University of New England Places Health First
UNE offers dynamic educational experiences based on respect for diversity, liberal education, a belief in lifelong learning, a desire to develop leaders for society, and a commitment to advancing the quality of life and the environment.
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The University of New England (UNE) is a thriving independent university with two distinctive campuses located in the coastal communities of Biddeford and Portland, Maine. UNE provides a highly integrated learning experience that promotes excellence through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in education, research, and service. With over 4,000 students and more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, UNE has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the top regional universities in the Northeast.
UNE is a leader in health sciences education and biomedical research, offering student-centered, interdisciplinary programs in its four colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Health Professions, College of Osteopathic Medicine and newly established College of Pharmacy. UNE’s undergraduate programs provide an outstanding liberal arts education with more than 30 majors in a variety of subject areas.
UNE students are passionate about learning and living. The university hosts 14 NCAA Division III athletic teams, dozens of clubs and organizations, and access to Maine’s scenic parks, beaches and mountains. Students enjoy a beautiful and supportive environment at the waterfront campus in Biddeford or the historic Portland campus.
Westbrook College Campus
UNE’s quintessential historic New England campus in suburban Portland, Maine, is home of the College of Health Professions (CHP), which offers undergraduate programs in dental hygiene and nursing and graduate programs in nurse anesthesia, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and social work. The Westbrook College Campus is also home to the newly established College of Pharmacy.
| A student's view |
| Even though I am a senior here at the University of New England, I still vividly remember what it was like my senior year of high school and trying to decide which college to attend. I want to share some of my experiences with you and provide you with a student perspective on life here at UNE. While in high school in New York, I was accustomed to being very involved in the community as well as my school, so in choosing a college I knew those opportunities would be important to me. Academic quality and environment would also be critical if I was to achieve my educational and career goals. When I visited UNE, the first second my family and I drove on to UNE’s University Campus, I knew this was where I wanted to be. Not only was the campus beautiful, right on the ocean, I found the people personable and full of positive attitude. UNE had every club and organization I was interested in, the academic reputation was solid, UNE had my major, and the opportunities for other experiences, both academic and extracurricular, were there. Many students, myself included, come to college thinking they know exactly what they want to do. After success with some very challenging classes, and other experiences in and out of the classroom, I have changed my career goal from physical therapy to gaining admission to medical school. The faculty, staff, and my peers were very supportive of my decision and have made every step of this process incredibly smooth. While academics have always come first, I am heavily involved in campus life and have taken advantage of what the UNE community offers. Over my three years here at UNE I have always participated in the Snowboarding/Ski Club, Sailing Club, Surfing Club, music at UNE, Make a Wish Foundation Club, Student Health Advisory Council, mentoring and various community service projects. Two years ago I spent a semester abroad at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. I had the opportunity to study the Australian culture while taking classes that could be applied to my pre-med curriculum. I traveled up and down the west coast of Australia and also to Bali, Indonesia. It was the most amazing experience and I certainly encourage any student to take a semester abroad if at all possible. I really believe that UNE is an excellent school at which to pursue your dreams. — Christine Bessett |
The University Campus in Biddeford, Maine
UNE’s coastal Maine campus is located on a beautiful site in Biddeford, Maine, where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. With more than 4,000 feet of water frontage, enjoying the ocean comes naturally to UNE students.The people of southern Maine are friendly and welcoming, and the coastal area has a long history as a popular vacation destination.
Home to the College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences, the University Campus offers some of the best resources in the nation for studying the natural sciences, health sciences and osteopathic medicine. State-of-the-art facilities include the Harold Alfond Center for the Health Sciences and the Marine Science Education and Research Center, which houses UNE’s Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center. The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 30 undergraduate majors on this campus.
University of New England’s Four Colleges
College of Osteopathic Medicine
The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) is dedicated to the improvement of life through the education of osteopathic physicians, research and service. The College emphasizes health, healing and primary care for the people of New England and the nation.
With the Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine has some of the best medical education facilities in the nation, and the College has been recognized for educational excellence in primary care, geriatric education and osteopathic manipulative medicine.
Part of a quality education is teaching students how to think critically and independently. That’s why the College requires its medical students to work in an atmosphere of scientific inquiry and research. UNECOM medical students have many opportunities to work with faculty conducting biomedical research in areas as diverse as diabetes, neuroscience and marine viruses.
The university broke ground on the 22,086-square-foot Pickus Center for Biomedical Research in October 2007. Located on University Campus in Biddeford, it is expected to open in the fall of 2008. The new state-of-the-art biomedical research facility will house 10 or more teams conducting important biomedical research in the Cécile Morgane Research Laboratories. The facility will allow the College of Osteopathic Medicine's faculty to dedicate themselves to educating physicians and advancing the practice of medicine, while giving students greater opportunities to experience research as part of their medical studies.
In addition to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, the College also offers internships and residencies as well as a Master of Science in Medical Education Leadership, a Master of Public Health or a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Public Health.
UNECOM is fully accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA COCA). The University of New England is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
College of Pharmacy
The College will offer the Doctor of Pharmacy as the entry-level professional degree that will prepare students for careers as pharmacists and/or pharmaceutical scientists. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree is awarded after successful completion of four years of professional study; it will begin September 2009 and will be located on UNE’s Westbrook College Campus.
“The College’s research orientation – its strong discovery piece – will make us very different from most other pharmacy schools in the country and any other pharmacy school in northern New England,” notes UNE President Danielle Ripich. “Our goal is to be one of the top-ranked pharmacy schools in the nation.” She continues, “The University of New England is operating from three distinctive strengths. First, research strength in pharmacology in our College of Osteopathic Medicine, Maine’s only medical school and a regional leader in biomedical research. Second, excellent clinical practice is a key strength of both our medical school and our College of Health Professions. And third, our focus on research initiatives that will investigate the relationship between the ocean and human health, which includes the discovery and development of valuable medicines from the sea. This new college will build on these core strengths of the University of New England and take us even further in our goal to become a pre-eminent university.”
“Add to these diverse assets first-rate undergraduate and graduate science faculty at both universities, some of the world’s top medical researchers at UNE, UMaine and Maine Medical Center, superior clinical sites at some of the state’s finest hospitals, and you have the formula for an innovative, outstanding school of pharmacy, one that will well serve the people of Maine in a variety of important ways,” she adds.
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