Graduate Student Resources

Most programs have application due dates early in the year and then make admissions decisions in early-late spring. When you are recommended for admission by your program, you'll be provided with information about how and when to formally accept your offer. Contact your program's coordinator or department administrator for specific questions about program admissions.

Accept your official offer from the Graduate School through SPIRE. Typically, the deadline for accepting admissions offers is April 15. Be sure to contact your program's coordinator or department administrator for official acceptance deadlines.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst serves over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students and is located in scenic and historic western Massachusetts. Part of the Five College consortium (with Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), UMass offers a wide range of specialties, including several nationally recognized research departments. Western Massachusetts is a beautiful part of the country and an excellent place to live and be a graduate student.

• Visit the Campus: The Robsham Memorial Center for Visitors offers tours for prospective undergraduate students. Prospective and new graduate students should contact their program's coordinator or department administrators for information about setting up a campus visit. 
   
• Find Housing:
  • Living at UMass Amherst has information about on-campus housing options for graduate students. Space is often limited, so be sure to sign up early or add your name to a waitlist. 
  • Family Housing in North Village is available for UMass affiliated students who are married and/or have dependent children. 
  • Off Campus Student Life has resources for students moving to the area including housing and roommate searches.
  • Off Campus Housing offers a one-stop housing resource page for students, including housing and roommate searches, message boards, local resources, and more. 
  • Other non-UMass housing listings include craigslist, RentNoho, Zillow, and Trulia. 
  • Check out these apartment complexes, popular with UMass graduate students, for easy access to campus and public transportation
    • The Boulders
    • Brandywine Apartments
    • Mill Valley Estates
    • Puffton Village
    • Rolling Green Apartments
       
• The International Programs Office sends out I-20 forms to newly admitted international students and can provide other support for international students.  
   
• Getting Around: 
  • Bus routes operated by UMass Transit are fare-free for Five College students, faculty, and staff. 
  • Reserve your parking campus parking permit with Parking Services. 
  • Valley Transporter is a popular option for people traveling to and from Bradley International Airport in Hartford/Springfield. 
     
• Explore the area: Check out these local favorites of some College of Education students, faculty, and staff!
  • Academy of Music Theater
  • Amherst Cinema Arts Center
  • Emily Dickinson Museum 
  • Mount Holyoke Range State Park
  • Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation
  • The New England Peace Pagoda
  • Puffer's Pond
  • Six Flags New England
  • Yankee Candle Village

New student orientations are held in the summer prior to your first fall semester. These dates are generally announced in April and posted on our website under Events. If you're unsure of when your orientation is, contact us at education@umass.edu.

The Graduate School also hosts a Graduate Student Orientation at the end of August for new graduate students and first-time teaching assistants.

New international students are required to attend International Student Orientation at the end of August.

• Set up your UMass IT accounts. Your IT NetID is how you access your UMass email, SPIRE, Library resources, and other online services. The UMass IT New Student Guide gives you an overview of IT services and checklists of what you should set up right away.
• Become familiar with SPIRE. This is the homebase for managing your student information. This is where you’ll register for courses, view grades, manage finances, and review assistantship appointments.
• Official communications will always be sent to your UMass email address, so remember to check it regularly if you typically use a personal account.
• Get on the college email lists to receive updates about assistantships, courses, calls for conference proposals, and other news related to your degree program. Students should be automatically added to college-wide mailing lists when they are admitted. Send an email to education@umass.edu if you have not been receiving updates. Contact your program's coordinator or department administrator about program-specific mailing lists. 
• Get your UCard. The UCard is the official UMass Amherst campus picture identification card. It's designed to be the "one card" on campus. In addition to being your official campus ID, your UCard will also function as your PVTA bus pass, UMass Recreational Center access card, Dining Services meal card, door access card, library card, and more. 

• Meet with your advisor to discuss your goals and how the two of you will work together. Be sure you both have shared expectations related to communications, responsibilities, and other practical matters. Your primary advisor will be listed on your student home page in SPIRE. 
• Consider what courses you plan to take, check requirements, review how often certain classes are offered, and check with your program for special requirements such as practicums or student teaching.
• By the end of your first semester, confirm your plan with your advisor and hand in your M1/D1/ES1 form.

1. First Milestone - By the end of your first semester, confirm your course of study with your advisor and celebrate by submitting the appropriate form:
   • Masters (M1) Form
   • Education Specialist (ES1) Form
   • Doctoral (D1) Form

• Find and register for classes in SPIRE. Classes become available for registration midway through the preceding semester (typically November for Spring, and March for Fall).
• Find College of Education research classes to meet PhD degree requirements.
• UMass Continuing and Professional Education offers online courses - just note these courses are not covered by an assistantship tuition reimbursement, but MA state employees are eligible for 50% tuition reimbursement.  
  • If you are taking Continuing and Professional Education classes, you need to create a non-degree enrollment appointment in SPIRE (found under “Student Admissions” in the Main Menu) before registering for classes.
• Register here for Five College Courses.
• Submit an Independent Study Contract to the Academic Affairs office when you have arranged independent study credits with an instructor.
• Plan ahead with the tentative College of Education course projections.
• Get to know the online platforms for classes:
  • Moodle is used for in-person undergraduate and graduate classes
  • Blackboard Learn is used for the fully-online classes offered through Continuing and Professional Education for certificates and Science Education Online
• Know what’s coming up by consulting the academic calendar for class schedules, holidays, important deadlines, and exam periods.
• Need help? The University Registrar has helpful information about registering, withdrawing, graduating, getting transcripts and more.

Writing

• APA Style Guide is a quick online reference for APA formatting, but always refer to the latest edition of the APA Publication Manual for best reference!
• UMass Writing Center tutors work with undergraduate, graduate, postdocs, staff, and faculty writers on any academic genre at any point in the writing process. They also have a great collection of writing and research resources.

Researching

• UMass Amherst Libraries: Here you can find resources, borrow from other libraries, manage citations, and browse research databases.
• The Education LibGuide: Maintained by Education Subject Specialist Librarian Steve McGinty, this is a focused guide to library resources that relate to education.
• Special Collections and University Archives: Search UMass archives with a focus on social justice and change.
• Academic Search Premier: This is a database for scholarly resources, including ahead of print resources, searchable cited references, and more.
• ERIC: This is a database for scholarly resources related to education.
• Google Scholar: This can be useful for tracking down documents not included in the library search engine.
• Institutional Review Board (IRB): Contact the Institutional Review Board before proposing research involving human subjects.
• The Office of Research and Engagement: This office provides research assistance including workshops, collaborative projects, and grant support.
• Deepen your research by  getting involved with the College of Education Research Centers
• Graduate School Grants and Fellowships: Learn how the Graduate School provides funding to support research and scholarly activities of graduate students.

Celebrate your progress (by submitting forms)

• As you complete each key stage of your program, you’ll submit forms to confirm with the college that you’re progressing on your course of study..
• After you set your course of study with your advisor, you’ll submit your M1/D1/ES1 form.
• If you’re a doctoral students and your course of study changes,, be sure to fill out a D2A form for your program of study or D10 form for your committee membership.
• Reach your key milestones, celebrate, and submit the appropriate forms for finishing coursework, exams, and dissertations.
• When you've completed your course of study, hand in your final degree eligibility form (PhD/MEd/EdS). 

Get involved

• Students in the College of Education may become members of clubs and organizations such as:
  • Graduate Students in Higher Education (GSHE) hosts professional development, networking, and social opportunities for students interested in higher education.
  • The Outdoor Activities Club sponsors activities for students, faculty, staff and their friends and family. Past events have included ice skating, Zumba, and kickball.
  • Student writing groups will also pop up throughout the academic year and over the summer. Keep an eye out for writing group announcements on our News and Events pages.
  • There are many other UMass Amherst Graduate Student Organizations:
    • The Graduate Employee Organization is the graduate employee union. Students can serve as GEO stewards for their departments and get involved with various caucuses and committees concerning the rights and well-being of graduate employees. 
    • The Graduate Students of Color Association seeks to build and sustain a supportive community for graduate students of color that contributes to their academic development, social growth, and well-being. Membership is open to all graduate students, regardless of racial or ethnic background.
    • Graduate Student Senate is the student-run, elected, and financed governance body at UMass Amherst for graduate students.
    • Graduate Women in STEM aims to advance the standing of women in the science and engineering fields through outreach, mentoring, and professional development initiatives.
• There are also resources to help you plan an event:
  • Bookmark the UMass Amherst online directory: People Finder 
  • To request a space in Furcolo Hall for a department-related meeting or event, contact your department administrator. All other space requests can be sent to Nicole Cloutier.

Take care of yourself

• Take a break from your work and check out things to do near UMass Amherst.
• The Center for Counseling and Psychological Health on campus offers individual and group counseling services.
• Disability Services provides direct services for all types of disabilities, information and referral on issues of accessibility, and training and development for staff.
• The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life on campus offers a range of educational programs, individual and institutional advocacy, interfaith dialogue, and other bridge-building activities.
• Read PhD Comics for a laugh.
• Use the Reflection Space in the Furcolo Hall Garden level for some quiet time.
• The Graduate Employee Organization is your resource for benefits, wellness reimbursements, and workplace grievances.
• The Dean and Graduate Program Director are both great resources if you run into issues during your time at UMass. The Ombuds Office also provides all current UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff with a place to talk confidentially and "off the record" about any campus concern, issue, or conflict.

Present and network

• Share your work at various research events in the College of Education.
• Check your program's student resources page for suggested conferences, networking events, and funding sources related to your area of study.
• Apply for UMass travel grants with the College of Education, the Graduate School, and the Center for Research on Families.
• UMass' central Office of Research and Engagement can help with external grant funding. 

Publish

• You may submit your work to one of the journals housed in the College of Education.
• Scholarworks@UMass Amherst is a digital showcase of the research and scholarly output of members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst community.
• Open Access, UMass has launched and participated in a number of initiatives aimed at increasing open access or more sustainable systems of scholarly communication.
• Check your program's student resource page for suggested journals related to your area of study.

Prepare to graduate

• Check in with your advisor to make sure you have met all of your program requirements.
• Submit your final forms to the Office of Academic Advising. 

Present your final work

• Each program has requirements for final projects, capstones, or dissertations. Check with your advisor or program coordinator to make sure you know exactly what you need to do. Good luck!
• Support your colleagues by attending their final presentations! Look for announcements in the newsletter and through email lists. 

Celebrate graduation

• Check in with your program's coordinator for information about program recognition ceremonies. Congratulations!
• The College of Education hosts a Graduation Celebration in May. Check the Events page for details.
• UMass hosts a university-wide Commencement in May. 
• Consider in advance if family and friends may want to stay overnight to attend any ceremonies or commencement. Local lodging options tend to fill up in the months before commencement.