Five Colleges - One University

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) offers a comprehensive array of programs, both majors and minors, across its six schools.  Built upon a solid foundation in the humanities, arts, and natural and social sciences, each CAS program of study provides a vital balance between the breadth of a foundational education and the depth necessary for advanced knowledge in a chosen field. Undergraduate students in CAS earn either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science while graduate students earn either a master of science or a professional science master.  All CAS programs are based on the Biddeford campus. 

Study in the arts and sciences requires an exploration of both our social and natural environments, thus CAS embraces a broad-based mode of inquiry that fosters understanding and empathy. This pursuit of knowledge and caring for the world is at the center of our curricula. 

College of Arts and Sciences Mission

CAS prepares students for meaningful and rewarding careers as well as life-long learning through an education incorporating research, scholarship, and creative expression; internships and other experiential learning opportunities; study abroad experiences; and impactful community engagement and service.

Schools and Areas of Study

• School of Arts and Humanities
• School of Biological Sciences
• School of Marine and Environmental Programs
• School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• School of Professional Programs
  • Department of Business
  • Department of Education
• School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Westbrook College of Health Professions

The Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP) is a large, complex college of 14 distinct health profession programs ranging from baccalaureate to doctoral. Majors at the undergraduate level include Applied Exercise Science (AES), Dental Hygiene, Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies (HWOS), Nursing, Nutrition, Public Health, and Social Work (BSW). A B.S. in Pharmacy is also offered; master's degrees in Athletic Training, Nurse Anesthesia, Physician Assistant, and Occupational Therapy. The college offers professional doctoral degrees in Pharmacy (PharmD) and Physical Therapy (DPT).

Undergraduate education in WCHP occurs on the residential Biddeford campus. The exceptions are the dental hygiene and nursing majors, where students spend the first two years on the Biddeford campus followed by the junior and senior years on the Portland Campus. The athletic training program is fully delivered on the Biddeford campus. All remaining graduate programs of study are delivered on the Portland campus.

Westbrook College of Health Professions Mission

The Westbrook College of Health Professions educates a dynamic, collaborative workforce responsive to the evolving needs of society, thus advancing the health and well-being of all people.

Departments and Areas of Study

• Department of Exercise and Sport Performance
• Department of Dental Hygiene
• Department of Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies
• School of Nursing and Population Health
• Department of Nutrition
• School of Nurse Anesthesia
• Department of Occupational Therapy
• Department of Physician Assistant
• Department of Physical Therapy
• School of Social Work
• School of Pharmacy

College of Osteopathic Medicine

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.) and holds the distinction of being Maine's only medical school.

Guided by the tenets of Osteopathic Medicine, we prepare students to become skilled, caring, and successful osteopathic physicians. Our integrated curriculum provides varied learning experiences to help students develop the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to become competent physicians. Along with our affiliated clinical training sites, UNE COM prepares students who consistently score at the top in national licensing exams. UNE COM has been recognized in the top ten of all US medical schools for graduates obtaining the residency of their choice. While two-thirds of graduates practice in primary care, the remainder choose careers in specialty and subspecialty medicine. Our graduates are leaders in health care at the local, state, and national levels throughout the US, and in all branches of military service. Over 70% of UNE COM graduates practice in rural or medically underserved areas, caring for our most vulnerable populations.

At UNE COM, we recognize and support the role of research in all educational, clinical, and biomedical science activities and provide fellowship opportunities to encourage student participation in research. Both undergraduate and graduate/medical students work with faculty, professional staff, and peers to conduct exciting and innovative work in a number of areas, including pain and metabolic disease, immunology and infectious disease, anatomy and interventional pain management, medical education, and through our internationally renowned neuroscience and pain research.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine has taken a leading role in facilitating our students’ involvement with Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Practice. We are proud to partner in educational and training experiences with programs in dental medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant, occupational and physical therapy, and social work. COM shares many collaborative enterprises with our health profession colleagues including rural emersion experiences, scholars programs, research opportunities, and clinical training.

The UNE COM Office of Continuing Medical Education (CME) maintains dual accreditation with the American Osteopathic Association and the Maine Medical Association; authorizing UNE COM's sponsorship of collaborative CME activities for osteopathic (D.O.) and allopathic (M.D.) physicians. UNE COM is one of a handful of providers in the country that holds this distinction.

College of Osteopathic Medicine Mission

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine fosters health care leaders across the continuum in undergraduate, predoctoral, graduate, and continuing medical education. UNE COM advances exceptional osteopathic health care locally and globally through practice, research, scholarship, education, and community health.

Departments and Areas of Study

• Department of Primary Care:
  • Division of Family Medicine
  • Division of Geriatrics
  • Division of Internal Medicine
  • Division of Psychiatry
  • Division of Pediatrics
  • Mature Care Clinical Services
  • Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition
• Department of Specialty Care Medicine
• Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Department of Biomedical Science
• Department of Continuing Medical Education
• Northeast Osteopathic Medical Education Network

UNE Online | College of Professional Studies (Formally the college of graduate and professional studies)

UNE Online Vision

To advance the fields we serve by functioning as a nexus for relationships between scholars and professionals, and by educating clients to lead in that evolving convergence.

UNE Online Mission

UNE Online educates and supports future leaders in industry and service via programs designed to catalyze meaningful career development.

UNE Online Values

• Growth: To grow in community, infrastructure, and scope, in order to give more options while making all options stronger.
• Relationships: To cultivate the agency necessary to grapple with and execute on opportunities.
• Agility; To cultivate the agency necessary to grapple with and execute on opportunities.
• Sustainability: To consider ourselves an ecosystem built first upon the healthy balance of all our values, and second upon the exploratory process necessary to our evolution.

Academic Core Values

Critical and Innovative Thinking

Graduates of the College of Professional Studies (UNE Online) programs are capable of critical analysis of the scholarship in their discipline. Graduates are able to synthesize and interpret theory and apply it to their field of practice; evaluating what is most appropriate for their professional setting is a habit of mind leading to deeper learning.

Oral and/or Written Communication

Graduates of UNE Online programs are able to effectively and accurately communicate with industry stakeholders, professional colleagues, and academic peers. Graduates communicate with coherence and organization. Graduates’ work exhibits proper mechanics and grammar, along with accurate style and citation relevant to their discipline. Graduates are able to offer both oral and written products to meet the needs of the intended audience

Ethical Reasoning and Practice

Graduates of UNE Online programs have a sound understanding of ethics in their area of expertise. Graduates have an understanding of the pertinent regulations that protect the communities or industries that they serve. Graduates are able to enter into their field of practice with the ability to make ethical decisions and to engage in culturally sensitive behavior to enhance the greater good.

Application of Scholarship and Research

Graduates of UNE Online programs are critical consumers of research and evidence. Graduates are adept at analyzing and translating the findings of primary sources, including literature, data, and research. Graduates are able to synthesize current literature and propose novel research in their field of study. Graduates understand the importance of evidence-based decision-making and utilize data to support their professional practice.

*Field-based learning, practicum, capstone, and ePortfolio demonstrate mastery of all core academic values*

Departments and Areas of Study

• Applied Nutrition (online master's degree and RD Track)
• Education (online certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees)
• Healthcare Administration (online master's degree and graduate certificates)
• Health Informatics (online certificates, and master's degree)
• Pre-Requisite Sciences Courses (online science and math courses for credit)
• Public Health (online certificate and master's degree)
• Social Work (online master's degree)

College of Dental Medicine

The College of Dental Medicine is located on the Portland Campus and grants the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree after four years of professional study.

The College seeks to matriculate compassionate students who demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered care, social responsibility, and professionalism. Students are treated as professional colleagues and supported in a learner-centered environment grounded in trust, collegiality, and high ethical standards. The College is committed to providing a safe and effective environment in which students can learn; apply knowledge; develop skills and values; provide comprehensive, patient-centered, evidence-based care; and develop to the level of an independent, competent oral health care provider.

The first two years of the curriculum focus on extensive hands-on dental simulation experience--beginning in the very first semester of the program--as well as integrated biomedical sciences and dental sciences content. Students work closely with faculty and peers to acquire foundational biomedical knowledge in the context of its clinical application. Critical thinking skills are emphasized as students learn how to access and evaluate information, including the latest scientific research, as well as how to use that information to provide evidence-based care to their patients. Interested students are also provided opportunities to conduct oral health research under the guidance of faculty mentors. What’s more, our program educates students on the business side of dentistry, including practice management concepts and leadership skills, and we emphasize the importance of self-assessment and lifelong learning to personal and professional growth.

Students engage in clinical experiences across all four years of the program, commencing during the first semester of the program primarily through peer-to-peer experiences. During the second year, students begin to provide limited patient care in the Oral Health Center on UNE’s Portland campus, and they gradually progress to providing comprehensive patient care, which continues during the third year. Throughout their clinical experiences, students practice as associates in a group practice led by clinical faculty mentors and provide patient-centered care commensurate with their individual level of education and training. The fourth year of the program focuses on clinical practice both at the UNE Oral Health Center and at community-based clinical sites across Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) and beyond. Each fourth-year student is required to complete a 12-week externship rotation at one of these sites, which include Federally Qualified Health Centers, non-profit clinics, private practices, etc. 

Public health is an essential component of our curriculum, and our students frequently discuss issues related to access to care and health policy. Throughout the four-year program, DMD students participate in service-learning experiences, such as school-based programs aimed at preventing childhood caries; conducting oral assessments for individuals with developmental challenges; and delivering oral health education to older adults at long-term care facilities. These experiences are designed to prepare new graduates with the skills needed to address access to dental care for society’s most vulnerable and underserved populations. The College also provides opportunities for dental students to learn and work with students of other health professions at UNE. Through these experiences, our students grow to appreciate the value of interprofessional communication and collaboration in delivering high-quality, comprehensive care to their patients. 

Ultimately, our graduates will be ethical, caring, competent oral healthcare providers who will improve the oral health, overall health, and quality of life of people in their communities.

College of Dental Medicine Mission

The mission of the UNE College of Dental Medicine is to improve the health of Northern New England as well as rural and underserved areas while shaping the future of dentistry through excellence in education, discovery, and service.