About the Program

The UNE Marine Affairs – Maine Law 3+3 Pathways Program allows you complete your undergraduate and law degrees in a total of six years.

As a qualified UNE undergraduate, this track enables you to obtain the J.D. degree by substituting the courses taken during the first year of law school for the final year of the Marine Affairs degree. This joint program will allow you to eliminate one academic year of undergraduate education, save one year's worth of UNE tuition, and enter your chosen profession one year early.

Student Spotlight

To be the first to experience [the 3+3 program] and work toward being a lawyer while still being an undergraduate student feels like an incredible accomplishment.” — Isabella Dube (Marine Affairs, ’24)

Undergraduate Program Requirements

In order to be eligible for graduation from UNE under this joint program, you must:

  • Meet with the Marine Affairs academic advisor during your second year and continue to meet with this advisor every semester of the program.
  • Submit the application for the Marine Affairs – Maine Law 3+3 Law Pathways Program by June 1 of your second year
    • The application form is available online and from the Marine Affairs academic advisor. Acceptance into the program requires a 3.5 G.P.A. in the Marine Affairs major and a letter of support from a faculty member.
  • Successfully complete all required courses of the B.A. in Marine Affairs at the University of New England (except for general elective requirements) by the end of your junior year. A sample pathway through the Marine Affairs major is available from the Marine Affairs academic advisor.
  • Maintain an undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.5.
  • Be accepted into and attend the University of Maine Law School directly after your junior year
  • Earn a grade of C- or better in all courses of the 1L curriculum (please refer to the Maine Law website to find the 1L curriculum).
  • Transfer the courses back to the University of New England

Acceptance into the Marine Affairs – Maine Law 3+3 Law Pathways Program does not guarantee acceptance into the University of Maine Law School.

Marine Affairs Curriculum

CAS Core Requirements*Credits
Total Credits42
Program Required CoursesCredits
BUEC 390 – Environmental Economics or BUEC 395 – Ecological Economics3
CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 130/130L – Principles of Chemistry w/Lab4
GIS 161 – Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems3
MAF 200 – Introduction to Marine Pollution3
MAF 210 – Introduction to U.S. Ocean Governance3
MAF 310 – Ocean and Coastal Law3
MAF 320 – Internship3–12
MAF 400 – Marine Affairs Capstone3
MAR 105/105L – Introduction to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms w/LabCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
MAR 106/106L – Introduction to Cellular/Molecular of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 150/150L – Discovering the Ocean Environment w/Lab or MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab or MAR 350/350L – Marine Ecology w/Lab4
MAR 316 – Science in Society3
MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences or MAT 170 – Applications of FunctionsCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
PSC 125 – Understanding Law or PSC 210 – Constitutional Law3
Total Credits43–52
Select One (1) Course from the List BelowCredits
CMM 210 – Understanding Media3
CMM 240 – Social Media: Theory and Practice3
CMM 305 – Public Relations in the Digital Age3
EDU 202 – Curriculum Theory and Design3
ENV 321 – Environmental Communications3
SPC 100 – Effective Public Speaking3
WRT 233 – Professional and Technical Writing3
WRT 317 – Proposal and Grant Writing3
Total Credits3
Select One (1) Course from the List BelowCredits
BUMG 301 – Organizational Behavior3
BUMG 303 – Management of Non-profit Organizations3
BUMG 311 – Business and Society Relations3
BUMK 200 – Marketing3
BUMK 310 – Advertising3
OBI 335 – Outdoor Recreation Planning and Policy (Formerly ORM 335)3
SOC 226 – Environmental Sociology3
Total Credits3
Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120

*Must take MAR 105/105L as Lab Science Course and MAT 150 or MAT 170 as Math Course

Graduation Requirements

A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all science, mathematics, and Marine Affairs courses used toward graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Marine Science. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs.

Program Completion Timeline

Students have a maximum of seven (7) years to complete the graduation requirements

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.