The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) are partnering on a first-of-its-kind degree for adult learners starting this fall: a public policy degree offered by UMF and delivered through UMPI’s entirely online, competency-based YourPace program. This innovative YourPace partnership program will provide adult learners with a new flexible pathway to degree completion and career advancement while helping to meet state workforce needs. Applications are due Aug. 1 for the program, which begins Sept. 2.
YourPace is an asynchronous competency-based education (CBE) program that allows busy students to progress through the program at their own speed with no set class meeting times or deadlines. There is a flat tuition rate of $1,800 per session, with no textbook and material costs, and six eight-week sessions per year.
The widely popular YourPace program has doubled UMPI’s enrollment numbers year over year for the last five years. There are more than 1,200 YourPace undergraduate students participating in the Summer II session. According to the most recent National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report, the “some college no credential” population stood at 43.1 million at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. For those under 65 in this population, about 37.6 million people, the increase from the previous year was 2.2%.
“YourPace is helping to meet the needs of busy working adults, and we’re pleased to expand upon this work by collaborating with the University of Maine at Farmington on this first-ever YourPace partnership program, providing those seeking meaningful careers in public policy with an entirely online pathway to affordable degree completion,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “This partnership is incredibly innovative in its approach—allowing another university in the University of Maine System to deliver its programming through our YourPace model—and it strengthens the ability of both of our institutions to meet state workforce needs, spur economic growth, and help working adults advance in their careers.”
“We are so pleased at this opportunity to be collaborating with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and their YourPace partnership program that offers adult learners a flexible and affordable pathway to college degree completion,” UMF President Joseph McDonnell said. “We look forward to working in concert with UMPI to develop programs that will meet the educational needs of adult learners and provide them with the personalized learning and support that will help them achieve their career goals.”
As part of this YourPace partnership program, UMF faculty developed the coursework for this degree within UMPI’s learning platform. Just like UMPI YourPace courses, these UMF courses will include a series of course modules aligned with a list of competencies, and students will advance to the next course module once they demonstrate their mastery of the content. To mark this collaboration, all materials connected with the program will note that this UMF degree is powered by YourPace at UMPI.
UMF’s degree, Bachelor of Arts: Interdisciplinary Studies in Public Policy, prepares students to analyze policy problems and develop, evaluate, and implement solutions at the local, state, and federal levels. It includes a core set of courses centered on public policy, policy analysis, and statistical methods, and then allows students to branch out into areas directly connected to their policy interest, ranging from globalization to health care and education. This degree is for students preparing to enter or advance careers in public service, business, communications, and government.
Established in 2017, UMPI’s YourPace program allows adult learners to earn their bachelor’s degree 100% online, in as few as 12 months, for less than $11,000. For undergraduate YourPace offerings, participants must have the equivalent of a high school diploma. All YourPace offerings are financial aid eligible and each student works with a Success Coach to help them achieve their educational goals and stay on track with their plans for degree completion. Unlike traditional degree plans, YourPace allows students to leverage prior work experience and college credit to quickly advance through what they already know, so they can concentrate on what they still need to learn. UMPI is the first public university in New England to offer accredited CBE degrees and is the only campus in the University of Maine System approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) to deliver CBE programming.
A nationally recognized public liberal arts college known for its commitment to the creative arts, teacher preparation, the health arts and sciences, the environment, business and public service, the University of Maine at Farmington provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
For more information about this Public Policy degree, contact the YourPace Admissions team at yourpace@maine.edu or (207) 768-9433, or visit the YourPace Public Policy webpage.