The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical school in Worcester), a satellite campus in Springfield and also 25 campuses throughout California and Washington with University of Massachusetts Global. The system administration is in Boston and Shrewsbury and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and across its campuses enrolls 75,065 students.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the flagship and largest school in the UMass system. It was also the first one established, dating back to 1863, when it was founded as the Massachusetts Agricultural College. The University of Massachusetts Medical School was founded in 1962, and is located in Worcester. The University of Massachusetts Boston, originally established in 1964, was merged with Boston State College in 1982. In 1991, the University of Lowell and Southeastern Massachusetts University joined the system as the University of Massachusetts Lowell and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, respectively.

Faculties:

• School of Architecture and Planning
• Architecture
• Media Arts and Science
• Urban Studies and Planning
• School of Engineering
• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Biological Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Data, Systems, and Society
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Engineering and Science
• Nuclear Science and Engineering
• School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
• Anthropology
• Comparative Media Studies/Writing
• Economics
• Global Languages
• History
• Humanities
• Humanities + Engineering/Science
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Music and Theater Arts
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Sloan School of Management
• Management
• School of Science
• Biology
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences
• Chemistry
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
• Mathematics
• Physics

On August 8, 2013, The University of Massachusetts started requesting proposals for potential classroom and office space to establish a satellite center in Springfield. UMass was looking for 25,000 square feet of space that it would use for classrooms, faculty offices and other uses, with the option of doubling the amount of space at a later date. On November 23, 2013, Gov. Deval Patrick and University of Massachusetts President Robert L. Caret announced the selection of Tower Square in downtown Springfield as the university's new satellite center.