Group of UMass Amherst students with their arms in the air in front of the Old Chapel

First-Year Launch Programs

Start Your UMass Journey Your Way

At UMass Amherst, you choose how you start. Whether you begin on campus in Amherst, a new city across the globe or by exploring potential career paths in Greater Boston, each experience broadens your perspective and prepares you for what’s next. In each of these first-year launch programs, you’ll join a close-knit cohort, learning alongside peers and guided by dedicated faculty and support teams.

Visit UMass

Start around the world

UMass Amherst offers Global Launch in four cities—Dublin, London, Madrid, and Paris—each designed for first-year students in specific schools and colleges. You’ll take courses with your cohort, taught by local instructors, and earn UMass credits that count toward General Education and, in many cases, your major.

You’ll be a fully enrolled UMass Amherst student from day one, with access to your financial aid while you study abroad.

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First-Year London Abroad Student Big Ben

I left London confident in managing my time, finding common ground with all kinds of people, and finding solutions when faced with adversities, especially when it came to the tube being closed or trains canceled!

Dilara Onur '27

Start Your Career Exploration

Kick off your college experience in Greater Boston with Career Launch, surrounded by innovation and opportunity. Explore career paths early, connect what you’re learning to the real world, and gain perspective on where your interests could take you.

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Join a Residential Academic Program

Begin your first semester in a small, close-knit cohort through a Residential Academic Program (RAP), where you’ll live and learn with students who share your interests.

Explore RAPs

Check out these three popular RAPs:

Lisa Lin, who is one of the first students to complete the Career Launch program, listens intently to a guest at the program’s celebration event.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship RAP

Dive into innovation and entrepreneurship with a cohort of first-year students, developing ideas, building practical skills, and collaborating with peers, mentors, and creators across campus.

UMass students volunteer at Nuestras Raices

IMPACT RAP

Explore opportunities to make a meaningful impact in the communities around UMass by engaging in community service, contemplative practice, social justice, and leadership across your coursework, campus involvement, and experiences beyond.

Student collaborate in the Integrative Learning Center on the UMass Amherst campus.

Public Interest Technology (PIT) RAP

Explore how technology can serve the public good by engaging with peers who are passionate about social impact, ethical innovation, and solving real-world challenges through thoughtful, community-focused approaches.

Keep Exploring

Study Abroad

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Admissions