UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College Programs

Featured

Learn about Summer Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review.

Residential Programs @ UMass Amherst

Building & Construction Technology: BuildingLab

The BCT BuildingLab is a two-week immersive pre-college program for high school students interested in exploring buildng construction, sustainability, engineering, architecture, and technology-related career paths.

College Application Intensive 

The College Application Intensive is a comprehensive week-long intensive dedicated to understanding and preparing for the college application process. A range of key topics will be covered, includingan exploration of personal strengths and interests; college majors and career paths; admissions strategy; essay writing; and standardized test prep.

Drug Discovery: Exploring Biochemical Properties of Plants

This two-week summer program will utilize multiple resources at UMass Amherst to explore this diverse area of study, including (but not limited to) the Plant Cell Collection Library (PCCL), the herbarium, and our research greenhouses. 

Entrepreneurship: Becoming a Game-Changer
In person

This two-week course for high school students will guide you to see that entrepreneurship is everywhere and for everyone.

Energy Without Borders

In this two-week research-based course for high school students, you will use hands-on research methods to investigate the links between climate change, the green energy transition, and access to resilient infrastructure, and envision new solutions to existing inequities.

Equine Science

This two-week program allows high school students to explore what it takes to succeed in the horse industry, and in doing so, challenge themselves to become better horsemen and future leaders in the equine profession. 

Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology

In this two-week course, students will explore the fields of forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology to learn how the science of biological anthropology can be applied to legal processes and learning about the past.

Hospitality & Tourism Management Leadership Academy 

This two-week program provides a platform for talented and driven high school students to learn core business foundations and experience all of the amazing opportunities behind the business of hospitality.

Introduction to Electronics & Arduino

This two-week course for high school students allows you to learn and practice the skills of building creative coding and electronics projects of your own design.  

Introduction to Programming in Python

This two-week computer science course for high school students will introduce you to the programming language Python. Build skills, learn to write programs, and complete a final coding project.

Isenberg Business Ethics Academy
In Person and Online

In this two-week program for high school students, you will study the fundamentals of law and ethics in business decision-making, and gain hands-on case competition practice.

Kinesiology: Pathway to the Medical Professions

This two-week course for high school students introduces you to the key areas of kinesiology, including physiology, biomechanics, and neuroscience.  

Modern Astronomy

This two-week program for high school students allows you to learn the fundamentals of observational astronomy and astrophysics through real-world data. 

Pre-Veterinary Medicine

The two-week Pre-Veterinary Medicine program introduces students to the field of veterinary medicine.

Programming for Aspiring Scientists: Python with Applications to Physics
In person and Online

This two-week course for high school students lets you become proficient in the programming language Python while solving a variety of problems in physics.

Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond

This 2-week course offers the unique opportunity for students to delve into the psychology of the human-animal bond.

Reading and Writing the Graphic Novel

This two-week course for high school students introduces you to graphic novels, including consideration of the history, narrative structure, aesthetics, and genres of the medium, as well as how to create your own works. 

Social Media & Society

This two-week course for high school students uses social media platforms to introduce you to sociology as a discipline and a way of thinking about your social world. 

Sports Broadcasting

In this two-week program for high school students, you will learn the basics of sports broadcasting in our state-of-the-art broadcast studio with experienced UMass Amherst Journalism faculty as your teachers.

Sport Management & Leadership Academy
In Person and Online 

This two-week program for high school students helps you learn practical sport management applications and industry insights to build your career. 

Sport Performance

This 2-week program provides a dynamic, hands-on opportunity for individuals aspiring to enhance their athletic performance or explore a career in sports performance.

Summer Design Academy
Residential @ UMass Amherst
Residential @ Mount Ida Campus

The UMass Amherst Summer Design Academy provides an opportunity for high school students interested in architecture, landscape architecture, urban or interior design to learn more about these professions and experience the kinds of activities that take place in a university design program.

Summer Engineering Institute

The two-week Summer Engineering Institute is a multi-faceted program that allows high school students to explore how engineers envision creative, practical solutions that benefit the everyday lives of people and the communities in which they live.

2024 Program Start Dates

• Session 1: June 30
• Session 2: July 14
• Session 3: July 28

Program fees vary by length of program as well as format. Please visit our website for more information!