Pre-College Course Proposal Information
UMass Amherst Pre-College Programs' success is predicated on offering rigorous and engaging academic opportunities to high school students. This begins with ideas for course topics and labs from University faculty and department representatives.
We are currently welcoming proposals for Summer 2025 pre-college courses. The information on this page is intended to provide an overview of the proposal process.
Summer Pre-College programs at UMass Amherst offers high school students the opportunity to participate in college level academics in a variety of ways. Pre-College Programs plans to offer both in-person and online programs for Summer 2025. In-person programs can be offered either in Amherst or at the Mt. Ida campus. Please indicate your preferred mode as well as campus in your proposal.
Academic Programs
- Amherst Campus: Residential academic programs at the flagship Amherst campus serving 500+ pre-college students annually. UMass Amherst Pre-College Programs partners with 7 University Schools and Colleges to represent a diverse range of academic disciplines.
- Mt. Ida: Residential academic programs at the UMass Mt. Ida campus leveraging specialized facilities and the resources and proximity of the greater Boston metro area.
- Online: Designed to offer flexible learning options and increased accessibility for distance learners. Pre-College online courses utilize scheduled synchronous class meetings and asynchronous coursework to meet credit hour requirements.
Academic programs are typically 2 weeks in duration. We occasionally offer 1 and 3 week pre-college programs; please include in your proposal any duration requirements for your course.
Research Intensives
- Research intensives are 6-week residential lab programs offered at the Amherst campus. A limited number of students are embedded in labs working alongside PIs and lab members on a designated project. Please visit our pre-college research intensive page to view current or previously run research intensives here.
Course-Based Research Experience
- Pre-College course-based research experiences are 2-week academic programs modeled after undergraduate CURE-style courses. Programs accommodate 20 - 30 students and leverage campus research facilities and resources to offer hands-on lab research experience.
- Course-based research experience may be offered in Amherst or at the Mt. Ida campus.
- Please see the Drug Discovery and Antibiotic Resistance programs for examples.
We want to hear about your ideas for a program, research intensive, or course-based research experience for Summer 2025.
- To begin the process of proposing a pre-college program, start by familiarizing yourself with our program structure and offerings here.
- Review your eligibility
- UMass Amherst Pre-College Programs accepts proposals from UMass Amherst full-time and adjunct faculty, visiting lecturers, and advanced graduate students.
- If you teach within the 5-college consortium and are interested in proposing a pre-college course, please reach out to the Director of Pre-College Programs, Erin O'Rourke eorourke@umass.edu.
- If you are an academic department representative and would like to collaborate on developing a pre-college program, please reach out to the Director of Pre-College programs, Erin O'Rourke eorourke@umass.edu.
- Speak with your department head or chair and seek approval to offer a pre-college program. If more information is needed, we are happy to meet and provide consultation.
- Please fill out the appropriate Google form below to submit your proposal.
- Academic Program proposals (includes course-based research experiences)
- Research Intensives proposals
- Pre-College Programs will review your submitted proposal. You may hear back from our team with questions or suggestions on framing your course for a high school student population, refining learning objectives, and adjusting course details, including format and mode.
Please pay attention to these dates while considering your 2025 Pre-College course proposal:
September 15, 2024: Proposal submission opens
November 15, 2024: Last day to submit course proposals
2025 Pre-College start dates*:
Session 1: June 29, 2025
Session 2: July 13, 2025
Session 3: July 27, 2025
*The indicated session start dates are Sunday arrival dates for residential programs. Teaching dates for residential and online programs will begin the following day on Mondays.
For consultation on planning a pre-college program or for any other inquiries relating to the program proposal process, please reach out to the Pre-College Programs Director, Erin O'Rourke.
Email: eorourke@umass.edu
Phone: 413-577-2112