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

Charlie Levesque stands with his hockey stick in uniform in a chemistry lab, blurred out beakers of colored liquid in the foreground
Charlie Levesque '21
Chemistry

In a sport where team chemistry is vital, UML hockey player Charlie Levesque brings the perspective of an actual chemistry major – one with the goal of one day becoming a chiropractor.

The first couple of games as a freshman, and it still happens to me now, I’ll step out on the ice and I’ll be in awe of how many people show up to support us. I love that extra motivation that the crowd gives.
Read More About Charlie Levesque 
Meghan Berking and her team, Team New York, at the finish line for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults 4K, a run from San Francisco to New York City
Meghan Berking '19
Chemistry

Meghan Berking ran across the country to raise $7,500 for cancer research after losing her father to colon cancer.

I came to UMass Lowell for all of the opportunities. I'm in four clubs and they are all very different, but that allows me to be involved in everything I like.
Read More About Meghan Berking 
Christopher Skinner points at a weather map on a screen with Tyler Harrison looking on
Tyler Harrington
Atmospheric Science

Before starting his Ph.D. in atmospheric science at UMass Lowell, Tyler Harrington interned at the Federal Aviation Administration, where he wrote a report for Congress on how extreme weather events affect air travel.

I knew that this was a person I really wanted to work with.
Read More About Tyler Harrington 
Shakira Fedna sorts pills
Shakira Fedna '23
Biology

Shakira Fedna came to UMass Lowell because of the River Hawk Scholars Academy, a support program for first-generation college students.

Everybody you come into contact with in the RHSA wants to see you succeed.
Read More About Shakira Fedna