Psychology

About the Program

As a Psychology student at UMFK, you’ll benefit from faculty who work in the field, enjoy small classes, and have hands-on learning that prepares you for the career you want. Many of our graduates enter the field in jobs doing social work, counseling, and other roles, oftentimes receiving job offers from your internship site. There is also an active Psychology Club that makes service-learning trips with opportunities to network with professionals in the field.

You can pair your degree with a minor or with one of our two concentrations that lead to much-needed licenses and credentials in the field.

Psychology Program

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology program is designed for students interested in careers in the Behavioral Health field and for advanced study in fields such as Psychology, Social Work and Counseling.  Hands-on experience, job shadowing, participation in service and experiential learning projects, and internships are core elements that set our program apart.

Psychology Online

As an Online Psychology student at UMFK, you’ll receive the same high-quality education as our on-campus program—taught by faculty who work in the field—all in a flexible, fully online format. You’ll enjoy interactive and engaging coursework that prepares you for a rewarding career in psychology, social work, counseling, and more. Many of our graduates secure job offers from their internship sites. Plus, you can enhance your degree from two specialized concentrations that lead to essential licenses and credentials in the field.

a female student sits on a couch with her laptop

Concentrations

Customize your Psychology degree to match your career goals with one of these concentrations.

MHRT/C Certificate Concentration

Prepare for a career in mental health rehabilitation with a Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Certification, a State of Maine certification.

Substance Misuse Concentration

Help those who struggle by pursuing a concentration in substance misuse.

Psychology, AA*

The Associate of Arts in Psychology will provide you with a sound liberal arts foundation with the fundamentals of anthropology, psychology, and sociology.

*Pending Approval

Human Services, AA

The Associate of Arts in Human Services will prepare you for work in the behavioral health field, meeting the requirements for certification as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician – Community (MHRT/C).

Psychology, Minor*

The Psychology minor will provide you with a foundation in behavioral health science that enables you to increase your understanding of individual and group behavior.

*Pending Approval

Online Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Community (MHRT/C) Certificate

The MHRT/C certification prepares students to provide services to adults with serious mental illness. Many careers within the behavioral health field require the MHRT/C certification. The content and skills covered in the MHRT/C curriculum also transfer to other roles/populations in the behavioral health field.

Employers who have hired our graduates include:

  • Maine Department of Health and Human Services
  • Northern Maine Medical Center
  • Life by Design
  • Aroostook Mental Health Center
  • Melmark
  • Northern Maine General
  • Northern Light Acadia Hospital
  • Aroostook County Action Program
  • Community Care
  • Madawaska School Department
  • Spurwink
UMFK Behavioral Science students at NMMC

Potential employers include:

  • Northern Lighthouse
  • Wings for Children and Families
  • Catholic Charities Maine
  • Maine Family Planning
  • Maine Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
  • Child Development Services
  • Community Health and Counseling
  • Hope and Justice Project
  • Sweetser
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • TRIO Programs
  • University of Maine System

License and certification opportunities include:

  • Conditional Social Work License (LSWX)
  • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
  • Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Community Certification (MHRT/C)

Graduates have careers as:

  • Adult & Child Case Manager
  • Community Integration Specialist
  • Substance Abuse Counselor
  • Mental Health Counselor
  • Clinical Therapist/Counselor (Advanced Study)
  • Family Support Counselor
  • Crisis Counselor
  • TRIO Counselor
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Social Worker Academic Counselor/Advisor
  • Foster Care
  • Program Administration/Coordinator Advocate

Career Outlook and Earning Potential

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Potential Occupations and Employment Outlook

Program Requirements

  • PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY 232: Trauma and Resiliency
  • PSY 270: Case Management
  • PSY 308: Life Span Human Development
  • PSY 332: Substance Abuse Counseling
  • PSY 360: Social Psychology
  • PSY 362: Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY 497: Community Behavioral Health Internship OR
  • SSC 241: Writing and Critical Analysis in the Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • SSC 340: Research Methods
  • SSC 440: Research Methods and Theory Seminar (Capstone I) AND
    SSC 441: Senior Research in Social Sciences (Capstone II)
  • SOC 100: Introduction to Sociology
  • SOC 110: Introduction to Human Services & Community Mental Health
  • MAT 251: Statistics I

Required Additional Credits

18 Additional credits required through one of the following 3 options:

  1. Complete Behavioral Health MHRT-C Concentration
  2. Complete Misuse Counseling Concentration
  3. Complete a Minor (other than Psychology)

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

An example of where our graduates work today

100%

Students who complete internships before graduating

1:16

Faculty to Student Ratio

Next Steps

Tell us about yourself to learn more about the benefits of earning your degree at UMFK.

Arts and Sciences

About the Program

As an Arts & Sciences student at UMFK, you’ll benefit from small classes, supportive faculty, and hands-on learning as you prepare for the career you want! Opportunities to create your own minor and experience classes that you prefer make this degree program perfect for the self-starter!

You have the option of pairing your degree with a minor or with one of our three concentrations.

Arts and Science Program

Dive deeper into UMFK’s Bachelor of Arts and Science program.

Concentrations

Customize your arts and sciences degree to match your career goals with one of these concentrations.

Allied Health

Prepare for a career in healthcare administration and more.

Self-Designed

Customize your studies to what you are passionate about.

Minors

Pursue a minor to gain additional specialized skills to attract an employer or pursue an area of interest.

English

Develop communication and analytical skills; broaden you knowledge of literature, writing, or editing as a complement to your major.

Self-Design

Create you own minor by selecting courses around a broad theme or question. You will work on original research or a creative work.

Graduation Requirements

  1. Completion of 120 semester hours of credit.
  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
  3. Completion of at least 36 semester hours of upper-level credits (course numbers 300 and above) in each of which the student shall have earned the grade of “C” or better.
  1. Completion of General Education Requirements
  2. At least 30 semester hours must be completed at the University of Maine at Fort Kent or through UMFK programs.

First Mile

Mile Marker for US ROUTE 1. US Route 1 is 2,369 miles long. The northern terminus begins in Fort Kent, Maine and ends in Key West, Florida

1:16

Faculty to student ratio

French and English

UMFK is a bilingual campus.

Next Steps

Tell us about yourself to learn more about the benefits of earning your degree at UMFK.

Forestry

About the Program

UMFK’s Forestry programs will provide you with the knowledge and hands-on learning experience you will need for a successful career in forestry.

  • You will work with forest owners to help them sustainably manage their land for wildlife, timber, and recreation.
  • You will conduct timber cruises, mark timber for harvest, plan roads and implement forestry best management practices
  • You will use science to develop forest management plans and manage timber harvesting operations.
  • You will help protect forests, preserve forest ecosystems, and wildlife habitats.
  • You will understand everything from forest ecology to soil science to wildlife management to forest operations and business.

Bryce Coffin, UMFK class of 2021, talks with an employee while standing in the woods near a feller buncher

SAF Accredited

There’s no better place to study forestry than the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Here’s why….

Location. We are located at the confluence of the Fish and St. John Rivers in the heart of Maine’s north woods and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. This provides opportunities for hands-on field work in a variety of forest ecosystems, forest ownerships, wildlife habitats, and rural land uses that are unmatched in the state, the northeast US, and the nation.

Affordability. We are the least expensive forestry school in the northeastern US and one of the most affordable in the country. In many cases, UMFK’s out-off-state tuition rate is lower than in-state tuition at forestry degree programs at other universities in the region.

Accreditation. UMFK’s A.A.S. in Applied Forest Management has long been accredited by the Society of American Foresters. As a new program, the B.S. in Forest Management builds on that successes and will be SAF-accredited once it has successfully passed through a period of candidacy.

Forest Management – Bachelor of Science

The B.S. in Forest Management builds on the courses comprising UMFK’s A.S. in Applied Forest Management, adding courses like advanced silviculture and mensuration, forest finance and timber procurement and forest policy that broaden the curriculum’s overall focus on forest management.

Professor Libin Louis works with a student in the forest

Applied Forest Management – Associate of Science

Prepare for a career in forestry with UMFK’s Applied Forest Management degree.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate

Earn a GIS Certificate, available on-campus or online. GIS provides a wealth of career opportunities. GIS can be applied to any field of study.

Minors

Customize your degree to match your career goals with one of these minors.

Forestry Minor

You will gain general knowledge of Maine’s most important natural resource and an understanding of forest biology and management.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Minor

With a GIS background you will have a competitive advantage easily find starting positions with government agencies or private firms.

Career Opportunities in Forestry

This is a great time to seek a career in forestry! The ratio of jobs to graduates is at an all-time high, and that ratio is only expected to increase.

The Associate of Science (A.S.) in Applied Forest Management and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Forest Management respond to the increasing statewide and national demand for professional foresters. Data suggest that “forester jobs are in demand,” with a growth rate of five percent for the period 2018-28.

Graduates find work as:

  • Foresters
  • Forest technicians
  • Managers of forest operations
  • Rangers for federal and state agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and the Maine Forest Service
  • GIS specialists
A forester oversees the harvesting of trees

Potential employers include:

  • Consulting foresters
  • Land management companies
  • Forest industry
  • Forestry, conservation, and agriculture departments of the state and federal governments.
  • Logging contractors
  • Timber and Fiber Procurement

Employers who have hired our graduates in recent years include:

  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • American Forest Management
  • Irving Woodlands LLC
  • James W. Sewall Company
  • Landvest
  • Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
  • Maine Forest Service
  • Maine Land Use Regulation Commission
  • Seven Islands Land Company
  • Wagner Forest Management, Ltd.

Foresters

Foresters are responsible for the conservation of working forests. This means monitoring the health and directing the growth of forest stands where timber is harvested while following laws, best management practices, and scientific research to build and conserve habitats for fish and wildlife. Daily tasks vary according to the size and goals of the landowner or agency. A forester may provide comprehensive services to many small landowners or specialize in a particular aspect of forestry within a larger company or agency.

a forester uses spraypaint to mark the end of a log

Forest Technicians

Technicians carry out the day-to-day tasks of forestry. They provide skills in areas such as forest inventory, boundary surveying, timber marking, timber harvesting and road layout, and the supervision of harvesting, thinning, and planting crews. Students pursuing the Associate of Science in Applied Forest Management often stay on to complete a bachelors degree in Forest Management, Business Management or Environmental Studies.

Forestry student working in the woods

Forest Rangers

Forest rangers are in the business of forest protection.  Their job involves the detection, prevention, and suppression of forest fires and the monitoring of potentially damaging native and invasive insect populations.  Additionally, the job involves a great deal of public education. In some states, forest rangers are involved in prescribed burning. This is a forest management tool used in forest regeneration, to reduce fuels and fire potential, and to enhance wildlife habitat.

UMFK Adam Bagley Forestry Alumni

Forest Operations

Forest operators include equipment operators and crew supervisors. A recent trend has emerged where the forest industry is seeking forestry-educated individuals to run wood processors and other equipment. Several recent graduates are working in such positions. Others have become contractors and are running their own harvesting and operations companies. The UMFK business management major, coupled with a forestry degree, is a useful combination for individuals seeking careers in the business side of forestry. Both degrees can be completed in four years.

two forestry professionals on foresting equipment looking at a tablet computer

GIS/GPS Technicians

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) field continues to provide many career opportunities for our students and graduates. There has been an increased number of paid internships in GIS and global positioning (GPS) for our students. Graduates in forestry have enough background in GPS and GIS to qualify as technicians for the growing GIS Industry. GIS technicians perform digitizing (mapping), GPS data collection, and basic GIS tasks. State government and private corporations currently have openings for mapping or cartographic technicians.

UMFK GIS student working on their laptop in the science lab.

Sample of Courses

  • FOR 100: Introduction to Forestry
  • FOR 131: Spreadsheets for Natural Resource Professionals
  • FOR 109: Dendrology
  • FOR 132: Forest Protection I
  • FOR 242: Map and LiDAR Interpretation
  • FOR 208: Forest Products, Harvesting, and Transportation
  • FOR 290: Forest Mensuration
  • GEO 103: Introduction To Global Positioning Systems
  • FOR 203: Surveying for Foresters
  • FOR 226: Forest Operations
  • FOR 332: Forest Inventory and Analysis
  • BUS 211: Introduction of Business
  • FOR 260: Silvics (Forest Ecology)
  • FOR 360: Silviculture
  • GIS 300: GIS Applications I
  • ENV 302: Wildlife Conservation & Management
    OR
    ENV 334: Wildlife Science
    OR
    ENV 354: Wildlife Habitat Interactions
  • SSC 327: Interpersonal Skills for Supervisors
  • FOR 330: Forest Protection II
  • FOR 350: Forest Management Practicum
  • FOR 361: Silvics/Silviculture Lab

Affordability

Least expensive forestry school in the northeastern U.S.

3.5 million acres

North Maine Woods

US Forest Service

One of our many internship opportunities

Next Steps

Tell us about yourself to learn more about the benefits of earning your degree at UMFK.