FARMINGTON, ME (January 13, 2025)— The U.S. bioeconomy is predicted to grow at a rapid pace over the next two decades, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. To help meet this workforce demand, the University of Maine at Farmington has created an articulation agreement with Montgomery College, Maryland’s premier community college, to help students with an associate’s degree with a concentration in biotechnology earn their Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a Pre-Professional concentration and advance their careers.
UMF is jump starting the initiative with the support of a $400,000, three-year National Science Foundation EPIIC Grant. Starting in Spring 2025, students who graduate in good standing with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Biotechnology from Montgomery College will have guaranteed acceptance in the UMF offering.
“This UMF online degree completion program meets students where they are in their education and prepares them for the next steps in their careers. We greatly appreciate the National Science Foundation’s support of UMF’s efforts to grow the biotechnology workforce and look forward to providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful professionals,” said Joseph McDonnell, UMF president.
According to the agreement, the UMF program will offer classes and lab work in an online asynchronous course modality without required meeting times. Students will take upper level biology, organic chemistry and physics courses along with any general education and elective courses needed, resulting in a well-rounded biology background.
“I am super excited about this new articulation agreement between Montgomery College and the University of Maine at Farmington,” said James Sniezek, dean of instruction with Chemical and Biological Sciences at Montgomery College. “This program gives students the opportunity to finish their educational goals to a baccalaureate degree in a pre-professional track. The lack of significant transfer of technical credits has historically plagued educational completion by extending the time and the cost to completion. This agreement presents a thoughtful and flexible resolution to this problem.”
Interested students can contact the UMF Admissions Office at umfadmit@maine.edu. Once admitted, they will receive a personal advisor who will help them achieve their academic goals.
“This program is all about creating opportunity for students and growing the biotechnology industry. In many cases, these students are already working in the biotechnology field and a bachelor’s degree will help them advance their careers and grow this highly-skilled professional workforce,” said Timothy Breton, UMF associate professor of biology and principal investigator for the UMF NSF EPIIC grant.
Dr. Timothy Breton, UMF associate professor of biology and a lead faculty member of the UMF- Montgomery College initiative, provides science-minded students with important career-based skills and a clear pathway to their bachelor’s degree.
The purpose of NSF EPIIC grants is to support the growth of innovation and build capacity at smaller institutions of higher education by enabling partnerships that can grow the workforce.
UMF is working with a cohort of partner institutions that include, Montgomery College in Maryland, Ohio Wesleyan University in Ohio, Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York, Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in Massachusetts and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in New York. Together, this cohort of six schools is working to remove barriers to vital higher education and build the future workforce.
More on University of Maine at Farmington
A nationally recognized public liberal arts college known for its commitment to the creative arts, teacher preparation, the health arts and sciences, the environment, business and public service, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2025/01/RP245-021-1-scaled.jpg
Photo Credit: UMF Image
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2025/01/RP245-021-scaled.jpg
Photo Caption: Dr. Timothy Breton, UMF associate professor of biology and a lead faculty member of the UMF- Montgomery College initiative, provides science-minded students with important career-based skills and a clear pathway to their bachelor’s degree.
Photo Credit: UMF Image
