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With 14 academic departments and 12 world-class research centers, institutes, and interdisciplinary programs, our students have the opportunity to study with the best scholars, thinkers, and artists.
As the creative and cultural heart of UMass Amherst, HFA brings together scholars and artists from a wide range of disciplines.
Undergraduate Major Programs
Master’s Programs
Doctoral Programs
Minors
Ever wondered what it’s like to dig through thousands of years of history in the hills of Tuscany? Cecilia Demolli ’26 shares her experience at the Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School—excavating ancient Etruscan artifacts with guidance from classics Professor Anthony Tuck.
Studio arts major Margaret Lepeshkin turned classroom research into real-world change with a bird-safe window design at the Studio Arts Building. Part of a growing student-led initiative to prevent bird collisions, the project brought together art, science, and sustainability across campus.
How do humans and machines understand meaning and where do they differ? Professor Brian Dillon is leading a four-year study to bring artificial intelligence closer to human-like language processing.
Professor Jimmy Worthy II from the English department examines the omnipresence of death in African-American male experience and literature.
See how HFA graduates are shaping the world through creativity, scholarship, and leadership.
“Be proactive about taking advantage of the university,” Ayesha advises new students. “UMass is huge, and there are so many opportunities for you if you just look at a bulletin board. The Pioneer Valley is a great place to be an English major.”
Arts-based research can be used to investigate and illuminate important questions of science, as evidenced by the work of the HEART Initiative.
Department Chair Yolanda Covington-Ward was one of six people and organizations to receive the Council Award of Special Recognition.
Department of Music and Dance chair Dr. Matthew Westgate has been named a Distinguished Faculty member for the 2025-26 academic year.
