The Department of Art:
The Department of Art offers a dynamic and interactive program in a challenging and supportive environment for over 200 majors, 125 Minors, and numerous non-majors. The 10 full-time faculty and 15 part-time faculty are all highly trained and educated professionals, working artists, art historians, and art educators who are national and international leaders in their field. The department has both a very active Guest Lecture Program (see a list of guests on the Guest Lecture page) and a Gallery Program which bring a wide range of work and ideas into the department on a continuing basis. The Department of Art balances the need for a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with individually directed professional development in the visual arts. Whether working in a studio, researching problems in art history, or learning to teach, art students at the University of Maine are preparing for a unique and important role in the visually demanding 21st century. The Department offers the following degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in Art History; the Bachelor of Arts in Art Education (with NCATE accredited k-12 teacher certification); the Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art; and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, with studio concentrations in: Painting and Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Digital Art.

New Media:
The New Media Program at the University of Maine offers an interdisciplinary course of study in the systems, technologies, history, design, and theory of information. The curriculum enables students to investigate the creative and applied processes essential to this area of study. It prepares students to be technologically capable, articulate thinkers, and creative media professionals. Today, information is becoming fluid, continuous and instantly accessible. This has caused a shift in the ways in which we create, access, use, understand and distribute information. The advent and convergence of new ideas, technologies, and information systems has rekindled the relationship of the applied and creative arts and sciences. This renewed bond presents new collaborative opportunities for artists, scientists, communicators, and other creative thinkers. Our program provides an interdisciplinary, experiential approach to learning that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and entrepreneurship.

Music:
The central mission of the Division of Music in the School of Performing Arts is to provide for the education of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in music, as well as that of interested students from the University at large. Through the integration of academics and performance, the division furthers the knowledge and appreciation of music on campus, throughout the state, in the region, and beyond. Primarily, the Division offers the future and present music educators of our state and region degree programs at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Teaching, service and creative activity are therefore principally focused on the professional degree programs that serve the music education community. In order to further assist our students to attain the goals to which they aspire, we provide the Bachelor of Music degree in performance and the Bachelor of Arts degree. Our Master of Music degree in Music Education serves a vital function for the reaccreditation and promotion of public school music teachers in Maine and in the region. We also offer Master of Music degrees in Performance and in Conducting, which provide an important range of programs for the professional musicians and music educators who seek admission to our School. The faculty and students of the Division of Music serve as an educational and cultural resource. Our musical and pedagogical skills are available and visible through performance, composition, publication, continuing education efforts and consultation, which keep us actively connected with that population from which our students come and to which they return.

Department of Philosophy:
Located in the historic frame building called The Maples, the Department of Philosophy offers a program of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The major offers students a diverse set of courses, representing the full spectrum of philosophical inquiry. Philosophy is a discipline devoted to rigorous reflection on human nature, culture, and the world. It has a long history, beginning with the Ancient Greeks, that is the foundation of philosophical education. Areas covered in the curriculum include environmental and medical ethics, ethical theory, existentialism, social and political philosophy, logic, phenomenology, feminist philosophy, Hinduism and Buddhism, philosophy of language, aesthetics, philosophy of science, and the history of philosophy. The curriculum is organized so that advanced courses will prepare those students who wish to continue studying philosophy in graduate school. Philosophy is also a well-respected gateway major for students interested in careers in law, business, government, or education. The Department teaches courses in bio-medical ethics, business ethics, and environmental ethics that investigate ethical problems relevant to many professional fields of study and work. In addition to its major, the Department of Philosophy offers two minors: a Minor in Philosophy, and a Minor in Ethics, and Social and Political Philosophy. Faculty members in the Department of Philosophy are recognized scholars who contribute actively to the professional advancement of philosophical inquiry and innovation both nationally and internationally. The Department welcomes double majors and minors from other fields. For those students who have theoretical interests and/or a concern with ethical and political issues related to their main discipline, philosophy can be an excellent addition to the major field of study.

Theater:
The Division of Theatre and Dance offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. Within the context of a liberal arts education, the BA in Theatre provides students an opportunity to study acting, directing, design and technology, as well as theatre history, literature and theory. Students may also minor in dance as part of their educational experience. The BA in Theatre includes coursework in the social and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities, natural sciences and mathematics as well as in the performing arts. In addition, students are required to complete two semesters of intermediate level study, or equivalent proficiency, in a second language. Study in theatre includes 30 credits in required theatre courses and 6 credits in theatre electives. The program focus is on learning through active participation in all aspects of performance and production. Many classes culminate in production and performance experiences, including acting, dancing, directing of original scripts, or staging of choreography. Further, majors are required to participate in all facets of main stage productions and encouraged to become involved in student-directed shows. Undergraduate study in Theatre prepares students for graduate work in theatre and dance or in related fields of study. It also readies students for theatre related careers on and off stage. Graduates go on to careers as actors, designers, dancers, directors, technicians, and stage managers.

Dance:
The minor in dance is designed to provide the student with a basic foundation in dance technique, dance history, and choreography, with a focus towards production and performance. Students will receive dance technique training in ballet, modern, and jazz. In addition students will study composition and gain expertise in choreography. Those students who wish to study dance history may select from a variety of courses addressing historical and contemporary issues. Dance students are encouraged to participate in the annual dance concert as well as informal studio showings and the activities of the UMaine Dance Company Club. Production credits may be available for these efforts.

Department of English:
The Department of English offers its majors the creative and critical insights that come from access to the resources of the English language and comprehensive study of literatures written in English. Literature courses range from historical surveys to intense explorations of a single author; from classic texts to films and fiction in contemporary popular culture; from close reading and appreciation of a writer’s craft to theoretical issues within broadly-based cultural studies. Students are encouraged to become active participants in the creation of new cultural realities. English courses are also central to many interdisciplinary minors and concentrations, because the creative and analytical skills they develop are fundamental to many fields. Such interdisciplinary areas at the University of Maine include: New Media, Ethnic Studies, Women’s Studies, Legal Studies, and Linguistics.

Communication and Journalism:
The Department's primary educational mission is to offer challenging liberal arts degree programs that include the personal and professional practices and the social contexts of communication, mass communication, and journalism. Through the study of human communication we seek to understand and to improve the human condition. The Department fulfills this liberal arts mission through its undergraduate programs in Communication, Mass Communication, and Journalism, and through its graduate programs in Communication and Mass Communication.