College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

B715 Lederle Graduate Research Tower

Contact: Stanley S. Hertzbach
Office: Arts & Sciences Advising Center
E-24 Machmer Hall
Phone: (413) 545-2192
Email: artsci@cas.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/artsci_advising

Dean: James F. Kurose. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Advising: Stanley S. Hertzbach.

All departments in the college offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Science. All departments except Computer Science also offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts.

Students have great freedom in choosing a program of study and a major. However, some of the major programs require sequences of courses that can extend over seven or eight semesters. Students who do not consider this in their course selection during their first year may have to use a summer session or extra semesters to accommodate these sequences.

The Fields

The departments of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics encompass the disciplines which are essential to all fields of scientific research and application. They study the sciences of life, of the planet, of the universe. Information gained from research in chemistry and biology is essential to understanding the processes of life, from cells to organisms to ecosystems. Insights into planetary, climatic, and atmospheric functions come to us through physics, the geosciences, and astronomy. Mathematics and computer science provide models and tools for conducting such research. We use scientific and analytic methods and knowledge in our daily life and at all levels of education, as well as in advanced research.

Academic Advising Services

All students in the college are encouraged to meet regularly with an academic adviser. Faculty and staff advisers are available to assist students with questions or concerns that they have as they progress through their academic careers. This includes advice on course selection; departmental, college and university requirements; career guidance; assistance with academic problems; and referral information about other services.

Each department in the college has a chief undergraduate adviser who facilitates advising to students concerning the major. Advising regarding college requirements, general academic advising, and information concerning other academic matters (e.g., repeat options, repeat course substitutions, late course adds, late course drops, academic discipline) and programs within the college are handled through the Arts and Sciences Advising Center, in E-24 Machmer Hall. This office also houses the College Records Office.

Career Opportunities

Students majoring in the sciences and mathematics develop understandings of process and logical and analytic ability. These enable them to pursue a wide range of careers directly upon graduation, or following further professional or graduate education. Graduates of the college are in medicine and health sciences, industrial science and technology, administration, elementary and secondary teaching, law, software and systems development, environmental protection, regional planning, and university research and teaching.

Career and Field Experience Advising

Students are encouraged to explore the world beyond the university through internships, international study, and career planning. Career Services operates the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Career Planning and Field Experience Offices. Staff are available to help students make intelligent, well-informed career choices, and to provide opportunities to obtain experience through internships, cooperative education, and service learning programs.

College Foreign Language Requirement

All students in the college must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate level, by one of the following methods:

a) Completion of a foreign language course at the fourth semester level (Intermediate II or Intermediate Intensive courses numbered 240-249). Intermediate II courses may be graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
b) Degree credit equivalent to such a course earned through an appropriate score on a College Board Foreign Language Achievement Test (SAT II) or a College Board Advanced Placement Test.
c) Proficiency demonstrated in a test designed by a University of Massachusetts language department, or a test administered and validated by a local faculty member if the language is not one offered by a department at the University.
d) Satisfactory completion in high school or college of either a fourth-level foreign language course, or of a third-level course in one language and a second-level course in another language.
e) Successful completion of one year in a high school in which English is not the language of instruction.
f) Successful completion of a semester or year’s study abroad program that leads to foreign language proficiency at the fourth semester (Intermediate II) level as approved by the appropriate language department.

Students who have not satisfied the Foreign Language requirement on admission to the college should select a foreign language course each term in residence until the requirement has been satisfied. The university offers sequences that satisfy this requirement in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. Students who have not yet completed the Foreign Language requirement may not apply their Pass/Fail option to foreign language courses numbered below 240.

Students who are certified by the Disability Services Office as having a significant hearing impairment or documented learning disability that seriously limits the acquisition of foreign language skills may qualify for special accommodation. These students should meet with their Academic Dean in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center.

Note: A student whose primary major is not in Natural Sciences and Mathematics but who has a secondary major within the college will be exempt from the college’s Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement, but must complete all College requirements of the primary major. This exemption does not apply to Second Bachelor’s Degree Candidates.

College Requirement for the B.A.

In addition to the university requirements, the College Foreign Language requirement and the requirements of the major, all students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts must complete two courses in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and/or the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. These two courses may carry a General Education designation, but must be completed in addition to all courses applied to General Education requirements. The courses may not be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Students may not apply to this requirement any practicum, independent study, thesis, or internship course, or any course below the 100 level. Students may petition the undergraduate dean to apply certain experimental, seminar, and special topics courses (courses with numbers ending in 90, 91-95, or 97).

College Requirement for the B.S.

In addition to completing the Foreign Language requirement, all students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the college must earn a minimum of 60 credits in courses offered by the college and the Department of Psychology, or other approved related courses. These include credits earned to satisfy General Education and major requirements.