First-Year Courses
Supported by a generous grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS.
Signups for this fall’s Research Learning Experiences will open in April.
Explore Reading and Writing
RLE 01: ENG 100 — College Composition (2 semesters)
Mary PlymaleLarlee | Department of English
Fall credits:
3
Participants:
Anyone
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Bonus:
Fulfills General Education Requirement
Fall credits: 3
Participants: Anyone
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
Bonus: Fulfills General Education Requirement
Satisfy a graduation requirement while exploring the ways in which people use writing to make sense of the world and their experiences within it!
Throughout this class students will work individually and collaboratively to develop reading and writing strategies suitable for responding to research in the field of writing studies. End of term projects will emerge from iterative academic inquiry and will allow students to study the reading and writing they do as part of their everyday lives.
Exploring Audio-Visual Storytelling Tools
RLE 02: Digital Storytelling in Action
Ellie Markovitch | Department of Communications and Journalism
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
This course is open to first year students of any major
Bridge week theme:
Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location:
Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: This course is open to first year students of any major
Bridge week theme: Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: Campus
In Digital Storytelling in Action students will learn how to use audio-visual production tools to research, document, and engage with the UMaine community. The fall 2025 cohort will research and document the UMaine Culturefest, capturing activities like the international food festival, cultural exhibits, children’s activities, and the fashion show through multimedia storytelling. Their final productions will be used for university social media pages.
As a participant in this Research Learning Experience, students arrive early for a fully tailored bridge experience. Moving onto campus Sunday August 24th , students will spend the next 5 days exploring and connecting with the people and the land in Maine while learning about digital storytelling and media production. Students will engage on a combination of self-discovery, academic exploration, and digital innovation. The students and the instructor will engage with the day’s topic in the classroom, at campus labs, and in the community; the students will be back on campus to join other evening activities.
Discover A Blue Future
RLE 03: Exploring Marine Pathways
Katrina Armstrong | UMaine MARINE
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
This course is open to any first-year student
Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: This course is open to any first-year student
Bridge Week theme: Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location: On Campus
Exploring Marine Pathways, is a 1-credit Research Learning Experience designed for first-year students across marine related majors, including marine sciences, aquaculture, engineering, economics, anthropology, and more. The course introduces students to foundational research approaches, interdisciplinary marine science challenges, and diverse career pathways by leveraging the resources of the UMaine Marine Aligned Research, Innovation, and Nationally-recognized Education (MARINE) initiative’s network of 10 academic and research units. This integration connects students to UMaine’s vibrant research ecosystem, bridging their academic experiences with the university’s research missions and contributions to Maine’s sustainable ecosystems and communities, while fostering a research mindset that transforms them into active contributors and helps them envision their academic and professional futures.
Explore What You Eat
RLE 04: Play With Your Food
Eileen Molloy and Denise Skonberg | School of Food and Agriculture
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Anyone
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Anyone
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
Foodie explorers will be able to get a taste of diverse topics in food science and nutrition by investigating a different theme about the food produce, create or eat each lab period. Each class will start with a question: what may we expect to observe or learn about for a particular food or dietary focus, and finish with a discussion of what the results of our activity may have revealed. We could explore the sensory attributes of food and sensory sciences, examine texture and color in foods, learn about sugar cookery by making candy, use food analysis to analyze beverages components, watch food production at work by taking field trips, and more.
Analyze Data to Inform Policy
RLE 05: RLE 150: Economics and Policy Analytics
Todd Gabe | School of Economics, Mary Mahoney-O’Neil | Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Open to all students, required for ECO & FinEco BA/BS Majors
Bridge week theme:
Partially Tailored
Bridge week location:
On campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Open to all students, required for ECO & FinEco BA/BS Majors
Bridge week theme: Partially Tailored
Bridge week location: On Campus
Learn more about the issues facing Maine and other regions through the lens of economic analysis. Bridge week activities include a field trip to state government offices in Augusta, group activities that build economic research and leadership skills, and social events with other students. This experience is offered jointly by the School of Economics and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.
Discover Maine
RLE 06: RLE 150 Multiculturalism in Maine
Frederic Rondeau | Department of Modern Languages and Classics, Franco American Center, Susan Pinette | Canadian American Center
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Open to all majors
Bridge week theme:
Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Open to all majors
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location: On Campus
In this class we will explore the many issues surrounding multiculturalism and immigration in Maine with a specific focus on intercultural dialogue competency and foreign languages. We will develop capacity to examine local, global and intercultural issues, and engage in interactions with people from different cultures. We will meet with international students and various immigrant communities in Maine to begin our intercultural education.
Exploring the maritimes
RLE 07: RLE 150: Exploring the Maritimes
Mark McLaughlin | Department of History, Canadian-American Center
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Open to all first-year students
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Open to all first-year students
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location: On campus
Explore the Mysteries of Prime Numbers
RLE 08: Making Mathematics
Gilbert Moss | Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Fall credits:
3
Participants:
This course is open to first-year students who have earned credit for MAT 125 (Calculus I), or be in MAT 126 as a co-requisite, or have department permission
Partially Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Bonus:
Completion of this RLE (along with credit for MAT 126) with a C or better will satisfy the prerequisite requirement for MAT 261 and MAT 262. This enables students to begin 200-level mathematics coursework in the spring of their first year.
Fall credits: 3
Participants: This course is open to first-year students who have earned credit for MAT 125 (Calculus I), or be in MAT 126 as a co-requisite, or have department permission
Bridge Week theme: Partially Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: On Campus
Bonus: Completion of this RLE (along with credit for MAT 126) with a C or better will satisfy the prerequisite requirement for MAT 261 and MAT 262. This enables students to begin 200-level mathematics coursework in the spring of their first year.
This course will focus on the process of creating new mathematical knowledge at all levels: improving one’s personal understanding, communicating among peers, and presenting ideas to a mathematical community. While exploring topics in the area of number theory, students will seek open-ended questions leading to deeper understandings, graphical visualizations, and novel connections. The bridge week portion of this course will be partially tailored to the RLE course work with morning meetings that introduce students to abstraction, formalism and mathematical argument through problems that start simple and become progressively more challenging. Students will tackle these problems in small groups and close each session with Math Walks through the campuses forested trails and preserves. Afternoons will be open for students to build relationships with other first year students by engaging in a variety of activities hosted by various campus facilities and groups.
Study Life-Ocean to Orono
RLE 09: ELH 117: Biology from the ocean to Orono
Brian McGill, Eduardo Meireles, Jacquelyn Gill, Andrei Alyokhin, Ek Han Tan, Julia McGuire | School of Biology & Ecology
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
First-year students majoring in Biology, Zoology, and Botany Only
Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location:
Schoodic Institute of Acadia National Park/ On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: First-year students majoring in Biology, Zoology, and Botany Only
Bridge week theme: Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: Schoodic Institute of Acadia National Park/ On Campus
School of Biology and Ecology majors learn how to become a scientist, starting with a multi day bridge week adventure along the rocky Maine Coast and Continuing with research on campus. Students majoring in Biology, Botany, and Zoology will be required to participate in the fully tailored bridge week experience which entails arriving on campus a week early and splitting their week between on campus activities and research experiences at the Schoodic Institute of Acadia National Park in Winter Harbor, Maine. During the Fall semester students will enroll in ELH 117 and build on the research mindset skills introduced during bridge week by exploring questions they develop with SBE faculty in small class cohorts.
Practice Creative Research in the Arts
RLE 10: Successful Strategies for Visual Arts Majors
Andy Mauery | Department of Art
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Art History, art education, and studio art majors only
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Art majors only
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
A course for first-year and transfer students majoring in studio art, art education, or history of art, ART 104 will introduce students to effective strategies for success in the Visual Arts. Students will learn how to develop proficiencies in creativity, strong work practices, essential artistic and writing skills, and effective critical thinking.
Build Sustainability with Wood
RLE 11: Sustainable Wood Materials and Technology
Ling Li | School of Forest Resources
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Sustainable Materials and Technology, Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, construction engineering technology, and civil engineering majors only
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Sustainable Materials and Technology, Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, construction engineering technology, and civil engineering majors only
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
Do you wish to seek solutions to move away from fossil fuel-based products? This RLE is for you to discover how to use sustainable wood materials to create bioproducts to meet our daily needs.
Joining this RLE, you will:
- Take part in a one-day field trip to see how the bioproduct and bioenergy research projects are formulated and conducted at different research centers and labs.
- Enroll in SFR 120 — Understanding Wood Lab to do a hands-on woodworking project to gain research skills like attention to detail, searching for information, problem-solving, and communicating results. (Note: it will count toward your degree for sustainable materials and technology students.)
Discover Maine’s Fish and Wildlife
RLE 12: Conserving Fish and Wildlife
Lindsay Seward | Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Wildlife Ecology Majors only
Becoming a Wildlife Ecology Major
Bridge week location:
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Wildlife Ecology Majors only
Bridge Week theme: Becoming a Wildlife Ecology Major
Bridge week location: Center for Ecological Teaching and Learning
Students will spend time in the Cobscook Bay region of coastal Downeast Maine to explore,
discover, and learn about fish and wildlife in streams, lakes, the ocean, wetlands, and forests and
work as past of a team to develop habitat management strategies on local private, state, and
federal lands. Students will continue their research and present their work during the Fall 2025
semester.
Test What’s in Your Oyster
RLE 13: Shellfish Aquaculture
Sara Lindsay and Paul Rawson| School of Marine Science
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
School of Marine Science majors only
Becoming a Marine Science Major
Bridge week location:
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Marine Science Majors only
Bridge week theme: Becoming a Marine Science Major
Bridge week location: Darling Marine Center
Learn about Maine’s shellfish aquaculture industry, firsthand while you explore the physical and biological environmental challenges that shellfish farms face, including the impact of species by species interactions. Discover and gain experience with the variety of research approaches that UMaine faculty and students use to conduct research in support of the industry. Then investigate how you can get involved in aquaculture research at UMaine and beyond.
Explore Maine’s Environment
RLE 14: Earth and Climate Field Discovery
Karl Kreutz, Seth Campbell, Sean Smith, Andrei Kurbatov, Alice Doughty | School of Earth and Climate Sciences
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Earth and climate science majors only
Bridge week theme:
Maine Landscape
Bridge week location:
On campus with field trips across Maine
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Earth and climate science majors only
Bridge week theme: Maine Landscape
Bridge week location: Off campus with field trips across Maine
Visit iconic locations in Maine to explore a range of Earth observations and work as part of a team to generate new knowledge. Learn how Maine’s landscape provides vivid examples of the forces that shape our planet and influence society. Use state-of-the-art technology on water, land, and from the air to see how Earth and climate scientists measure and understand the Earth system.
Explore Our Campus Ecosystem
RLE 15: EES 117
Kate Ruskin | Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Fall credits:
2
Participants:
Ecology and environmental science majors only
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Bonus:
Fulfills major requirement
Fall credits: 2
Participants: Ecology and environmental science majors only
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
Bonus: Fulfills major requirement
This course offers an introduction to college and provides an interdisciplinary perspective on ecological and environmental issues. The course will examine ecological systems, the interrelationships between human activities and the environment, and the social, political, economic, and technological factors that affect the use of natural resources. Material is presented via lectures, field trips during class hours and special readings.
Dive Into Speech and Language Disorders
RLE 16: CSD 130.0001 Intro to Communication Sciences and Disorders
Jane Puhlman | Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Fall credits:
3
Participants:
Communication Sciences and Disorders majors only
Bridge week theme:
Skills for Success as a Communication Sciences and Disorders Major
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 3
Participants: Communication Sciences and Disorders majors only
Bridge week theme: Skills for Success as a Communication Sciences and Disorders Major.
Bridge week location: On Campus
This 3 credit course employs inquiry-based learning to delve into speech and language disorders. Students gain foundational knowledge and examine their impact on communication. They utilize diverse research materials to explore evidence-based practices. The course is designed to foster active learning, group brainstorming, and creative problem-solving.
Work in the Forest
RLE 17: Forestry Work Experience
Keith Kanoti | School of Forest Resources
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Forestry majors and Parks, Recreation and Tourism majors only
Skills for working in the forest
Bridge week location:
Tanglewood 4H Learning Center
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Forestry majors and Parks, Recreation and Tourism majors only
Bridge week theme: Skills for working in the forest
Bridge week location: Tanglewood 4H Learning Center
Gain hands-on work experience in University Forest working alongside upper-class students and Maine licensed foresters involved in timber harvesting, forest inventory, boundary line maintenance, precommercial thinning, and more. This work experience provides preparation for forest industry summer internships and future jobs. Join University Forest foresters in local professional meetings to build professional connections essential for a forestry career in Maine.
Course Bridge Week: A one-week field camp at the Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center in Lincolnville. Students are introduced to skills needed for working in the woods including tree identification, compass use, navigation, tree measurements, and environmental assessment. An ecological inventory will be made for a woodlot which will be the basis for writing a paper to explain the data. Field trip includes a visit to a saw mill and actively managed forests, or to assess tourism activities in the Camden area.
All students in the Forestry program and in the Parks, Recreation and Tourism program are required to take the Course Bridge Week and have the option to take the RLE course. Other students are also welcomed to take the Course Bridge Week and the RLE course
Hunt For Viruses
RLE 18: Rage of Phage
Sally Molloy | Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
Fall credits:
4
Participants:
Microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, and biochemistry majors only
Bonus:
Fulfills major requirement
Fall credits: 4
Participants: Microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, and biochemistry majors only
Bridge week theme: Bacterial Genomes
Bridge week location: On campus
Bonus: Fulfills major requirement
Learn about the structure of DNA in genomes, with a particular focus on the role of viral genomes and their role in bacterial virulence. Develop skills in the extraction of nucleic acids from bacterial cultures and sequencing isolated DNA. Assemble bacterial genomes and hunt for viral/phage genomes that potentially contribute to bacterial pathogenesis. These bioinformatic analyses will be conducted in the fall.
EXPLORE: Your Major, Your Future
RLE 19: FYS 100: Discovering your Future Major
Megan Carter | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
This course is open to first-year students accepted into the Undergraduate Explorations program
Bridge week theme:
Partially Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location:
On campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: This course is open to first-year students accepted into the Undergraduate Explorations program
Bridge week theme: Partially Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: On campus
This Research Learning is designed for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Explorations Program, particularly those who are undecided on their choice of major. Through research, participation in sophisticated online assessments, interviewing current students, and engaging deeply in self-assessments, students will systematically evaluate a range of career possibilities and majors, forging a clear, informed path forward. Students enrolled in this semester long class will arrive one week early for a partially tailored bridge week experience spending the first half of the each day engaging in a process of career exploration and discovery and the latter half of the day getting to know campus and community through planned activities.
Think Like a Professional Educator
RLE 20: Education: Reflection and action
Gert Nesin and Jesse Kaye-Schiess | School of Educational Leadership, Higher Education and Human Development
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Elementary education and secondary education majors; child development and family relations; kinesiology and physical education; and undeclared students with an interest in this area only
Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Bonus:
Fulfills a major requirement
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Elementary education and secondary education majors; child development and family relations; kinesiology and physical education; and undeclared students with an interest in this area only
Bridge week theme: Black Bear Immersion Experience
Bridge week location: On Campus
Bonus: Fulfills a major requirement
Imagine being in charge of your own classroom the moment you walk on campus!Our Education and Child Development & Family Relations (CHF) majors will participate in our TeachLive simulated classroom (a classroom of avatar-students, some will have expected behavior – and some will not!) where they will experience the ups and downs of classroom life. After each session, students will debrief with their classmates and a skilled professional. Along the way, students will make connections with students in their major and learn more about the different opportunities in the field.
Students in the School of Kinesiology, Physical Education and Athletic Training will participate in experiential learning opportunities to build community, sense of place and engage in deep reflection about career opportunities in the variety of fields available to them upon completion of their undergraduate degrees. Students will be connected with upper class students within our School of KPEAT and the Health Professions Career Counselor on campus to support their transition to UMaine while focusing on their future career options.
Work on Real-World Business Problems
RLE 21: Business in Action
Various Instructors | Maine Business School
Fall credits:
3
Participants:
Business Majors only
Bonus:
Fulfills a major requirement
Fall credits: 3
Participants: Business Majors only
Bridge week theme: Success and Professionalism
Bridge week location: On campus
Bonus: Fulfills a major requirement
Have you ever been in a business and wondered why they did what they did? In this course you will work on business problems by engaging directly with them in a variety of settings. You will be invited to discover different decisions you can make and see how they might impact what happens with customers, coworkers, and owners.
Explore Engineering, build Your Future
RLE 22: Engineering Your Journey
Arieana Mangra | Maine College of Engineering and Computing
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
First-year students enrolled in Pre-Engineering
Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: First-year students enrolled in Pre-Engineering
Bridge Week theme: Black Bear Immersion
Bridge week location: On Campus
Engineering Your Journey at the Maine College of Engineering and Computing offers a strong foundation in math, science, and problem-solving while engaging with all engineering majors. You’ll participate in interdisciplinary activities and receive personalized academic advising to help you navigate and understand your path. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity for hands-on interactions with research labs on campus, providing real-world experiences and insights into how various engineering disciplines, and the convergence of engineering and engineering technology, work together to solve complex problems. This course prepares you to succeed and move forward toward declaring your engineering major with confidence.
Igniting Your Passion for LEarning
RLE 23: HON 101: Foundations of Inquiry
Various Instructors | Honors College
Fall credits:
TBA
Participants:
First-year students admitted to the Honors College, required for Honors students, not required to enroll in another RLE by their major (ie: Business, Nursing, etc)
Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location:
On Campus
Fall credits: 1
Participants: First-year students admitted to the Honors College, required for Honors students, not required to enroll in another RLE by their major (ie: Business, Nursing, etc)
Bridge week theme: Fully Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: On Campus
In this first course in the Honors sequence, you will establish the foundations of research and scholarly inquiry, exploring exciting and diverse topics chosen by faculty members from across the university. Designed to spark your curiosity, challenge your assumptions, and introduce essential academic and interpersonal skills, this course will lay the foundation for the increasingly independent thinking and exploration that you will undertake as you advance in the Honors curriculum. You will get a jump start on your college adventure other Honors students in a fully tailored bridge week experience on campus designed to introduce habits of mind essential to honors learning you will build on throughout the fall and your academic career at UMaine.
Mastering Skills for Musical Success
RLE 24: MUS 100: Majoring in Music
Liz Downing | Division of Music, School of Performing Arts
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Music Majors: BME-BM, MUP-BM, MUS-MA
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Music Majors: BME-BM, MUP-BM, MUS-MA
Bridge week theme: Partially Tailored Bridge Week
Bridge week location: On campus
Discover the keys to success as a music major! This course equips first-year students with essential skills, including effective practice habits, personal calendaring, school-life balance, and healthy routines. Through interactive activities and practical guidance, you’ll develop strategies to thrive academically, musically, and personally, setting the stage for a rewarding college journey. Music Majors at UMaine start their pursuit of Blue Horizons with a partially tailored bridge week, moving in on Sunday August 24th and spending mornings focusing on skills necessary to success in music and afternoons getting to know your campus and classmates.
Learn to Thrive in Nursing
RLE 25: Wellness and Mindfulness
Kelley Strout | School of Nursing
Fall credits:
1
Participants:
Nursing majors only
Bridge week theme:
Stress Reduction
Bridge week location:
On campus
Bonus:
Fulfills a major requirement
Fall credits: 1
Participants: Nursing majors only
Bridge week theme: Stress Reduction
Bridge week location: On campus
Bonus: Fulfills a major requirement
Following a group bridge-week activity involving a weeklong Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) workshop, fitness, and belonging activities, this hands-on course focuses on holistic student success and well-being. Students will experiment with a range of health interventions available through UMaine Nursing’s WellNurse program, including fitness programming, mindful nutrition, massage therapy, wellness workshops, and more! In addition, students will be guided through the research process from the inside out, learning about research design, assessment, analysis, and evaluation using personal data collected via a free FitBit tracker in a series of classes involving both didactic and experiential learning.
