Today's Stockbridge School of Agriculture
The Stockbridge School of Agriculture is located on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Founded in 1867, Stockbridge functions as both a department and school within the UMass Amherst College of Natural Sciences. Emphasizing hands-on education and the application of the scientific method to agriculture, Stockbridge is the only part of UMass to offer a two-year Associate of Science degree in five majors, as well as a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in four majors, plus graduate education in the plant and soil sciences, including a fifth year accelerated MS degree and PhD program.
Stockbridge integrates three research focus areas: sustainable food and landscapes; soils and the environment; and plant health. Stockbridge researchers address critical issues in global food security, specifically with research on soil health and fertility, plant stress, pest impacts on growth and productivity, and identification and mitigation of soil and water pollutants. Stockbridge is led by one of the Most Highly Cited Researchers in the world (Clarivate, 2022), contributing to UMass Amherst’s rank of No. 1 in the United States, and fifth in the world, for “Best Global Agricultural Sciences University” (U.S. News & World Report, 2022). We emphasize sustainability, contributing significantly to UMass Amherst’s high ranking as a “sustainable campus” nationally (Sierra Magazine, 2021). Stockbridge is one of the founding units in the multi-disciplinary School of Earth and Sustainability.
Faculty also collaborate with the Center for Agriculture, Food & the Environment (CAFE) doing research to develop environmentally and economically sustainable production practices for agriculture and the green industries, and extending that knowledge through UMass Extension educational programs.
Stockbridge gives undergraduate majors skills to work in today’s green industries, as well as preparation for advanced degrees in disciplines related to agriculture, horticulture, turfgrass, and soil sciences. Our emphasis on experiential learning gives students multiple internship and practicum opportunities in department labs and research farms, as well as in private businesses and non-profits. International exchanges and experiences are available to students through the University's International Programs Office (IPO).
For example, students majoring in Sustainable Food & Farming gain direct and immersive experience running the UMass Student Farm, a successful organic produce business that distributes more than 50 tons of fresh food per year, to the UMass dining commons, our community-supported agriculture program, Amherst Survival Center, and Big Y supermarkets.
Across all majors, many Stockbridge alumni start and run their own businesses, returning to Stockbridge to hire additional talent. Stockbridge graduates quickly find satisfying employment in their fields of study.