Who are we?

We are HackUMass, a 36-hour event
where students bring their craziest ideas to life.

Watch a recap of HackUMass VI, where 1,000 students
came together to learn and build some incredible projects

Why HackUMass?

What Makes Us Unique

Hardware from A to Z

At HackUMass we not only focus on creating a collaborative environment for developers/engineers to create awesome software projects, but also give all the tools that you will need to create awesome hardware hacks! With Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, circuit components, quadcopters, Oculus Rifts, and more, we have the hardware, you have the ideas, so come bring them to life at HackUMass.

Creative Hackers

Our hackers come from all around the country and from many diverse backgrounds. Veteran hackers, first-timers, developers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and even non-tech majors -- this is who we are. Our goal is to bring together and inspire hackers from every background and provide opportunities like Ladies Storm Hackathons to continue growing in diversity. Come with friends, make new friends, join 800 other participants in one of the biggest and best hackathons in New England.

Incredible Venue

Tired of hacking in some old gym? Say no more! HackUMass is hosted in the Integrative Learning Center (ILC), one of the newest state-of-the-art academic buildings at UMass Amherst. Within the walls of the four-story 173,000 sq. ft. structure, the ILC provides 2,000 seats and plenty of spaces for hacking, sleeping, yoga, Super Smash Bros, and much more! As one of the largest research universities in New England, we take our hacking spaces seriously, and we hope you like it.

#1 Dining

Soylent not cutting it for you? Don’t worry. We have the #1 dining service in the nation! And as a participant of HackUMass you will get access to all of our top-rated dining halls and other dining facilities. Have any special dietary restrictions? Not to worry! We accommodate all dietary restrictions.

Generous Sponsors

HackUMass wouldn't happen without the support of our awesome sponsors. From startups to big-name brands, we work with the innovators and the makers. Workshops, tech talks, sweet prizes, swag, mini-competitions, hardware/APIs -- we partner with the best in the industry to make this event come to life. Check out some of this year's sponsors below (and make sure to say thanks if you see them!). Note: If you are a company interested in sponsoring our event send us an e-mail at sponsors@hackumass.com and we can get you connected with one of our sponsorship team members.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Drop us an email if you can't find an answer to your question in this list

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is where students bring their cool ideas to life. Over the course of 36 hours, participants can use software and/or hardware to build their idea and win prizes, whether as a team or as an individual.

Where is it?

HackUmass VII will take place at the Integrative Learning Center, the newest venue on campus, with robust WiFi and ample space.

Who's coming?

We expect over 1000 hackers from across the U.S. to attend our hackathon, with most attendees arriving from Boston, Worcester, New York City, and more.

Who can attend?

All students are welcome! If you're under 18, we will need you to bring a signed parental consent form. In order to attend, you just need to apply beforehand on our website.

Do I need experience?

We welcome hackers of all experience levels to HackUMass! Our beginner track will help hackers who want to learn more about software and hardware hacking get started. We will also have mentors willing to help if you run into any problems during the event.

Should I be in a team?

We encourage everyone to work in a team of up to 4 people. Larger teams are allowed, but we are unable to guarantee that every member of your team will be able to receive prizes if you win. There will be plenty of opportunities to form your team online and at the event -- so don't worry if you haven't yet planned it out.

Will you be providing travel reimbursements?

We are unable to provide travel reimbursements, but will be sending buses to New York and Boston. If you aren't sure whether you'll be able to make it, we encourage you to apply regardless -- we will send you more details on our buses closer to the event.

Can I start my project before the event?

No, you may not start your project beforehand. All of the work related to the project must be done during the event.

When is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline is September 27th.

Is there a Code of Conduct we need to abide by?

Be smart about your actions. As a MLH event, we enforce the MLH Code of Conduct at our event.

This hackathon is brought to you by...

Our Sponsors

Want to Sponsor HackUMass?

Reach out to us at sponsors@hackumass.com

Attendees Seem to Like Us...

Tweets about us

Our DeepRoof paper on using computer vision to estimate solar potential of home roof images was accepted for oral presentation to KDD (@kdd_news)! Previously won 1st prize at @HackUMass hackathon. @umasscs authors S Lee, S. Iyengar, S Maji, @pshenoy #SmartCities #AIforGood

Prashant Shenoy

@pshenoy

Made top 3 finalists and won best game at #HackUMass. I’m so happy! Catch PRAKTIKA on computers near you later this week!

Alexander Vuković

@Vukovic96_

Great weekend mentoring @HackUMass! Big props to all the hackers there! Everyone should be proud of what they built

Marc Rudkowski

@inacubicle

We had a great time at @HackUMass this weekend. Thanks to everyone that came by and learned more about the printer!

Markforged

@Markforged

Had so much fun at @HackUMass! Was an amazing experience mentoring and lots of amazing hacks! Everyone should be proud! #hackerlife

Marc Rudkowski‏

@inacubicle

600+ hackers excited to be @HackUMass thank you for letting @JiboRobot be a part of this!

iboDev‏

@jibodev

Did we miss something?

Any Questions?

Let us know! Email us anytime at team@hackumass.com

Watch a recap of HackUMass VI, where 1,000 studentscame together to learn and build some incredible projects