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UMass Flex
A UMass Education with Revolutionary Flexibility
Students today are seeking a high-quality university experience and true flexibility in accessing educational opportunities. UMass Flex builds on UMass Amherst’s record of academic excellence and innovation to offer the best of both.
Learning Modes
UMass Flex expands educational access through instruction spanning two or more learning modes:
In Person
Instructors and students meet in the same physical location at the same time.
Live Online
Instructors and students meet online at the same time.
Async Online
Instructors and students engage online on their own time.
The 2022-2023 Student FLEXperience expands the UMass Amherst student experience by sharing digital stories focused on the overarching theme of Belonging and Access: How Digital Technology Can Solve Obstacles.
When we offered PSYCH 100 as a hybrid course, results were overwhelmingly positive. Student surveys indicated a preference for this interactive classroom format—both student grades and course evaluations were some of the highest ever for this course.
Tammy Rahhal, Associate Chair, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and recipient of the Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching
UMass Flex promotes a commitment to our university’s core values—including excellence; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and innovation and impact—while delivering a flexible educational experience to meet the needs of today’s students.
- Take courses while participating in internships, service learning, international experiences, and other long-term off-campus opportunities.
- Be where life needs you to be, while still being a UMass Amherst student.
- Pursue lifelong learning opportunities through UMass Amherst after graduating.
- Increase the reach of your offerings to students unable to access a traditional on-campus educational experience.
- Make decisions about flexible learning via a student-centered, opt-in approach.
- Use state-of-the-art technology, backed with training and support, in both instructional and non-instructional units.
Technology Strategy
Technology is a critical component of UMass Amherst's flexible learning initiative. Information Technology supports adaptive, accessible technology solutions designed to engage students in active, deep learning and support multiple types of instruction and interaction. Designated Hybrid Classrooms on campus have been upgraded and designed to work with Zoom, and the number of Echo360 lecture capture classrooms has been expanded, facilitating the recording of class sessions and simultaneous instruction for students who are physically present in the room and those who are online. IT also supports multiple learning management systems, including Moodle and Blackboard, where students can engage asynchronously with their course content, classmates, and instructors.