Serving nearly 6,000 students, UMA is the third largest university in the University of Maine System, with campuses in Augusta and Bangor and UMA centers and course receive sites in virtually every corner of the state and online everywhere.
With our statewide locations, as well as our long-time expertise in distance learning, UMA is generally considered the university of choice for place-bound Mainers who want to attend college without uprooting their lives. Attracting a unique mix of recent high school graduates and adults returning to the classroom, all are enriched by the diversity of age and experience of our students.
UMA is especially noted for its experience and success supporting adult students, some who enter college after many years away from a classroom. UMA faculty and staff understand the special challenges of these adult students, who often juggle family and work responsibilities while attending college.
The majority of our graduates (about 600 annually) leave UMA with a baccalaureate degree in a professional field of study that meets a specific state or regional economic need. UMA graduates overwhelmingly stay in Maine, where many go on to become leaders in their profession and their community.
History
The 102nd Maine Legislature in 1965 established the University of Maine at Augusta as a community-based institution offering associate degrees under the auspices of the University of Maine (Orono). In 1971, soon after moving to its present location in Augusta, UMA became an autonomous institution, the seventh campus of the University of Maine System.
In 1975, UMA offered its first baccalaureate degree program and began building an integrated faculty community, with appropriate terminal degrees, to teach both baccalaureate and associate degree courses. During this time, UMA also developed a distinctive set of programs, services, and schedules tailored to meet the unique needs and strengths of its primarily non-traditional student body.
In 1986, UMA developed a statewide interactive television system (ITV) as well as a network of over 100 off-campus centers and regional sites, and coordinated the delivery of university programs, courses, and services at these centers and sites. In 1994 this system, called Education Network of Maine, became an independent administrative entity of the University of Maine System and was renamed University College. In 2008, University College returned under the auspices and management of UMA. In 2018, University College was reintegrated fully into UMA as UMA Centers and Instructional Services and Support.
In 1995, the University of Maine System Board of Trustees added the Bangor campus to UMA. Founded in 1970 as the South Campus of the University of Maine (Orono), UMA Bangor underwent several name and mission changes before its affiliation as the UMA Bangor campus. During this same time period, the Board of Trustees reaffirmed UMA’s role as a provider of baccalaureate programs in the Central Maine and Mid-Coast region.
Expansion of UMA’s educational mission has progressed during the past decade. Prior to 1998 UMA offered only 3 baccalaureate programs; it currently has a total of 34 undergraduate programs, and three graduate programs. The majority of UMA students today graduate with a baccalaureate degree.
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