University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences

The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) is both the newest and the oldest college at UMass Amherst. Established in 2009, the college unites the life, environmental, computational, and physical sciences, and mathematics on campus.

With origins dating back to 1863, when the Massachusetts Agricultural College was established, CNS also serves the university’s land grant mission for the citizens of Massachusetts and the nation.

CNS is a central nucleus of science education and research at UMass Amherst, with 15 departments, the Stockbridge School, four popular interdisciplinary graduate programs, and 6,000 undergraduates. CNS is the largest recipient of grant funding on campus, and its 400 tenure-track faculty members are awarded two-thirds of total academic research grants.

CNS strengths include cutting-edge research, top-ranked academic programs, award-winning and internationally recognized faculty, multidisciplinary and cross-departmental education and research initiatives, long-standing industry and government affiliations, noteworthy academic advising, valued outreach efforts, and dedicated alumni.