Professor and student working in a University of Maine at Farmington science lab

The Biology program at the University of Maine at Farmington emphasizes hands-on learning with enthusiastic faculty members working with you in classes, in laboratories, and in the field.

Our Biology Program has three different concentrations, reflecting three common areas of interest and career paths for those choosing Biology as their major:

> Ecology and Conservation Concentration

> General Biology Concentration

> Pre-Professional Concentration

The opportunity to conduct real science: observation, experimentation, measurement, sampling and analysis is baked into virtually every Biology course at UMF. It’s the type of hands-on, real-world (and real science) experience you’ll get here.

You’ll work alongside professors on a range of research topics such as:

  • Aquatic ecosystems response to environmental change
  • Chickadee social behavior
  • Regeneration of jack pine forests on coastal Maine islands
  • Distribution and habitat preferences of rare dragonflies and butterflies
  • Co-evolution of resistance mechanisms in bacteria
  • Fire ecology of pines and oaks
  • Parathyroid gene expression in brook trout
  • Reproductive development in fish for commercial applications
  • Polychaete biodiversity database development

What can you do with a degree in Biology?


Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. Median Salaries for positions in Maine typically fall below those of other New England states.

Internship & Research Opportunities and Travel Courses in Biology

Here, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in summer internships — including paid research positions — in Maine as well as in Massachusetts, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, California and Florida.

And if you’re interested in experiences farther afield, our Biology program regularly offers affordable, short-term May Term travel courses to Iceland and Costa Rica.

If you’re interested in a Bio-Medical career, internships are available with regional research labs such as Maine’s renowned Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), Maine hospitals and Maine biotech firms.

Our Biology graduates regularly go on to graduate schools, professional schools, medical schools and careers in laboratory research, state and federal agencies, teaching and more.

At UMF you can find out, first-hand, what it’s like to work in the Biology field while you learn valuable career skills and develop a strong network of professional contacts.

Here’s a short list of where our Biology students have recently interned:

  • Franklin County Animal Shelter
  • Maine State Aquarium
  • DEW Haven Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Farmington Historical Society

Save nearly $6,000 per year in tuition. This University of Maine at Farmington program qualifies for the New England Regional Program tuition discount.

This price break is for residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont for the 2023-2024 academic year — a savings of $5,880 per year.

See More About the New England Regional Program Tuition Discount Got questions? Ask a professor in this program

Contact Us

Office of Admissions
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994
tel  207-778-7050
fax  207-778-8182
TYY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
umfadmit@maine.edu