Research Learning Experiences

A photo of students playing an outdoor game

We are hard at work collaborating with faculty across all majors to develop new and engaging
Research Learning Experiences for you. Check back soon for updates on courses to be offered this fall!

For new Black Bears, college starts with an “RLE” — experience that gives you access to some of the best opportunities offered by a UMaine education. Each RLE has two components:

First, you’ll have an immersive experience the week before the rest of your classes begin—one that helps you meet new friends and set a foundation for a research mindset.
Then, during the fall semester with those same friends, you’ll participate in a small, hands-on course, get to know an instructor well, and ask your own questions around the course theme.

Together, these two experiences will help you connect to campus, open your mind to different ways of learning, and unlock doors to many possible future UMaine opportunities. The immersive week costs a small fee, but this fall we will waive the cost of one credit of tuition to make sure an RLE costs no more than any other UMaine course.

Signing up for an RLE
will get you engaged:

At UMaine
In your college community
With new questions
In creativity
In building a mindset that will help you solve problems for life

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Hands-on Discovery

Video Transcript UMaine RLEs featured in chronicle of Higher education

Bridge week Experiences

Learn More

Supported by a generous grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS.