Professor working with students in a Community Health Education classroom

Learning-by-doing is the hallmark of the University of Maine at Farmington Health Promotion & Wellness program. Here, you’ll gain hands-on, real-world experience in health education specialties — such as our School Health Education concentration, Outdoor Recreation Programming concentration, and Physical Activity and Nutrition concentration.


Here, you’ll participate in classroom-based research, on-campus work opportunities, and service-learning projects led by faculty with expertise in a broad range of topics: nutrition, stress management, human sexuality, environmental health, disease prevention, and health promotion.

Our coursework gives you a unique skill set, allowing you to be recognized as professionals in the health industry and preparing you to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) upon graduation.

At Farmington, you’ll gain practical experience in a variety of health-related fields.


What can you do with a degree in Health Promotion & Wellness?



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.

We believe hands-on experience is so valuable, we require it … and you’ll love it!

At Farmington, you’ll participate in extensive outside-the-classroom fieldwork, including a required practicum and internship. Through your community placement (which we’ll do for you) you’ll work 600 contact hours over 15 weeks in the practice of health education. You’ll actually go out into the workplace to apply the knowledge you’ve studied in the classroom.

You’ll get to assess individual and community needs for health education; plan, implement, and administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs; conduct evaluation and research related to health education; serve as a health education resource person; and communicate and advocate for health and health education. Your field experience will be under the co-supervision of UMF faculty and the participating agency’s staff.

Internships – Real-World Experience in Health Promotion & Wellness Fields

At UMF you can experience, first-hand, what it’s like to work in the Health Promotion & Wellness fields while you learn valuable career skills and develop a strong network of professional contacts.

Here’s a short list of where our Health Promotion & Wellness students have recently interned:

  • South Portland High School Athletics Dept
  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Waterville
  • Healthy Community Coalition
  • Franklin Health Internal Medicine
  • Foxcroft Academy
  • Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
  • Somerset Public Health
  • River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition
  • Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School
  • UMF Alpine Ski Team
  • Tri-Valley United Way
  • Maine Behavioral Health
  • Mt. Blue High School Athletics Dept.

Many of our Health Promotion & Wellness students tell us this fieldwork portion of their degree program was the most rewarding and valuable of their college career.

This program qualifies for a tuition savings of nearly $6,000 per year for residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See details below.


You can also choose one of our optional value-added concentrations, certificates, or minors.


These are career-building options designed to further bolster your resume and fill your skills toolbox.

  • School Health Education concentration
  • Outdoor Recreation Programming concentration
  • Physical Activity & Nutrition concentration
  • Alpine Operations Certificate
  • Child and Adolescent Health minor
  • Coaching minor
  • Environmental Studies minor
  • Health and Medicine minor
  • Physical Fitness minor
  • Nutrition Education minor
  • Outdoor Recreation minor

School Health Education concentration

This concentration is for those who want to teach in a school setting. If you’re interested in having the option to teach in a school setting, our School Health Education concentration will certify you to teach in K-12 classrooms in Maine and many other states.

This Health Promotion & Wellness / School Health Ed combo has enabled many of our Health Promotion & Wellness graduates to market themselves to prospective employers in both settings. It’s a valuable career-focused option worth considering.

Students in the School Health Education Concentration have participated in regional and statewide professional education conferences, such as the Central Maine Educators Regional Conference. This is a wonderful networking opportunity where students get to present their scholarly work to education leaders from across the state.


This program qualifies for a tuition savings of nearly $6,000 per year for residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See details below.


Outdoor Recreation Programming concentration

This concentration is for those who want to pursue a career as a recreation professional, running and organizing outdoor activities such as snowsports, river activities, canoeing, camping, hiking, golf, inland fisheries activities, horseback riding, and more.

The concentration is designed to help you gain programming skills, and may also lead to the education required to help you obtain professional certifications in areas such as Maine Guide, hunting and fishing, mountain first aid (outdoor emergency care), Professional Ski Instructors Association certifications, United States Ski Association certifications, canoeing certifications, and others.

Students in this concentration have found internships and future employment at ski resorts, parks, summer camps, and other outdoor adventure establishments.

This program qualifies for a tuition savings of nearly $6,000 per year for residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See details below.


Physical Activity & Nutrition concentration

This concentration is designed for those who plan to pursue graduate studies in the fields of nutrition, physical therapy, occupational therapy, Physician Assistant (PA), and athletic training, among other health fields. The concentration focuses on science courses and health content.

This concentration is not something you have to declare when you’re accepted to UMF, instead, it’s an option you can choose as your academic and career path becomes clearer as you take courses in our Health Promotion & Wellness program.

This program qualifies for a tuition savings of nearly $6,000 per year for residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See details below.


What can you do with a degree in School Health Education?


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.

Farmington Education grads get hired.

According to a 2020 survey of UMF Education graduates over the past three years, 83% of respondents indicated being employed in the field of education, with 85% hired within a year of graduation and 73% employed within four months of graduation.

Overall, 94.3% of respondents indicated they were Very Satisfied or Satisfied with their teacher education preparation at UMF.


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.


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