University of Maine

Founded in 1865, the University of Maine is a land and sea grant institution, and the flagship campus of the University of Maine System. Located in Orono along the banks of the Stillwater River, this vibrant and dynamic university serves Maine, the nation, and the world through its teaching, research and outreach mission. UMaine students come from every county in Maine, more than 49 other states and 67 countries. UMaine offers 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs, 85 master’s degree programs, and 35 doctoral programs. Opportunity for all members of the University of Maine community and its constituents is a cornerstone of our mission.

The University of Maine offers a strong traditional education at an affordable price. UMaine is one of New England’s premier universities. We help students create success stories — with a wide variety of programs and opportunities — and we do so with world-class faculty members, internationally recognized research, first-rate facilities, and a friendly, safe atmosphere located near some of the best year-round recreation sites in the nation.

We want you to visit our campus, explore our website and discover UMaine’s unique opportunities.

Facts:

• Maine’s public research university with a focus on undergraduate and graduate research throughout Maine and around the world
• 15 Signature and Emerging Areas of Excellence
• Featured in multiple 2018 guides to best colleges, including The Princeton Review
• One of the nation’s top 50 green colleges by The Princeton Review
• 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation
• 109,000 alumni worldwide
• 150-year legacy
• Campus envisioned by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm
• UMaine campus was designated as an arboretum in 2003
•  16 UMaine Cooperative Extension offices and five research field stations throughout the state offer outreach in every Maine county
• Maine’s partner in helping prepare the state for the 21st century

• College of Education and Human Development

  At the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development we lead through research, service and innovation.

  Our teachers are leading classrooms throughout Maine, across the country and around the world. Our educational leaders and administrators are changing the world through their leadership in schools, colleges and universities. Our athletic trainers are training professional, college and high school athletes. They’re also in sports medicine clinics. Our exercise science graduates are creating lifelong wellness, personal fitness and physical recovery enthusiasts. Our human development professionals are championing intervention programs, advocacy, family planning, social and community services.

• College of Engineering

  As Maine’s leading engineering program, the college prepares an educated workforce, conducts research that turns knowledge into innovative solutions, and provides outreach that includes STEM initiatives.

  The mission of the College of Engineering at the University of Maine is to produce the graduates and new technologies needed to move Maine’s economy forward. As a UMaine signature area, the College continues to play a vital role in our state and beyond and is a key element in assisting several other signature areas.

  The College of Engineering at the University of Maine is Maine’s only educational institution to offer 11 ABET accredited engineering and engineering technology degree programs. Our reputation is known world-wide, our facilities are world-class, and our research contributes significantly to scientific discoveries and economic development in Maine and beyond. Innovating engineering excellence since 1865.

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

  The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the heart of the University of Maine, contributing to the education of every undergraduate student on the Orono campus. Courses in our college provide the foundation in critical reasoning, communication skills and core knowledge needed to thrive in an ever changing, globalized world. With the diversity of a large institution and the friendly atmosphere of a small liberal arts college, UMaine’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors in the humanities, fine and performing arts, social sciences and sciences. Scholars and creative artists work closely with undergraduate and graduate students in first rate facilities to advance understanding and appreciation of the human experience, the natural world, and the arts. Our goal is to ignite intellectual curiosity, to develop skills needed to pursue answers, and to cultivate creativity to pose the next generation of questions. It’s learning that lasts a lifetime.

• College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

  Here, over 200 active research projects aim to discover the path to healthier environments, people, businesses, and communities in the state of Maine and across the globe. The college’s faculty, which comprise the largest group of scientists in the state, teach rigorous academic programs and provide ample opportunity for applied learning to prepare students for careers that will define tomorrow.

  UMaine is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from all 50 states, and 63 countries. Here, over 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars.

  Learn from Maine’s largest group of scientists, the college’s faculty, alongside the Atlantic Ocean and Appalacian Trail, both of which are in UMaine’s backyard. When you leave the great outdoors, you will find the college’s lab-intensive majors provide ample opportunity to apply your learning to real-world scenarios.

• Maine Business School

   We are the state’s leading provider of business education and research in which outstanding faculty prepare students for successful careers in a global economy by challenging them to discover their potential, develop business skills, and act responsibly.

  In our classrooms, you will be taught by faculty who are nationally and often globally recognized for their expertise. Many of them are consultants to companies and government agencies, and serve on the boards of directors of various for profit and non-profit organizations. They are outstanding teachers who are thoroughly dedicated to the success of our students, and you will get a lot of opportunities to interact with them closely and learn from them.

  We are proud of our student organizations, such as the Student Portfolio Investment Fund (SPIFFY) where undergraduates manage a portfolio of more than $3.05 million (as of August 2018),  or the American Marketing Association chapter, where students discuss current business issues with executives. In these and other organized groups, students apply their business knowledge to real life situations, help the community, and build their leadership skills. These are the students who, after they graduate, hold prominent positions in international, national and Maine organizations, run small and large businesses, and serve as successful CEOs, bankers, managers, accountants and consultants.

• Honors College

  The Honors College provides academically motivated and enthusiastic students at the University of Maine with the intellectual experience and close working relationship with faculty members characteristic of the best small colleges, coupled with the extensive choice of majors and opportunities for original scholarship available at a nationally-recognized research university. The Honors College is a community of approximately eight hundred students and numerous faculty members who share a common commitment to learning which both broadens and deepens the educational endeavor. 

• Graduate School

  At the University of Maine the possibilities are endless.  UMaine plays a pivotal role within our state, as the Land and Sea Grant institution and the Flagship campus of the University of Maine System. With a research centered mission we are an economic driver for our state and beyond. Our research and graduate studies set us apart with the distinctiveness and leadership that enhance our national competitiveness.

  A diverse array of research and scholarly activities can be found within our colleges and Centers. Research and Scholarship are woven into every aspect of the UMaine Experience. You will find world class research conducted by well renowned faculty who are dedicated to the student experience.  We strive to expand the depth and breadth of knowledge and creativity by working with our sister campuses, businesses, and communities.

The University of Maine was established as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts under the provisions of the Morrill Act, approved by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. In 1897, the original name changed to the University of Maine. The institution opened Sept. 21, 1868 with 13 students admitted that fall. Today, the university is home to 9,279 undergraduate students, 1,961 graduate students. To learn more about UMaine’s history, visit the 150th anniversary website.

Application Process

• Complete the Common Application (for Fall and Spring of 2019) or the UMaine Mobile Application (Fall 2018). 
• Pay the US$40.00 application fee online at the time of application. You can also click here to submit payment online with a credit card.
• Submit one official transcript of all previous secondary/high school or university work (submission requirements by country). In addition, if the document is not in English, submit a certified English translation.
• Submit an English language proficiency test. See our test waiver policy lower on this page. 
• Submit a Declaration of Finances along with supporting documents via e-mail
  • If submitted with the application, this form expedites the issuing of the I-20 (immigration document).
• Submit a copy of passport ID page and submit via e-mail

UMaine has a very vibrant campus life. The university offers more than 200 student organizations.  Whether you’re interested in sports clubs, athletic organizations, honors societies, recreational groups, professional development organizations or multicultural societies – or even starting your own student organization – you will find friends who share your interest.

• Students from 49 U.S. states and territories, and 67 countries
• Enrollment: 11,240; 9,279 undergraduate; 1,961 graduate
• Most comprehensive academic offerings in the state
• World-class faculty committed to mentoring and actively engaging students in research and scholarship
• More than 200 student clubs and organizations
• 15 miles of running, biking and cross-country skiing trails on campus
• Maine’s only NCAA Division I athletics program, 84 individual and team conference championships in the last 10 years
• Maine Bound recreational activities
• Community engagement — from volunteerism to internships — igniting passion in students, and helping address issues globally and locally
• Birthplace of Phi Kappa Phi in 1897

The University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate academic programs while addressing the complex challenges and opportunities of the 21st century through research-based knowledge.

Opportunity for all members of the University of Maine community is a cornerstone of our mission. The university welcomes students, research partners and collaborators into an atmosphere that honors the heritage and diversity of our state and nation.

Founded in 1865, the University of Maine is a land and Sea Grant institution and the flagship campus of the University of Maine System. This vibrant and dynamic university serves the residents of Maine, the nation, and the world through our acclaimed programs in teaching, research, and outreach.

Inspiring and dedicated teaching propels students into new fields of learning and promotes interdisciplinary understanding. Our educational goals are to help students develop their creative abilities, communication, and critical thinking skills, and understanding of traditions in ethics and rationality within the arts, sciences, and professions.

Internationally recognized research, scholarship, and creative activity distinguish the University of Maine as the state’s flagship university, where faculty and students contribute knowledge to issues of local, national, and international significance. As the state’s doctoral-granting institution, research and education are inextricably linked.

Comprehensive outreach, including public service, Cooperative Extension, continuing education, and distance learning, engages learners of all ages in improving their lives and communities. Using research-based knowledge, outreach efforts promote sustainable use of Maine’s abundant natural resources and build intellectual, cultural, and economic capacity throughout Maine and beyond.

Through integrated teaching, research, and outreach, the University of Maine improves the quality of life for people in Maine and around the world, and promotes responsible stewardship of human, natural, and financial resources.