Academics

  • jodi baker class gates

    Faculty Jodi Baker teaches classes in writing for the stage, as well as performance and movement.

    Jason P. Smith

  • geology class

    Students in the Geology of Mount Desert Island class practice using a compass and taking field notes at Seawall Beach in Acadia National Park.

    Sarah Hall

  • davis taylor teaching

    Faculty member Davis Taylor teaches economics.

  • student presentation

    Students presenting and discussing their entrepreneurship projects.

    Jason P. Smith

  • energy audit

    Students participating in a home energy audit.

    Jason P. Smith

  • gordon and students in gis lab

    Students work with instructor Gordon Longsworth on a GIS mapping project.

    Jason P. Smith

  • in the printmaking studio

    In the printmaking studio.

    Jason P. Smith

  • steve ressel and students in the field

    Faculty member Steve Ressel leads a class trip through Great Meadow in Acadia National Park.

    Jason P. Smith

  • spanish

    Learning Spanish through immersion.

    Jason P. Smith

  • student looking

    Student on a field trip for the course Ecology: Natural History.

    Jason P. Smith

  • science of comedy

    Student performance in The Science of Comedy class.

    Jason P. Smith

  • weather station

    Students assemble a weather station at the Peggy Rockefeller Farm. Data from this station, as well as a station on the COA campus, are available in real time online and appear on the Weather Underground maps.

    Sarah Hall

What you should learn at COA

Self-designed major… endless possibilities

Every COA student designs their own course of study in human ecology . Beyond a small core of degree requirements , there’s no set path. You give shape to your curriculum based on your interests and goals, exploring across multiple areas of study or digging deeper into a chosen focus.

Start browsing our courses  »

Why we take a different approach

In the words of faculty member Rich Borden: “There is a tendency, especially in the academic world, to carve life into ever smaller pieces in order to make sense of it. All too often, the people who do this come to believe that is how the world really is. The aim of human ecology is to remind us that we are part of a complex and interactive living world. Its broad mandate calls us to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines and seek fresh combinations of ideas. This demands a different approach to education—one which invites imagination and caring for the future. This is why COA was founded, and it is what we do best.”

Stories about academics at COA:

  • NEWS
    In an effort to reduce COA's energy footprint, COA's Community Energy Center is leading a series ...
    Energy Retrofit is All-Hands Effort
    There’s plenty of opportunity to get involved with practical energy work and apply knowledge from sustainability classes as students join College of the Atlantic’s Community Energy Center for a significant energy retrofit of one of the school’s buildings.
  • NEWS
    Publishing Conference Draws Bateau Press to Oregon

    Student editors with College of the Atlantic Bateau Press head to Portland to sell their in-house literary magazine, Bateau, and the winning chapbooks from their annual competition. The 2017 Bateau winner, “Grief is the Only Thing that Flies,” by Laura Wetherington, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

  • NEWS
    Beehive
    Student Business Blends Environmentalism and Outdoor Recreation
    A new venture developed within College of the Atlantic’s sustainable business hatchery seeks to merge environmental responsibility with convenience and a love of nature. Beehive Mountain Equipment is starting off with manufacturing eco-friendly, water-resistant, reusable bags, but the sky is the limit for future projects, say the eager trio behind the business.