Partners and Exchanges

International Programs

Collaborative pathways for study and research

COA has active partnerships with a number of institutions that complement COA’s strengths, giving students a wider range of possibilities as they construct their own courses of study.

The EcoLeague

The EcoLeague is a consortium of US colleges that share similar commitments to sustainability. COA students can spend up to a year at one of the other colleges in the EcoLeague: Alaska Pacific University (Anchorage, AK), College of the Atlantic  (Bar Harbor, ME), Dickinson College  (Carlisle, PA), New College of Florida  (Sarasota, FL), Prescott College  (Prescott, AZ), St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY). This allows students to study in a different ecological region than Maine and to take classes in areas not offered by COA.

Other exchanges

COA also has agreements for student exchanges with other institutions including:

Students also regularly participate in consortium exchanges through other unaffiliated programs. 

Local partners

Here on Mount Desert Island, relationships with the Jackson Laboratory and MDI Biological Laboratory give students access to bio-medical and genetics research. There are typically a handful of students doing research internships and senior projects at these labs in any given term. An internship program with MDI Hospital allows students interested in medicine-related professions to experience first-hand how a hospital is run.

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Student Resources

Thorndike Library

Research expertise, specialized databases, and guidance for independent and collaborative projects across disciplines.

Registrar

Registration, course offerings, student forms, transcripts, and support as you design your program of study.

Writing Center

Focused help for brainstorming, drafting, revising, and refining papers, projects, proposals, and presentations.

Career Development

Internship planning and placement, resume and interview preparation, and connections to meaningful work.

Academic Support Services

Study skills, learning strategies, and accommodations designed around your strengths and challenges.

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Everything you’re looking for (we hope) in one central place.

Meal menu

From curries to carnitas, savory tofu to Maine seafood, our dining hall celebrates flavor, community, and responsible sourcing.

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Plan a Visit

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Student voices

COA Might be Right for You if…

…you are ready to have your life and identity flipped on its head and dunked in the ocean repeatedly

Jonna Lynn Nielsen ’27

…you don’t know what you want to study because you have far too many interests to just focus in on one of them. 

Wilson Korneev ’28

…you want to be in a small community where people will remember your name.

Alya Kiiashko ’25

…you want to meet politically, emotionally, and academically engaged people.

Alder Ame ’27

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…you think being sent to the oceanside to improve your mental health actually sounds awesome (it totally is).

Carolina de Oliveira Castro ’26

…you are passionate about the natural world and want to study it and love spending time outside.

Conrad Kortemeier ’26

…you want to be surrounded and inspired by people who are excited about niche subjects, and by people who are still figuring out what they’re doing.

Marina Schnell ’25

…you have an open mind, enjoy small communities, and want a well-rounded (however unconventional) education experience. 

Seth Sears ’28

…you want freedom in your class structure.

Andie Piliouras ’26