SMCC, UMF strengthen academic partnership with new transfer agreements

Courtesy / UMF The University of Maine at Farmington is a public liberal arts college with over 1,000 undergraduate students.

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By Alexis Wells

Southern Maine Community College and the University of Maine at Farmington have signed a series of 15 agreements that will allow associate degree students at SMCC to transfer easily to bachelor's degree programs at UMF.

Under the agreements, students can compare coursework at both schools and select classes without spending money or time on ones that don't provide credits toward a chosen degree.

Eligible students include those enrolled in SMCC's programs for biotechnology, computer science, early childhood education, hospitality management, liberal studies, general biology and human services.

"Our commitment to helping students achieve their higher education goals and providing them with the necessary support for success is unwavering," said Tiffany Bentley, the interim president of SMCC. "These new agreements will enable SMCC students to seamlessly transfer to UMF, achieving their unique objectives while also preparing them to meet the critical workforce demands of Maine.”

SMCC has also been strengthening partnership agreements with Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The colleges signed 13 new agreements that will allow students in selected programs to start their education at SMCC and then transfer to Saint Joseph's.

The University of Southern Maine has also signed 13 new agreements that will allow students in selected programs to make similar transitions.

The University of Maine at Farmington is a public liberal arts college offering programs in teacher education, human services, arts and sciences. UMF was ranked No. 11 among Maine's largest colleges and universities in the 2023 Mainebiz Book of Lists, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment of 1,144 in fall 2022.

Southern Maine Community College is the state's largest community college, with nearly 6,000 students, over 40 degree programs, campuses in South Portland and Brunswick, and seven satellite locations.