About the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy
The Commonwealth Collegiate Academy, or CCA, provides students from eligible high schools the opportunity to take UMass courses taught by UMass faculty in partnership with their high school teachers. Taken as part of a student’s regular high school day, these early college courses fulfill college and high school requirements, saving students time and money while providing access to courses and content that may otherwise not have been available to them.
Benefits of CCA.
The CCA Difference
- Flexible & Accessible Learning
Courses are taught remotely or in a flexible, hybrid modality. The CCA program is designed to break down socioeconomic and geographic barriers to Early College for the benefit of students. - Dedicated Faculty & Teacher Support
Every course has a dedicated university professor and partner teacher from the student’s high school that work together throughout the semester – supporting and each student success in CCA courses. - Gain College Experience
CCA teaches students what to expect in college, both inside and outside the classroom by providing students with periodic visits to UMass campuses and an optional summer program to further enrich their experience. - Experience Career Pathways
CCA offers Early College pathways in a wide breadth of academic content, including Business, Engineering, Education, the Arts, Health, and other STEM and Liberal Arts fields.
UMass Early College Partners
- Blue markers represent a UMass campus
- White pins represent a high school partner
Pilot Program
A pilot CCA program began in September 2022 with seven high schools partnering with either UMass Dartmouth or UMass Lowell to offer courses to students in grades 11 and 12. CCA is expected to expand in coming years to include UMass Amherst and more local high school partnerships. UMass Boston has launched their own Early College Program in partnership with Boston Public Schools. To learn more about their program, you can reach out to earlycollege@umb.edu or contact the Associate Director of Early College and New Skills Boston, Daniel Doherty directly at Daniel.doherty@umb.edu.
The following Massachusetts high schools will offer CCA courses this fall:
