JumpStart your educational journey with UMass Global’s college-ready courses! We recognize that embarking on a degree program can feel daunting. That's why we've carefully curated a selection of courses to help you transition smoothly, build confidence, and establish a solid academic foundation regardless of where you are in your educational journey.

With JumpStart, you can explore college-level courses and experience firsthand what it's like without having to commit to a specific degree or major. When you're ready to pursue a degree, you can seamlessly transfer your credits into one of our programs, saving you valuable time and money.

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JumpStart College-Ready Courses

This course is designed to introduce the student to accounting principles, practices, and techniques. Emphasis is placed on accounting for a sole proprietorship. The accounting cycle, financial statements, control of cash, inventories, plants assets, current liabilities and payroll accounting are covered. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II 

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The primary goal of COMU 101 is to provide students with the opportunity to improve their public speaking skills in the areas of preparation and delivery. The method of speaking emphasized is extemporaneous. Though public speaking is the primary focus of the course, other issues of communication, such as written, interpersonal and group, are also discussed. In addition, students will learn to be more critical consumers of communication. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II 

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Students gain experience using word processing, electronic spreadsheet and database management software. The use, misuse, and abuse of computers will be discussed with examples from many fields. Different sections of this course may be offered on different hardware platforms, usually IBM-PC compatibles or Macintoshes, but the same concepts will be studied in each section and therefore the course may be taken for credit only once. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II 

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Students learn the major components and structure of the hardware and software of both a computer and of a networking system. Students will learn to describe the mechanism of information processing, transfer, and control within a digital computing systems and networks. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II 

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The study of economics necessitates an understanding of the principles that govern the operation of the economic system. This course focuses attention on the aggregate (macro) relationships and gives attention to the central problems of economic organization, the functioning of the price system, the economic role of government, the determination of national income and a brief glance at economic policy. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II 

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This course covers the theory and application of microeconomics. Topics include competition and monopoly, pricing, consumer demand, and producer supply. Labor markets, global economies, and regulations/antitrust policies are described. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Spring Session I
  • Summer Session I 

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The course provides instruction that focuses on the writing process, evaluating and explaining ideas, critical reading, conducting library and Internet research, developing a research paper, and documenting research. Students will learn that reading is a complex process. Students are required to complete a minimum of 10,000 graded words in essays that include a researched essay. All work shall be submitted as a part of a final writing portfolio. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session I
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session I
  • Summer Session II

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An introduction to the causes of environmental problems as well as strategies for potential solutions from both a natural science and a social science perspective. Scientific understanding of the environment is emphasized. The course gives an overview of major environmental problems and scientific principles, with a focus on managing environmental problems and important natural resources. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Summer Session II
  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II

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A study of food intake and utilization, nutrient sources, metabolism, and interactions. Human nutritional requirements and their relationship to various diseases are examined, as are facts and fiction about diets, "health foods," etc. Students learn about nutrition, the elements of a balanced diet, and modern food technology. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session I
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II

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This course traces the economic, social, political, and cultural development of the United States from the Age of Discovery through the end of the Civil War. Students will address colonization, British colonial policies, natural law, revolution, Republicanism, democracy, slavery, sectionalism, Manifest Destiny, and states’ rights versus federal law. Students will have the opportunity to both explore historical events and analyze their influence over time. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Summer Session I

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The course covers world pre-history through the Middle Ages, emphasizing significant discoveries in paleontology, paleoanthropology, and archaeology, the earliest centers of civilization, the beginnings of civic culture in Asia and the Mediterranean world, the origins and impact of the great world religions, and the intellectual and artistic achievements of medieval India, China, and Japan, Europe, and pre-Columbian America. World physical and historical geography forms a major component of this course. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Summer Session II

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This course presents contemporary and historical topics in mathematics and discusses their use in modern business, science, social science, and other applications. Students will explore mathematical concepts in a real-world context. These concepts include problem-solving methods, set theory, graph theory, number theory, algebraic modeling, probability, statistics, voting methods, fair division, economics, and finance topics. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Spring Session I
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session I
  • Summer Session II

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This course surveys questions and issues that arise in the field of ethics, along with the moral theories that address them. Students will reflect upon consequential, duty-based, virtue-based, and care-based theories of morality. They will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories independently and as they apply to contemporary moral problems, such as abortion, torture, the death penalty, euthanasia, sexual morality, drug policy, and animal rights. Students will not only become familiar with the field of ethics, but they will also sharpen their abilities to think critically about complex moral issues, while forming responses and critiquing ethical positions from their own perspectives. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session I
  • Summer Session II

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Students master the basic concepts and analytical methods used by political scientists in their attempts to address these questions: What are the fundamental components of the national government of the United States? How do they transform citizen opinion, interest group pressures, and economic imperatives into social policy? This course satisfies the State of California Credential requirement in American History and Government. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Spring Session I
  • Summer Session II

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Introduction to the processes, principles, and problems and applications of psychology. Topics include the brain and nervous system, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning and memory, personality, social psychology and psychopathology. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session I
  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II

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Students examine the basic concepts, principles, and findings of sociology: addressing the nature of human social relations from simple, face-to-face relationships, through formal organizations, to whole societies. Students also analyze how social patterns are created, how they become organized and established, and how they change. 3 credits.

Session Starts:

  • Fall Session II
  • Spring Session II
  • Summer Session II

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does each course cost?

Through our partnership with EdAssist, you are eligible for a 20% scholarship toward tuition. EdAssist discounted tuition is $1,200 per course. Please check with EdAssist or your employer's benefits department to see if you are eligible for tuition assistance or reimbursement.
What is the difference between tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement?

Tuition reimbursement requires the employee to pay tuition up-front. On successful completion of the selected course, the employee is reimbursed for some or all of the tuition costs. With employer tuition assistance programs, the organization fronts the tuition costs, saving the employee from any out-of-pocket expenses.
What is a tuition reimbursement program?

Employee pays tuition up-front, then submits any required documents to employer/EdAssist for reimbursement of some or all of the tuition costs. Please see your employer’s policies for details.
Could you clarify what a LOC is and how I can obtain it?

A Letter of Credit (LOC) is a promissory note/approval letter noting that payment will be covered by the direct bill process with EdAssist.

  • Apply for your LOC at your EdAssist portal site.
  • Send your approved LOC to jumpstart@umassglobal.edu at least 1 week prior to the Enrollment Term Start Date to UMass Global.
  • For assistance obtaining your LOC, please contact EdAssist or your employer's benefits department.
  • If you require more detailed course information to complete your LOC application, please reach out to UMass Global at jumpstart@umassglobal.edu.
  • Failure to submit your approved LOC to UMass Global before the 1st day of class will result in you being dropped from the course.
What is the refund policy?

Please refer to Tuition Refund Policy in the University of Massachusetts Global Academic Catalog.
Where can I find the required textbooks for my course?

Required textbooks are found at the UMass Global Bookstore. Go to the UMass Global Bookstore, select your enrollment term, course information and find materials for the course.
Can I enroll in multiple courses during a single session?

Whether you are starting college again or for the first time, we want you to succeed. This program only allows you to take one course per session to ensure you are able to put your full attention to your coursework.
Will I earn credit for completing the course?

Yes, upon successful completion of each course, you will earn 3 academic credits. To comply with the EdAssist Tuition Assistance Program, you are required to upload your final grade documentation to the EdAssist portal site within 45 days of course completion.
Are the courses fully online?

Yes, courses are fully online.
Is the University of Massachusetts Global accredited?

All University of Massachusetts Global programs are accredited by WSCUC, assuring that the University meets quality standards established by the U.S. Department of Education. Explore the additional programs and professional accreditations UMass Global holds. Read More: www.umassglobal.edu/about-umassglobal/accreditations
Who do I contact if I have more questions?

Please email the School of Extended Education at jumpstart@umassglobal.edu.