Guide to Online Colleges in Maine

The University of Maine at Augusta offers distance learning not just through online means, but also through video conferencing and interactive television. Associate, bachelor's, post-baccalaureate and certificate programs are available in these formats, in disciplines such as business administration, computer information systems, information and library science, and justice studies. Distance students can also complete minors in fields like addiction studies, music, and web applications.

The university offers a plethora of individual courses online, delivered using the learning platform Blackboard. For some classes, students may need to head to one of the university's 25 different physical locations, either to participate in interactive television or to take an exam.

The online offerings of the University of Maine, in Orono, allow students to "Be a Black Bear" from any place they are located, whether they are interested in pursuing online undergraduate or graduate degrees. Available programs include a Master of Science in spatial informatics; a Master of Business Administration; and a 12-credit certificate in instructional design. The university also offers hundreds of individual online courses across its winter and summer sessions.

Online students can find support and student services through the UMaine Online portal, among them the academic calendar, the bookstore, financial aid, the library and the tutoring center. UMaine advisors are available to answer questions for prospective students considering specific online courses and programs at the school.

Known as Maine's Coastal University, the University of Maine at Machias is the easternmost university in the nation. The school launched as a teacher's college in 1909, but has come to offer online degree programs in fields from psychology and community studies, to business and entrepreneurial studies. Both of these degree programs give students the choice to pick a concentration as well. Online certificate programs are also available, among them human resource management, marketing and entrepreneurship.

Former students who live out-of-state, but who once attended UMM can benefit from the offer of in-state tuition to finish a degree program online. This is available through UMM's "tuition special," a program called "Mainers in Exile."

Saint Joseph's College of Maine, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, has multiple online programs across various degree levels. Some of the college's programs are term-based, while others start monthly. Undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate and non-credit options are available, and several minors can be taken to customize one's studies as well. Business administration, marketing, psychology, social work and theology are all disciplines for which online learning is an option.

Online students at Saint Joseph's can find tutoring and coursework assistance through the SMARTHINKING online tutoring service, and also have online access to the bookstore, library and the Brightspace learning portal. Furthermore, the school maintains a personal online academic advisor to help students understand administrative policies, program requirements and course content.

Formed just after World War I in Portland as a response to the lack of educational opportunities for accountants, the University of Southern Maine is a public, regional, comprehensive university offering undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in a range of subjects.

USM's fully online offerings include Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Sciences programs, along with three possible minors; master's degree programs in various subjects; and both graduate and undergraduate certificate programs in subjects such as gerontology, English as a Second Language and leadership. In some cases, students may be able to receive credits for transfers or for work experience.

Students interested in online education at the University of Maine at Fort Kent can pursue associate degree programs in fields like accounting, criminal justice and emergency management. The university may even be the only school in the nation to offer an online associate degree program in conservation law enforcement. A handful of online bachelor's programs are also available, such as cyber-security, computer applications-information security and rural public safety administration.

Students at UMFK have many options for earning credit, and not just through online coursework. The university's Early College Maine Aspirations program offers high school students the opportunity to complete dual credits for high school electives and for college coursework through online courses. Students also may be able to earn credit for prior learning, including for work experience, certifications or particular licensures.

This small, public institution at nearly the tip-top of the United States is part of the seven-campus University of Maine System. UMPI prides itself on its Personalized Learning approach, which allows students to work at their own pace as they meet learning goals. Among its many benefits, personalized learning accommodates different learning styles and ability levels, because students can progress at their own speed, whether the learning takes place online or in a classroom.

Along with its numerous online course offerings, fully online programs at UMPI include English, history, psychology and an elementary teacher preparation program.

At the University of New England, students can complete graduate-level degree programs in disciplines like applied nutrition, education, health informatics, public health and social work. Students also can take individual science prerequisite courses online for some degree programs, in fields such as biology, chemistry, nutrition and physiology.

Course delivery at UNE is offered through the Blackboard learning system, and students can find support from the school's academic specialists and academic success center. The graduate level programs at the University are offered through the UNE Online Worldwide Learning (OWL); students can check out the UNE Online blog to find out more about what is happening at the school, particularly in online education.

The Maine Maritime Academy is a public, co-ed college along the coast in Castine, Maine. With a rigorous focus on engineering, management, science and transportation programs, MMA endeavors to help students build careers for themselves as mariners, engineers, supply chain managers, logistics professionals and scientists.

Though it does not offer online undergraduate programs as of June 2018, MMA's Loeb-Sullivan School of Graduate Studies does offer two distinctive online master's degree programs: the 19-month international logistics management program, and a two-year "Master's & Commander" program in maritime management.

Online students at Kennebec Valley Community College can start off by taking the school's online learning quiz to determine whether the format is right for them, and then watch video tutorials to get used to Blackboard, the learning platform KVCC uses for online coursework. The school offers online programs in subjects like business administration and liberal studies, but also many more hybrid programs such as computer information systems, medical assisting and pulp & paper technology.

The MyKV online student Portal can be used to make payments, view a history of completed courses or to read messages from the school's president. Additionally, online KVCC students can use the school library to search journal databases, find films on demand and search through nursing references.