Why join SBe?
We offer an exciting diversity of degree programs for our students. Undergraduate programs include options emphasizing biology, the health professions, ecology, zoology and botany. Courses are taught by faculty who are highly dedicated to education, some of whom are recipients of teaching awards at the college, university, and national levels.
Research
Our faculty members are national and international leaders in their areas of scientific research. The breadth of their expertise ranges from medical physiology to paleoecology, from agricultural genomics to science education, and from contemporary evolution to pest management. Graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to work on projects funded from a variety of federal, state, and private sources, including those associated with the Sustainable Solutions Initiative, the Climate Change Institute, One Health and the Environment and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station.
Explore the School of Biology and Ecology
SBE Seminars
Every semester, SBE hosts researchers from different universities, federal, state, and private agencies, and independent researchers to come and present their work.
SBE Thesis Defenses
SBE graduate students, whether they are seeking their Masters or Doctorate degree, spend many years researching in their area of expertise and present their work in front of a committee.
Biology from the ocean to orono
The “From the Ocean to Orono” bridge week is part of the School of Biology and Ecology’s Research Learning Experience (RLE) that includes the on-campus, fall semester, ELH 117. This course introduces you to your major and lets you know about important campus resources available to support you. All first-year students in the biological sciences (Biology, Botany, and Zoology majors) take this course and participate in the week-long event before classes start, which is split evenly between time on campus in Orono and at the Schoodic Institute, part of Acadia National Park, located on the rocky Maine coast.
sbe adventure semester in costa rica
Costa Rica supports diverse ecosystems and microclimates and some of the greatest biodiversity in the world. The nation has invested substantially in restoration of its forest and preservation of its natural areas. It’s a fabulous place to study tropical ecology and conservation.