Liberal Arts Education

Critical Thinking through the Liberal Arts

Explore timeless questions about human history, culture, psychology, and the ways we organize, communicate, and relate to each other — and, sometimes, how we fail to do those things. In small, intimate classes, you’ll be guided by expert faculty with a genuine commitment to hands-on learning and real-world applications of knowledge. No matter what your ultimate course of study, a UNE education provides you with a solid foundation in the highly desirable, highly portable habits of mind that employers look for — even in professions like technology, finance, and medicine. Through our Core Curriculum, you’ll acquire the essential skills of critical thinking and communications, foster intercultural awareness and a sense of environmental responsibility, and learn to be an engaged citizen of the world.

testimonial

The curriculum ties together well. The professors communicate and ensure that students are getting the most out of the classes...there is a lot of cohesion. It’s a real, true liberal arts experience. Everything that I studied came together in a perfect funnel — that’s exactly what college should do.

Mackenzie Deveau ’19, Political Science/Women's and Gender Studies

Former Georgia House Democratic leader and former Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, Stacey Abrams discussed the fight against voter suppression at UNE.

In 2019 UNE hosted a lecture from world-renowned political activist, academic, and author Angela Davis.

For the annual Bush Lecture, President Bill Clinton and former Governor Jeb Bush discussed President George H.W. Bush’s Education Summit in commemoration of its 30th anniversary

Bridging Disciplines

At UNE we take a holistic view of education. That means bringing together different kinds of people from different disciplines with different learning methodologies: from medical workers with a solid grounding in the humanities to marine entrepreneurs at the crossroads of science, business, and policy. We are constantly seeking to foster new and surprising combinations.

Three U N E Liberal Arts students study a large map in the library

A U N E liberal arts student bends over to take a photo graph of plants on campus

Three U N E liberal arts students discussing documents with two professors

A U N E liberal arts student stands in front of a display of pottery she made in an arts class

A U N E liberal arts students takes notes while reading

Two U N E liberal arts students examine images on a computer

Two U N E liberal arts students work in a classroom with elementary school students

A Path for Undecided Students (GUST)

It’s not only okay to enter college without declaring a major—for some people, it could be one of the best decisions they ever make. At UNE, we believe that college can be a time of investigation and learning about different fields of study. Our Guided Undergraduate Studies Program (GUST) is designed to support you while you explore your interests and options so that in the end you can graduate on time with a major that ignites your passions.

Combined Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Paths

On the other hand, if you know exactly where you want to go when you enter college, in some cases, we can help you get there more quickly. UNE offers several 4+1, 3+2, and 2+4 options that allow you to pursue your undergraduate and graduate degrees in a single accelerated program. These include Pharmacy, Medical Biology, Marine Science, Environmental Science, Social Work, and Aquaculture. Our GradVantage program also allows undergraduate students with well-defined career aspirations to streamline acceptance into certain UNE graduate programs. Once accepted into the GradVantage program, you may then move directly into your chosen UNE graduate program, provided all requirements are met during your undergraduate studies.