UMass Amherst's Commonwealth College was created in 1996 by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, in an attempt to create a new "public honors college." Commonwealth College replaced UMass Amherst's old honors program, allowing the program to have its own dean. The college offers its own interdisciplinary courses, and students receive expanded support services. Students participating in the honors program must take eight courses a semester and get no lower than a B in every class, with a combined GPA of 3.400 or better.
Current students at UMass Amherst who entered the university before the fall of 2009 must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.200 or higher to be considered for Commonwealth College; students who entered the university after the fall of 2009 must have a GPA of 3.400 or higher. Students must also provide the admissions committee with an original and thoughtful personal statement. Current UMass students who entered UMass after fall 2009 and who are seeking admittance to Commonwealth College must have completed two full-time semesters at UMass.
Transfer students at UMass Amherst who will graduate by September 2013 must have a GPA of 3.400 or higher, and must have completed at least one full-time semester at the university. Transfer students who entered UMass Amherst and will graduate after January 2014 must have finished one full-time semester at the university, have a GPA of 3.400 at the university and have a high school profile that met the standards for admissions to the university directly out of high school; students who do not meet this last criterion can apply once they complete two full-time semesters at UMass Amherst and have a GPA of 3.400.
Incoming freshmen who seek admission to Commonwealth College must have a combined SAT critical reasoning and SAT math score of above 1300, a weighted high school GPA of an A- or higher, and be in the top 10 percent of their graduating high school classes. Incoming freshmen to UMass Amherst do not need to fill out a separate application to apply to this school; students who qualify for this honors program will be notified by the admissions office after the school receives their general application.