New School Year Brings New Opportunities to UMW
University of Mary Washington Eagles have even more ways to spread their wings this fall, with new undergraduate offerings spanning the arts, sciences and humanities joining more than 100 majors, minors and programs already available. Two new graduate programs address regional workforce needs, while new leadership, resources and upgraded spaces create even more opportunities across campus.
Here’s a look at what’s new for 2026-27:
New Degrees, New Directions
UMW Theatre is stepping into the spotlight with a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts, giving students opportunities for focused study in acting, musical theatre, design and technology, and stage management. The conservatory-style program builds on UMW’s longstanding strength in theatre – recently ranked 12th in the country by The Princeton Review – combining intensive training with hands-on production experience for students pursuing careers in the performing arts.
Other new areas of study give students more ways to connect their interests across fields, including a food studies minor that examines food through historical, cultural, environmental and social lenses. A social entrepreneurship major and minor bring together business principles and approaches to creating positive social change. A medical humanities minor explores health, illness and medicine through humanistic disciplines. And a new creative writing minor lets students hone their skills in penning poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction, complementing the existing creative writing major.
Students interested in mapping, spatial data and geospatial technologies also have a new option with the Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Analysis, which replaces the previous B.A. in Geospatial Analysis and builds on UMW’s strengths in geography and geographic information science.
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