Online Colleges in Maine

A Catholic, liberal arts college in Standish, Saint Joseph's College of Maine welcomes students of all faiths. Founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, the school offers degrees inspired by the order's educational ideals. Saint Joseph has been providing distance education for over 40 years.

Saint Joseph's offers programs in many disciplines. Learners take online courses in Maine in nursing, accounting and finance, business administration, marketing, social work, and theology. Students follow either a term-based or self-directed plan of study.

Term-based programs require students to enroll during set registration periods; this includes 10 online degrees in the areas of health administration, accountancy, business, and nursing. Self-directed online programs begin on the first day of every month; this format affords students scheduling flexibility and convenience. Saint Joseph's offers over 30 self-directed degrees. Students can choose to participate in group learning, where they progress through a program as a cohort. Most interaction takes place through the school's online learning portal, Brightspace.

In a 2013 college survey, online learners at Saint Joseph's named the "ability to manage coursework within my own individual schedule" as the top factor in earning a degree online. In the same survey, the school's monthly start dates were a close second, followed by rolling admissions.

About 1,000 students attend Saint Joseph's on campus, but the college reports a total enrollment of approximately 2,500. Online learners hail from more than 20 countries. Saint Joseph's holds regional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Created in 1865 on land granted through the Morrill Act of 1862, the University of Maine began its history as the Maine College of Architecture and the Mechanic Arts. Based in Orono, UMaine is the flagship campus of the University of Maine system. The public university is home to over 9,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

UMaine offers over 500 courses online. UMaine students can choose to earn a four-year or advanced degree completely online. UMaine's faculty helps prepare students for diverse careers in business and social work, as well as digital curation and engineering. The school's MS in information systems, for example, admits students from all undergraduate backgrounds. The 30-credit program focuses on technical, managerial, and policy issues as they relate to data systems and their role in the modern organization.

UMaine offers online courses year-round. Through the school's summer university and new winter session, online learners at UMaine can continue their studies without interruption. UMaine also promotes a "Think 30" program, which helps full-time graduate students stay on track to graduate in four years.

UMaine has 16 extension offices and five research field stations across the state, providing comprehensive student and community outreach.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent dates back to 1878 when then-Governor Seldon Connor approved a new teachers' school in the St. John Valley. Today, UMFK awards associate and bachelor's degrees in a variety of fields. UMFK serves more than 1,750 undergraduates both on campus and online. Though a small public university, UMFK has a higher percentage of international students than any other New England university.

Given its rural location, UMFK reaches even more students through distance education. As one of the online colleges in Maine, UMFK features 15 programs of study, along with dozens of individual online courses.

The university offers four, two-year degrees fully online, including an AA in general studies with five available concentrations. General studies students can focus on areas like accounting, conservation law enforcement, and homeland security. UMFK's two-year degree offerings place it among Maine's community colleges online as well. Associate-degree students can easily transfer into a four-year program at UMFK.

Online learners interested in cybersecurity, business management, or nursing can earn an online bachelor's degree at UMFK. The bachelor of arts and sciences degree features three areas of focus, including one students design themselves. The liberal arts program allows students to take courses from any discipline; learners can take anthropology one semester, then literature the next. UMFK uses Blackboard for all online courses.

UMFK gained university status in 1970, and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) re-accredited UFMK in 2016.

Based in Bangor, Maine, Husson University also maintains education centers in Westbrook and Presque Isle. At the main 208-acre campus in Bangor, Husson serves some 3,000 undergraduates and 800 graduate students.

Real-world learning pervades Husson's study programs, with an estimated 95% of students participating in an internship, practicum, or clinical experience; this includes distance-learning students. Husson grants 12 degrees online in the fields of business, technology, healthcare, liberal studies, and psychology. Online students follow the same curriculum as on-campus students and learn from the same faculty, only through a convenient, flexible format instead. Online college courses in Maine help students balance work, family life, and school. Like other online colleges in Maine, Husson features an accelerated calendar, with courses starting every seven weeks.

Husson offers several degrees and courses in technology. For example, learners can pursue a BS in integrated technology or an MBA in data analytics or biotechnology and innovation. Meanwhile, students who want to enhance their skill sets can apply to the university's certificate program in data analytics. BS students in business administration, healthcare management, or integrated technology can also complete certificate requirements as part of their overall curriculum.

Class sizes at Husson average about 20 students. The school, accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, has the lowest net price of any private four-year college in New England. Husson also maintains a generous transfer policy, which helps reduce overall tuition costs.

In 2008, Husson earned university status and today it offers 72 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, plus various certificate programs.

With over 6,200 students, the University of Maine at Augusta is the third largest school in the University of Maine System. While UMA's main campus is in Augusta, the university also maintains a campus in Bangor and eight outreach UMA Centers throughout the state.

When comparing accredited online colleges in Maine, prospective students will notice UMA's on-campus programs resemble those available online. The university offers 12 undergraduate, five graduate, and nine associate degrees online. Students can tailor several degrees as well, through specialized concentrations within a major. The BS in computer information systems, for example, offers five tracks: software development, web development, database, networking, and information security.

Through online, video conferencing, and ITV learning options, UMA declares it can be every student's "local" university. In addition to its two campuses and eight UMA Centers, UMA also maintains more than 30 course sites throughout the state. At UMA's course sites, students can participate in ITV and online courses. Like other online colleges in Maine, UMA strives to remove limitations of location and rigid schedules.

Online degrees include business administration, CIS, justice studies, and the in-demand information and library science (ILS) major. UMA's ILS program dates back over 20 years and allows students to earn a degree or certificate online. Certified by the American Library Association (ALA), UMA's undergraduate program awards certification, an associate degree, and a bachelor of ILS. Library science is a sought-after skill for companies across many industries, as degree-holders enter the job market well equipped to lead projects involving big data research, analysis, and search.

Established in 1965 by the 102nd Maine Legislature, the University of Maine at Augusta became the seventh UMS campus six years later in 1971. UMA's long tradition of "meeting students where they are" through distance education began in 1986.

A public, three-campus university, the University of Southern Maine established its current name in 1978 -- 100 years after its founding and eight years after a merger between Gorham State College and the University of Maine at Portland. In 1988, USM added the Lewiston-Auburn campus.

As one of the online colleges in Maine, USM offers learners a choice of 21 programs and certificates and over 200 online courses. USM's undergraduate offerings include a BA in communication, a BS in leadership and organizational studies, and a minor in business administration. In graduate studies, students can earn credentials in areas like creative leadership, gerontology, and English as a second language (ESL). The curricula for online courses at USM match those taught on campus; most USM program faculty teach both.

USM strives to accommodate all students, no matter where they are in their careers or academic roadmap. Approximately 40% of students at USM are 25 years or older and the university regularly grants transfer credit for both prior college attendance and work or life experience. Credit may come from course credits earned from another regionally-accredited institution, military training, or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).

For example, many students enroll in USM's BA in liberal arts humanities track with prior credit. Degree-completion students take credits earned from other accredited institutions, like one of Maine's community colleges online, and create a cost effective and efficient path toward a four-year degree. At USM, online courses use both asynchronous and synchronous options. USM has start dates in the fall, spring, and summer.

Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college, the University of Maine at Machias is a public liberal arts school. UMM is one of seven schools that comprise the University of Maine System.

The average class size at UMM is 17 students, with a 12-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Approximately 1% of UMM's student body is international. As one of the online colleges in Maine, UMM admits 14% percent of its students from out of state. Currently, the university offers 11 undergraduate programs, three of which are online. In total, UMM offers eight degrees and certificates through distance learning.

The 120-credit BA in psychology and community studies, for example, allows for fieldwork and internships in students' hometowns. The BS in business and entrepreneurial studies, meanwhile, is available year-round, allowing students to work around their schedules in the spring, summer, fall, or winter. Online business students can choose to focus on nonprofit organization management or small business.

UMM courses combine various technologies to create a comprehensive online learning environment. Students can choose their online college courses in Maine based on one of five UMM learning formats: compressed video, hybrid, interactive TV, video conferencing, or web-based. Most UMM distance-learning courses are web-based.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle offers courses in the classroom, online, and in the field. Given its rural setting, size, and location, UMPI operates as a commuter campus, which supports the school's investment in distance-learning options. UMPI enrollment tops approximately 1,400, including nearly 800 degree-seeking students.

UMPI offers three online undergraduate programs in English, history, and psychology. The school also offers online courses that allow students to create a curriculum to meets their needs. The online course selection varies by term but is always diverse. From world religions to college algebra to topics in philosophy and literature, UMPI offers courses online for every major.

Like other accredited online colleges in Maine, UMPI serves students who require more scheduling flexibility. Specifically, UMPI offers two competency-based programs for working professionals who are ready to complete their degrees. These degrees, in business administration and the liberal arts, feature an adaptive learning platform which focuses on what the student is less familiar with, moving past what the student already knows.

Founded in 1903, the Aroostook State Normal School, a two-year teaching school with an inaugural class of just 17 students, changed its name three times in the subsequent 68 years before it became the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1971; the school joined the University of Maine System in 1968. According to UMPI, 90% of the school's online instructors hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree.