University of Massachusetts Boston Diploma: Public Research University on Boston Harbor
The University of Massachusetts Boston, UMass Boston, is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 within the University of Massachusetts system, it was created to increase access for students in the Greater Boston area to attend public higher education. The university welcomed its first students in 1965 at a temporary campus in Park Square before moving to its present location at Columbia Point in Dorchester in 1974. Further details about these milestones are available in UMass Boston’s official history. UMass Boston occupies a waterfront campus overlooking Boston Harbor, approximately a few miles from downtown Boston. The campus covers about 120 acres and combines modern academic facilities with access to one of the United States’ largest educational, medical and business centers. Its location allows students to pursue internships, research partnerships and employment opportunities throughout the Boston metropolitan area.
The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education across a broad range of subjects. You can obtain a University of Massachusetts Boston Diploma from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Mathematics, College of Management, College of Education and Human Development, Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the School for the Environment. Specialized programs are also offered through institutions such as the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies and the Honors College. As of January 2025, UMass Boston offered 68 bachelor’s degree programs, 49 master’s programs and 30 doctoral programs, along with numerous certificates and minors. In fall 2025, the university recorded a total enrollment of 15,428 students, including 12,178 undergraduates and 3,250 graduate students.
Research and Campus Life at University of Massachusetts Boston
Research has increasingly become a part of the identity of UMass Boston. In 2025 the university was classified as R1, the highest level of research activity as determined by the Carnegie Classification for Institutions of Higher Education. Faculty and students conduct research in areas ranging from environmental science and healthcare to public policy, education, social sciences and technology.
UMass Boston is also known for serving a culturally and economically diverse student population. Students come from across Massachusetts, the United States and more than 100 countries. The university places particular emphasis on access to higher education, first-generation students and connections between academic study and the surrounding Boston community. From its beginnings as a relatively small urban public university, UMass Boston has developed into a comprehensive research institution while maintaining its original mission of making higher education accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds.