Admitted Students

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Please tell us your plans by submitting the Intent Form to accept, decline, or defer the offer of admission to the online program as soon as possible. Once we receive your decision, we can start sending you all the information you’ll need for your next steps.

Note that submitting this form is not binding. You can choose to not register for or drop all courses before classes start for a full refund.

If you deferred to spring from an earlier semester, you do not need to submit the Intent form again.

On average, online degree-completion students find that attending part-time with two classes/6-8 credits with 24 hours of coursework per week is manageable.

As an online, part-time program designed for full-time working and family-oriented students, not all majors can be completed on a full-time schedule and some majors require classes that are offered over an accelerated 6-week summer session only.

For important semester and financial dates, bookmark the University Academic calendar and the University+ Academic calendar.

Online classes are offered in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

• Summer and Winter accelerated 6-week sessions; expect a 24+ hour per week course work time commitment per 3 credits.
• Spring, Fall, and 13-weeks Summer semesters expect a 12+ hour per week course work time commitment per 3 credits.

Exams are administered online; some courses have online proctored exams. Depending on the instructor, you will generally have a two to three-day time frame in which you will have perhaps a 2-to-3-hour time limit to complete the exam. The kinds of questions vary based on the nature of the courses. Some questions may involve problem-solving, short answers, or essays. Other questions might be in the form of multiple choice.

You will likely have weekly assignments due at a set time and/or have to post a minimum number of times to discussion boards based on questions or topics posed by the Instructor. There are no “live” requirements as we have students from all different time zones in our program. Lectures may be voice-over PowerPoints or recorded, might be live with a time limit to view and discuss, there may be required discussions and group work. You will have deadlines and time limits that you should note and prepare for.

If you have specific course questions, contact the instructor of the course.

• Instructor information with an e-mail link is listed in the description of the course in SPIRE or use the PeopleFinder tool.

Online degree completion students receive a University of Massachusetts Amherst Bachelor of Business Administration in “chosen major” degree.  It is the same diploma received by any on-campus University student, and nowhere stated “online”.  Your “program” in SPIRE will be University+ - Ugrad Degrees instead of Undergraduate (general).

While the actual degree earned is the same whether completed on-campus or online, Isenberg’s online degree completion program is designed to be part-time in spring, summer, and fall for working adults with family or other commitments who cannot come to campus for classes.

To keep costs down, Isenberg online students are not charged the campus activities fee therefore a variety of on-campus services that are free for on-campus students are not so for online students. Among these services not included are athletic and fine arts events and the use of UMass recreational facilities. Not all on-campus BBA majors, subplans, certificates, minors, or courses are offered online, nor does Commonwealth Honors have an online option.

Would you like to discuss your options for completing a minor or certificate? 

Minor options are Sociology, Psychology, and Political Science. 

Certificate options are Journalism, Criminal Justice, and Social Work & Social Welfare. 

The Business Analytics Certificate is for Isenberg students only and is usually two extra classes beyond your degree requirements.

Please note minors and certificates are noted on your transcript with no additional paper documentation.

How many credits you need to reach 120 and satisfy all program requirements will determine your overall cost.

Most University+/asynchronous online courses cost $550 per credit; most business courses are 3 credits. Gen-ed requirements or electives are often 4 credits. See SPIRE for course cost details in the course description.

• There is an $85 per semester registration fee.
• You may also be required to purchase class materials such as an eBook or textbooks; some texts may be billed automatically. Learn more about buying affordable textbooks.
• There is no cost difference for in or out-of-state/country residence.
• Please click for more tuition information and for payment options.
• The University also has a $165 Undergraduate Entering Fee, non-refundable.

To be eligible for financial aid in spring 2025, you will need to:

Submit a 2024–2025 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible.

Take at least 6 credits (2 courses) in the spring semester.

Haven't applied for aid yet? It's not too late!

Financial Aid packaging for students admitted for spring 2025 generally starts in mid-November if all required documents are submitted.

If you submit your 2024–2025 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will receive a spring aid package based on 6 credits (2 courses). If you enroll in more than 6 credits, your package will be adjusted based on your actual enrollment. If you enroll in fewer than 6 credits, you will not receive aid. 

Your NetID and password allow you to access your financial aid information online through the UMass student records system called SPIRE. If your financial aid package is not there when you visit SPIRE, it’s likely still being processed.

To check on the status of your financial aid, contact UMass Financial Aid. It will help if you identify yourself as an Online BBA student.

Each semester, students may be selected for verification, which requires that they submit additional documentation before receiving financial aid. If your Student Aid Report (SAR) in SPIRE indicates that you have been selected for verification, submit the requested documents immediately to avoid delays.