter Intuitive’ Career Path

    Ten years ago, criminal justice alum Jake Sulzer ’15 took a “shot in the dark” and offered to release a local band’s album on vinyl. Now, he runs a successful independent record label, Counter Intuitive Records, and recently launched a brick-and-mortar store in Brookline, Massachusetts.
    Featured Story
  • A man in a graduation cap and gown has a white cord attached to his shoulder by a man in a baseball cap and sunglasses.

    UML’s 2025 Commencement is One for the Ages

    There was a 65-year age gap between the oldest member of UMass Lowell’s Class of 2025, 83-year-old John Doherty, and the youngest members, 18-year-old twins Franzi and Edward Hoene, but the graduates were united by a love of learning and a desire to grow.
    Featured Story
  • Rosemary Noon, Julie Nash, Svar Rajankumar Patel, Paul Marion and Arundahati Prasanth

    From the Attic to the Archives

    Paul Marion ’76, ’05 and Rosemary Noon, who have deep ancestral roots in Lowell, recently donated a treasure trove of artifacts to the Center for Lowell History, which is part of the UMass Lowell Library.
    Featured Story

Support the College

Gifts at any level make a direct impact on thousands of UMass Lowell students and faculty every day.