Partners and Exchanges

EcoLeague Exchange

COA students can participate in the EcoLeague Exchange, an opportunity to spend a term at one of six partner institutions while gaining access to courses, faculty, field stations, ecosystems, and learning opportunities beyond the COA campus.

The EcoLeague is a consortium of six colleges and universities committed to ecologically focused education and research, sustainable campus practices, and preparing students to build sustainable futures. Through the EcoLeague students have opportunities for place-based learning in a wide range of environments that complement the experiences available at COA on the coast of Maine.

EcoLeague member institutions include:

• 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).

COA students participating in an EcoLeague Exchange continue to pay tuition to COA while paying room, board, and other applicable fees to the host institution. Students receiving financial aid at COA remain eligible for financial aid while participating in an EcoLeague Exchange. Credits earned through the program transfer to COA.

To learn more about EcoLeague opportunities, visit ecoleague.org. For information about eligibility and the application process, contact Sarah Hall ([email protected]), COA’s EcoLeague representative.

Biomedical and molecular biology research

MDI Biological Laboratory

Mount Desert Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), located in Bar Harbor, is an international nonprofit hub for the study of aging, regeneration, and environmental health. Their state-of-the-art facilities support 10 research groups whose faculty and students are pushing the frontiers of biomedical science. Their work centers around improving human health by illuminating the biology of development, aging, and regeneration, and by identifying risks posed by environmental toxins.

COA students interested in biology and medicine find many opportunities for learning and career training at MDIBL. Whether that is by undertaking grant-supported work during the academic term, through spring break molecular genetics intensives, or with a 10-week summer internship, COA students are able to work with leading scientists at the forefront of discovery.

Jackson Laboratory

Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research organization located in Bar Harbor that leverages a unique combination of research, education, and resources to achieve their mission to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in its shared quest to improve human health.

JAX pioneered the use of laboratory mice as models for human disease and provided the basis for many modern medical treatments. Scientists there combine mouse genetics, human genomics, cell-based studies, and computational modeling to define the underlying biology of a broad spectrum of diseases. Their diverse and multidisciplinary research programs include the National Cancer Institute-designated JAX Cancer Center, as well as coordinated research centers focused on addiction, aging, Alzheimer’s and dementia, genomics and computational biology, precision genetics, and rare disease.

There are many opportunities for COA students to work closely with JAX scientists as part of their self-designed academic pathway. The JAX Summer Student Program is a 10-week on site opportunity for undergraduates to gain research experience in genomics and genetics.

Maine Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence

College of the Atlantic is part of a statewide collaborative network funded by the National Institutes of Health that provides students with paid hands-on research training, mentorship, and professional development in biomedical fields. The Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) regularly supports student work at MDIBL, JAX, and elsewhere. This program allows students to incorporate biomedical research into their self-designed educational pathways, working with COA faculty on campus and world-class scientists at our partner institutions.

INBRE-funded work might include paid internships , research projects, independent studies, short courses, and more.

COA INBRE alumni have built successful careers across a spectrum of fields, including biomedical research, medicine, veterinary medicine, ecology, public health, technology, education, and science policy. Their achievements include positions at institutions such as Oxford, Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Novartis, Mount Sinai, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and numerous universities, healthcare organizations, and conservation agencies around the world.

These outcomes reflect both strong preparation for advanced study and broad career readiness. Graduates have gone on to earn MDs, DOs, DVMs, PharmDs, PhDs, and master’s degrees, while others have launched careers in research, healthcare, environmental stewardship, data science, education, business, and leadership roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

More information on the application process and requirements for INBRE and other grants can be found here.

Maine Law & COA 3+3 Program

College of the Atlantic and the University of Maine School of Law (Maine Law) offer a 3+3 program that allows qualified COA students to begin law school during what would traditionally be their senior year. Through this accelerated pathway, students can earn both their bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years instead of the typical seven, reducing both the time and cost required to enter the legal field. This is one of the fastest pathways to a law degree in the United States.

This partnership is well suited for COA students interested in careers in law, public policy, advocacy, environmental protection, social justice, business, government, and other fields where legal training can help them achieve meaningful impact.

Interested students should meet with COA’s 3+3 law program advisor by their second year to explore if the program is right for them. Eligible students must apply to Maine Law during their third year at COA. Those who are admitted begin law school after completing nine undergraduate trimesters at COA. Upon successful completion of the first year of law school, those credits are transferred back to COA, allowing the student to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology from COA while continuing toward the JD degree.

The 3+3 program allows students to bring a distinctly human ecological perspective into the legal profession, where good legal solutions require an understanding of interconnected environmental, social, economic, and cultural systems.

For more information, contact Kourtney Collum at [email protected], the current 3+3 law program advisor.

Acadia National Park

Living and learning next to a 47,000-acre national park offers unparalleled opportunities for field research, creative work, and engagement with resource management, education, and policy. Acadia is our laboratory and backyard, classroom, inspiration, hub for outdoor adventure, and sanctuary.

There are many opportunities for working in Acadia. From art to botany to wildlife biology, doing academic work in the park is part of the rhythm of many COA paths of study. There are many class projects, independent studies, and senior projects that take advantage of the park.

Acadia also offers a range of opportunities for internships and volunteering.

The COA Acadia Scholars program is a competitive, multi-term opportunity that blends academics and career exploration. Acadia scholars typically undertake an independent study in the winter or spring to read, meet with park personnel, and otherwise prepare for their internship. In summer, the student is placed for a minimum of 40 hours a week for 11 weeks in an internship at the park. The students may continue working with Acadia the following year.

University of Maine Academic Exchange

College of the Atlantic students have the opportunity to enroll in courses at the University of Maine, Maine’s flagship public research university. The exchange program allows eligible COA students to access UMaine’s extensive offerings in areas such as engineering, business, science, and other disciplines while continuing to pursue their COA degree. Students benefit from access to additional academic resources including libraries, laboratories, faculty, and campus facilities, creating opportunities to complement COA’s interdisciplinary curriculum with the breadth of programs available at a large research institution.

Maine Sea Grant

Maine Sea Grant is one of 34 programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration throughout the coastal and Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In partnership with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Sea Grant’s Marine Extension Team at COA works on issues of concern to Maine’s coastal communities. The group sponsors scientific research that matters to those who depend on Maine’s coastal and marine resources and develops tomorrow’s marine workforce through formal and informal education programs, fellowships, and scholarships. 

For more information about Maine Sea Grant at COA, contact Marine Extension Associate Natalie Springuel at [email protected]. 

Other exchanges

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

• National Outdoor Leadership School 
• Sea|mester
• Center for Ecological Living and Learning

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