Success After COA
Success after COA
Lives shaped by purpose
A COA education is a launchpad for meaningful careers spanning science, policy, art, music, education, and beyond. Our alumni follow diverse and intentional paths—building businesses, stewarding the environment, creating cultural impact, and driving change in communities worldwide.
Where our alumni go
Experiential in every field
COA graduates pursue work that reflects their values, curiosity, and drive. You’ll find them advocating for environmental justice, publishing books, performing molecular research, designing public spaces, and shaping the future through law, education, and medicine.
COA alumni work as:
- Environmental scientists and marine biologists
- Public policy analysts and attorneys
- Composers, authors, and museum curators
- Entrepreneurs and nonprofit directors
- Teachers, professors, and education innovators
- Veterinarians, doctors, and geneticists
- Farmers, architects, designers, and more
Quick stat: Within one year of graduation, 97% of COA alumni are employed or enrolled in graduate or professional programs.
Before Graduation
Experiential learning with real-world impact
Every COA student completes two major experiences that prepare them for meaningful careers:
- A term-long internship in their chosen field—at home or abroad
- A capstone senior project designed and implemented by the student
These experiences build professional networks, deepen expertise, and give students the confidence to lead.
Graduate school pathways
Academic curiosity that doesn’t stop at COA
More than 60% of COA alumni pursue graduate or professional study within five years of graduating. Our interdisciplinary, research-rich foundation gives students the skills and confidence to thrive in rigorous academic settings.
Frequently attended graduate institutions include:
- Harvard University
- Columbia University
- Yale University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- University of California system
- University of Copenhagen
- Lund University
- Boston University
- American University
- Tufts University
- University of Maine
- University of Southern Maine
Stories from the Field
How one COA puppetry class became a family business
WABI TV5 profiles Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, the Bar Harbor company Erik Torbeck ’95 runs with his siblings, Brian Torbeck and Robin Erlandsen. Read More“Follow it, relentlessly”: COA opens 55th academic year
Drawing on a career that has spanned science, cooking, and drug discovery, keynote speaker Seth Carbonneau ’05 urges students to follow their curiosity, embrace experiential learning, and value uncertainty. Read MoreResearch offers new insights into Atlantic sea scallop reproduction
A recently published study led by Kaitlyn Kowaleski ’19 found that Atlantic sea scallops produce fewer viable eggs than previously estimated, offering new insights for fisheries management and marine conservation. Read MoreReady to build your own path?
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