In June 1997, the Board of Higher Education established Commonwealth College (later called Commonwealth Honors College after a name change in 2010), a free-standing honors college of distinction at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition, the Board of Higher Education approved the development of an integrated network of Commonwealth Honors Programs throughout the public higher education system under the leadership of Commonwealth Honors College.
The Board of Higher Education has approved the following Commonwealth Honors Programs
Students interested in seeking admissions or transfer into these programs should contact the college for requirements. Just click on the link to any of the colleges above to locate the program coordinator's contact information.
In order to begin a new Commonwealth Honors program, public higher education institutions must complete and submit the information outlined in the following documents:
Academic Program Approval: Public InstitutionsAcademic Program Approval: Independent & Out-of-State InstitutionsPCIPP Approval for Criminal Justice ProgramsConnect @MassDHE
Approval Process Guidelines, Revised March 2022