College of Natural Sciences, Forestry & Agriculture

It’s one thing to learn about the natural world in a classroom. It’s another thing entirely to learn about it in this classroom. At the University of Maine, woods, lakes, rivers and streams surround our campus. The Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Trail are in our backyard. Our students learn about bear behavior by actually visiting a den and tagging cubs. They immerse themselves in the marine sciences on Maine’s rocky shores and in tidal coves. But the great outdoors is only part of the appeal. At UMaine, the great indoors is equally impressive. The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture offers a wide variety of lab-intensive majors and state-of-the-art teaching facilities. Comprehensive academic offerings, close advising, outstanding research opportunities, high placement rates and strong relationships with leading research institutes and top medical schools make UMaine a destination for health and biomedical studies. The region’s largest hospital and leading biomedical research institutes are also nearby. The college offers a wide range of programs - from animal and veterinary sciences to zoology - and all the benefits of a comprehensive university, but our classes are small and you’ll have the chance to really get to know your classmates, graduate students and faculty members within your major. If there were a perfect classroom, a perfect college experience, it would look like this.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

Bachelor of Arts in:
Biology
Botany
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Earth Sciences
Economics
Financial Economics
Zoology

Bachelor of Science in:
Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Biochemistry
Biology
Botany
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Economics
Environmental Horticulture
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Forest Operations, Bioproducts and Bioenergy
Forestry
Marine Science
Medical Laboratory Sciences
Microbiology
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Nursing
Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Social Work
Sustainable Agriculture
Wildlife Ecology
Zoology

Minors:
Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Aquaculture
Biochemistry
Biology
Botany
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Economics
Environmental Horticulture
Environmental Management and Policy
Equine Studies
Fisheries
Food Science
Forest Ecosystem Science
Forest Products
Forest Recreation Management
Human Nutrition
Microbiology
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Neuroscience
Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Plant Science
Pre-medical Studies
Renewable Energy Economics and Policy
Renewable Energy Sciences and Technology
Resource and Agribusiness Management
Soil Science
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Food Systems
Zoology

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture Graduation Requirements:

The college offers both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. Each program has its specific curriculum and all include the general education requirements of the university. To obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree students must complete, within their program of study, 27 credits in courses meeting the human values and social context general education criteria of the university. At least 12 credits of these must be at the 200 level or above. In addition, students must complete a minimum of 72 credits outside their major. (If a particular major requires courses in another discipline, either within the same department or in another department, those credits may still count toward the 72 credits.) Depending on the particular program, the degree will require from 120 or 121 total credits for graduation. In addition, each student must achieve a grade point average of 2.0 over all courses taken. Some programs may also require minimum grade point averages for courses within the major. Students should consult individual program sections about specific details concerning a particular major.

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture Notes:

The college has a well-developed, student-oriented academic advising system. Each student has a faculty advisor who assists in program planning and career development. Throughout the undergraduate years, the capabilities, aspirations, and goals of the students are the primary concerns governing the advising process. In the college, students find an environment small enough to feel that they are more than just a number, but large enough to provide the modern facilities necessary for a comprehensive education preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow.

Students may select a degree program upon entering the college, or may delay a formal choice of major until the sophomore year. In addition to the major, students have the option of selecting one of more than 80 minors. These optional minors range from such disciplines as neuroscience, to various humanities and social sciences. Choice of minor enables students to strengthen their preparation in the major by selecting supporting courses from a related discipline.

The University of Maine has an exchange program with the College of the Atlantic in which any degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at either institution are eligible to participate. For more information regarding this program contact the associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture at 207-581-3206 or alan.kezis@umit.maine.edu.

Admission Requirements:
Entrance requirements for the college include the following high school units: four years of English, three years of mathematics (selected programs require four years of mathematics and it is encouraged for all programs), two years of social science, and a minimum of two years of laboratory sciences (selected programs require three years of laboratory sciences). One year of fine arts and one year of computer science are highly recommended. Two years of a single foreign language or American Sign Language (ASL) are required for BA programs.

Program Contacts

Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Martin Stokes
130A Hitchner Hall
581-2770
martin.stokes@umit.maine.edu

Biochemistry

Robert Gundersen
117 Hitchner Hall
581-2805
robert.gundersen@umit.maine.edu

Biology

Ann Dieffenbacher-Krall
100 Murray Hall
581-2510
ann.diffenbacher@umit.maine.edu

Botany
Ann Dieffenbacher-Krall
100 Murray Hall
581-2510
ann.diffenbacher@umit.maine.edu

Communication Science and Disorders
Allan B. Smith
336 Dunn Hall
581-2036
allan.b.smith@umit.maine.edu

Earth Sciences
Alice Kelley
111 Bryand Global Sciences Center
581-2056
alice.kelley@umit.maine.edu

Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Lindsay Seward
238 Nutting Hall
581-2847
lindsay.seward@umit.maine.edu

Economics
Karen Moffet
206 Winslow Hall
581-3154
karen.moffet@umit.maine.edu

Environmental Horticulture
Jaina Young
117 Deering Hall
581-2948
jaina.young@umit.maine.edu

Financial Economics
Karen Moffet
206 Winslow Hall
581-3154
karen.moffet@umit.maine.edu

Food Science and Human Nutrition
Mona Therrien
103 Hitchner Hall
581-3130
mona.therrien@umit.maine.edu

Forest Operations, Bioproducts and Bioenergy
William Livingston
201B Nutting Hall
581-2990
william.livingston@umit.maine.edu

Forestry
William Livingston
201B Nutting Hall
581-2990
william.livingston@umit.maine.edu

Marine Science
William Ellis
360B Aubert Hall
581-4360
wge@umit.maine.edu

Medical Laboratory Sciences
Ann Dieffenbacher-Krall
100 Murray Hall
581-2510
ann.diffenbacher@umit.maine.edu

Microbiology

Robert Gundersen
117 Hitchner Hall
581-2805
robert.gundersen@umit.maine.edu

Molecular and Cellular Biology
Robert Gundersen
117 Hitchner Hall
581-2805
robert.gundersen@umit.maine.edu

Nursing
Catherine Berardelli
201 Dunn Hall
581-2588
berardel@maine.edu

Parks, Recreation and Tourism
William Livingston
201B Nutting Hall
581-2990
william.livingston@umit.maine.edu

Social Work
Kelly Jaksa
101 Social Work Bldg
581-2405
kelly.jaksa@umit.maine.edu

Sustainable Agriculture
Jaina Young
117 Deering Hall
581-2948
jaina.young@umit.maine.edu

Undeclared
Peter Reid
2 Winslow Hall
581-3229
peter.reid@umit.maine.edu

Wildlife, Fishereis and Conservation Biology
Faren Wolter
210 Nutting Hall
581-2862
Faren.wolter@maine.edu

Zoology
Ann Dieffenbacher-Krall
100 Murray Hall
581-2510
ann.diffenbacher@umit.maine.edu