Research Learning Experiences

Hands-on discovery

For new Black Bears, college starts with an “RLE” — experiences that give 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. 

Don’t know what your major is yet? No worries! Some RLEs are for certain majors, but others are open to everyone. If you have an area of interest, take a deeper dive, but if you can’t decide, we can even pick one for you! Any way you get involved, enjoy the ride, start your college experience right, and get the most out of UMaine.

Signing up for
an RLE will help
you get engaged


  • At UMaine
  • In your college community
  • With new questions
  • In creativity
  • In making connections
  • And in building the mindset that will help you solve problems for life.
A photo of students on the coast of Maine

Enrollment closed for 2023. See you next fall!

UMaine Immersion Schedule

See the course descriptions to determine if your course attends UMaine Immersion the week before classes or has its own tailored experience.

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