University Without Walls- UMass Amherst
Encyclopedia
University Without Walls, UMass Amherst (UWW) is an adult bachelor's degree
completion program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. Founded in 1971 as part of the national University Without Walls movement to increase access to higher education, UMass University Without Walls was one of the first programs in the United States designed especially for adult learners who wanted to complete their bachelors degrees. Since its doors opened, close to 3000 students have received bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from UMass University Without Walls, including NBA basketball legend Julius Erving
, the founder of Monster.com Jeff Taylor
, Northampton, Massachusetts Mayor Clare Higgins (politician), and documentary photographer Nubar Alexanian
.
The UWW program offers fully online or blended courses, and allows students to design their own course of study. Common areas of individualized degree concentration are: arts administration, business studies, children's learning and development, criminal justice, early care and education, journalism studies, health and human services, and sustainability studies.
Students in the program receive college credit for learning gained through life and work experience, and they are awarded a UMass Amherst diploma when they graduate.
Each UWW student has his/her own personal academic advisor who guides, supports and advises them from their first day as a student through graduation. All UMass UWW faculty and academic advisors hold doctoral degrees and have experience working with adult students returning to complete their bachelor's degrees.
Nearly 50% of UMass UWW graduates go on to graduate school.
In 2010, UWW graduate Mark Cerasuolo became the first fully online undergraduate student to deliver a student commencement address at a traditional four-year college or university.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
completion program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. Founded in 1971 as part of the national University Without Walls movement to increase access to higher education, UMass University Without Walls was one of the first programs in the United States designed especially for adult learners who wanted to complete their bachelors degrees. Since its doors opened, close to 3000 students have received bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from UMass University Without Walls, including NBA basketball legend Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, the founder of Monster.com Jeff Taylor
Jeff Taylor
Jeff Taylor is a founder of the online jobs site Monster.com. He is a graduate of the program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In August 2005, he left Monster to found a new venture called Eons.com, a social networking website for people over age 50. In 2008, Taylor started...
, Northampton, Massachusetts Mayor Clare Higgins (politician), and documentary photographer Nubar Alexanian
Nubar Alexanian
Nubar Alexanian is a documentary photographer whose worked has been featured in major magazines in the United States and Europe including The New York Times Magazine, Life, Fortune, GEO, Time and Newsweek. For the past 35 years he has travelled to more than 30 countries focusing on long term...
.
The UWW program offers fully online or blended courses, and allows students to design their own course of study. Common areas of individualized degree concentration are: arts administration, business studies, children's learning and development, criminal justice, early care and education, journalism studies, health and human services, and sustainability studies.
Students in the program receive college credit for learning gained through life and work experience, and they are awarded a UMass Amherst diploma when they graduate.
Each UWW student has his/her own personal academic advisor who guides, supports and advises them from their first day as a student through graduation. All UMass UWW faculty and academic advisors hold doctoral degrees and have experience working with adult students returning to complete their bachelor's degrees.
Nearly 50% of UMass UWW graduates go on to graduate school.
In 2010, UWW graduate Mark Cerasuolo became the first fully online undergraduate student to deliver a student commencement address at a traditional four-year college or university.