Biology

B.A. Degree with a major in Biology

Dive Into Biology: Get Real, Get Dirty, Get Curious

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.

Got questions? Ask a professor in the program.

UMF Advances Public Health with Tick Research Initiative

The University of Maine at Farmington is engaged in important research on ticks and the diseases they carry, addressing a growing public health concern in Maine. Through field collection and laboratory analysis, UMF students and faculty study tick populations, their habitats, and infection rates to better understand the spread of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. This hands-on research not only contributes to regional health awareness but also provides students with valuable experience in environmental science and biology.

Save more than $5,500 per year in tuition.

Through the NEBHE Tuition Break program, students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive a $5,670 tuition discount on all UMF degree programs.

Learn More

UMF Expands Research Through Maine Mountain Ponds Program

The University of Maine Farmington’s Maine Mountain Ponds program is advancing our understanding of the ecology of the northern Appalachian Mountains–a region of global biodiversity importance. Through this initiative, students and faculty collect and analyze samples and monitor environmental changes to better understand the impacts of climate change on fragile mountain watersheds. This program offers students hands-on research experiences, while contributing valuable data to conservation and environmental management efforts across the region.

Research & Internship Opportunities

Research Topics

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

Internships

Franklin County Animal Shelter, Farmington, Maine
Maine State Aquarium, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Domestic, Exotic and Wild Animals Haven-Sanctuary, Mount Vernon, Maine
Farmington Historical Society, Farmington, Maine
New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Maine Wildlife Park, Gray, Maine
Cornell University Fuller Lab of Ornithology, NY
UMF Biology Program
And more

Grant Supports Groundbreaking Genetic Research on Fish at UMF

The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) has received a $500,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to support groundbreaking research on genes in fish. This project aims to explore a new hormone system in fish, which has implications for biomedical research in humans. By using advanced laboratory tools such as confocal microscopy, UMF students and faculty are gaining hands-on experience in molecular biology and contributing valuable insights to future medical and commercial applications.

These materials highlighting UMF research are based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) under Award No. 2331556.

Contact Us to Get Started!

Office of Admissions
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994

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