Discover your passion and career pathway in the sciences.

Contact Us

To learn more about the Undeclared Sciences Program, please contact:

Stephen Norton
Program Director, Assistant Dean
Email: Stephen_Norton@uml.edu
Phone: 978-934-3844 

Chemistry faculty member and student work with equipment in a UMass Lowell lab

About the Undeclared Sciences Program

The Undeclared Sciences Program allows you to explore a diverse range of scientific disciplines within a close-knit community of students united by an interest in science, the process of discovery, and the applications of scientific knowledge to the world around us.  

Within the program, you'll gain an overview of the different majors in the college and associated career paths. You’ll also refine your interests, assess your values, and evaluate your strengths so you can make a more informed decision about which major works best for you.

Exploring the Sciences 

A centerpiece for the program is the First Year Seminar SCIE.1500: Exploring the Sciences. This course facilitates the major selection process through guided career exploration activities, cultivating and refining critical decision-making skills, and exposing you to the full range of disciplinary options with the College of Sciences.   

During the semester you will have the opportunity to:

  • Meet one-on-one with faculty from different scientific disciplines
  • Engage with undergraduates from the various departments
  • Participate in clubs and organizations matching your interests
  • Visit various college facilities including robotics and biology labs, the particle accelerator and nuclear reactor

bachelors

Find your program: bachelor's, master'sdoctoral


Undergraduate Majors & Minors

Minors

Summer Engagement Prior to First Semester

Professor Frank Colby of the EEAS department pointing to large, interactive weather monitor

If you select Undeclared Sciences, the program director will meet with you individually during the summer prior to your first Fall semester at UML.

During the meeting, we will review and assess your initial interests, experiences and qualifications to determine an optimal course schedule, which will allow you to explore multiple pathways compatible with your goals while also ensuring you remain on-track for graduation. 

You will also have the opportunity to meet with faculty from different science programs and from across campus if you need additional guidance or simply wish to more fully explore the academic and co-curricular possibilities open to you.

Hear from Our Faculty & Students

Jose Archila Quezada in front of Emergency Room doors
José Archila Quezada '22
Applied Biomedical Sciences

José Archila Quezada found support and a network of friends in the MAGIC program, which helps students from underrepresented groups pursue medical school.

Through MAGIC, I saw that we could help each other. That’s where I got a community.
Read More About José Archila Quezada 
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Deborah Washington Brown '75
Mathematics

One of the first Black women to graduate from UML with a math degree, Deborah Washington Brown ’75 spent her lifetime running toward new challenges.

She single-handedly demolished any stereotypes or reduced expectations we had, and rewrote the attitudinal ‘manual’ for the potential of women and minorities in the sciences. - Prof. Alexander Olsen
Read More About Deborah Washington Brown 
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Payal Patel '21
Biology, UTeach

When Payal Patel started college as an engineering major, she missed tutoring and teaching – so she decided to make education her career.

At UMass Lowell, you have that flexibility to change your career path.
Read More About Payal Patel 
UMass Lowell student Rameez Shaikh standing outdoors
Rameez Shaikh '21
Biology

Rameez Shaikh ’21 has been accepted by more than six dental schools, thanks to mentoring by Chemistry Assoc. Teaching Prof. Khalilah Reddie.

Being able to see someone who looks like you and talks like you in a position of power – it’s huge.
Read More About Rameez Shaikh