UMF Environmental Studies Certificate

Discover this 100% online certificate

We believe education in environmental problem solving should be flexible, interdisciplinary, and accessible to learners at every stage of their academic or professional journey. That’s why this University of Maine at Farmington Environmental Studies certificate, powered by YourPace at UMPI, provides a fully online, skills-focused pathway for understanding today’s most urgent environmental challenges. Students can build expertise at a pace that fits their lives while gaining the analytical and communication skills needed to work across scientific, policy, and community contexts.

The Environmental Studies Certificate offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in socio-ecological systems thinking. Students examine how physical, biological, and human systems interact to shape environmental conditions at local, regional, and global scales. Through data-informed analysis, students explore the causes and consequences of major environmental challenges, evaluate policy and management solutions, and develop practical, science-based responses. The program also emphasizes professional communication, preparing students to clearly and ethically convey environmental information to diverse audiences, including policymakers, scientists, community partners, and the public.

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2026 RFI Revision

YourPace is a flexible, competency-based degree program with 8-week sessions and a flat tuition rate for students who must be 20 years old at the time of application

On-campus students also have the flexibility to take a variety of online courses in many of our programs.

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What is Competency-Based Education?

Designed to leverage your previous knowledge, college coursework, and work experience, competency-based education enables you to earn your degree at your pace as you demonstrate mastery of relevant academic content. The University of Maine at Presque Isle has been a leader in delivering competency-based education since 2017.

How YourPace saves you time and money:

Prove your knowledge, move ahead—the faster you advance, the more you save
Flat tuition rate per 8-week session, no matter how many courses you complete
With no weekly deadlines, you control the speed of completion*

*Time to completion varies by student and is based on several factors including prior college coursework, relevant work experience, amount of time dedicated to studying, and the number of courses completed each session.

Upcoming Session Dates

The Dates YourPace Students need to know

There are six opportunities throughout the year to begin our YourPace online program. Find the start date below that works best for you and apply before the application deadline. Please note, application and document deadlines are the same. UMPI must receive all documents including official transcripts by the document deadline to be considered. Transcripts can often take 10 or more business days from the request date to be received by UMPI, please plan accordingly.

Term	APP DEADLINE (4:00 PM ET)	DOCUMENT DEADLINE	CONFIRMATION DEADLINE (4:00 PM ET)	REGISTRATION DEADLINE	TUITION DEADLINE	CLASS START DATE	CLASS END DATE	Term Length
Summer 1	04/13/26	04/21/26	04/28/26	05/05/26	05/07/26	05/11/26	07/02/26	8 weeks
Summer 2	06/08/26	06/16/26	06/23/26	06/30/26	07/02/26	07/06/26	08/28/26	8 weeks
Fall 1	08/03/26	08/11/26	08/18/26	08/25/26	08/27/26	08/31/26	10/23/26	8 weeks
Fall 2	09/28/26	10/06/26	10/13/26	10/20/26	10/22/26	10/26/26	12/18/26	8 weeks
Spring 1	12/14/26	12/22/26	12/29/26	01/05/27	01/07/27	01/11/27	03/05/27	8 weeks
Spring 2	02/08/27	02/16/27	02/23/27	03/02/27	03/04/27	03/08/27	04/30/27	8 weeks

Environmental Studies Certificate

This multi-campus competency-based education certificate program takes advantage of expertise at multiple campuses across the University of Maine System to prepare students for further education or careers in environmental studies. The program integrates knowledge of socio-ecological systems, local to global environmental solutions, and skills to analyze and communicate solutions to those problems.

The UMF Environmental Studies Certificate, powered by YourPace at UMPI, is an undergraduate credential designed to provide a flexible, interdisciplinary foundation in environmental problem-solving. It is ideal for students who want to build environmental knowledge and skills without committing to a full degree program, or for those who want to complement their existing major with focused environmental coursework. This program recognizes your prior learning and work experience, enabling you to move efficiently through the degree requirements.

In this online program powered by YourPace, you will learn about:

Socio-ecological systems. Students will develop an understanding of socio-ecological systems, examining how physical, biological, and human processes interact to shape environmental conditions. Central to this systems-based framework is the scientific analysis of ecosystems, landscapes, and the entire planet, and the human institutions that influence them.
Environmental challenges. Students will acquire the capacity to articulate the causes and consequences of major environmental challenges at local, regional, and global scales.
Analysis-informed solutions. Informed by quantitative and qualitative analysis, students will attain an understanding of solutions to environmental problems. They will learn to evaluate alternative management strategies, assess policy interventions, and propose practical actions grounded in scientific reasoning in a community context.
Communication. Students will develop strong communication skills, learning to convey environmental information clearly, accurately, and ethically to multiple audiences, including policymakers, scientists, community members, and the general public.

YourPace Tuition

Learn more about our affordable tuition

The YourPace Environmental Studies Certificate program offers an affordable flat tuition rate, ensuring you pay the same amount per session regardless of how many courses you complete. With no hidden fees or additional textbook costs, this flexible competency-based education program allows you to save more the faster you finish. Whether you’re looking to accelerate your degree or complete courses at your own pace, you’ll benefit from transparent pricing and a cost-effective learning experience.

Tuition breakdown:

$1,800 per session

Flat-Rate Tuition

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UMPI is ranked as one of the top 10 Regional Colleges in the North for graduates with least debt—UMPI is the top institution in Maine and all of New England to appear on this list. – U.S. News & World Report, 2025.

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YourPace Admissions

Requirements for this Environmental Studies Certificate offering

We’ve made the admission process simple and streamlined so it’s easier for you to get started. Those interested in earning their competency based education certificate in Environmental Studies should have the equivalent of a high school diploma and possess some prior college credit and/or work experience.

Admission Requirements:

No Application Fee

Minimum 1.75 GPA

YourPace Admissions Requirements

UMF Environmental Studies Certificate Courses

With this UMF Environmental Studies Certificate, you will build foundational knowledge and practical skills through coursework delivered by deeply knowledgeable faculty–all on a schedule that works for you. Explore your degree pathway and discover how YourPace can help you reach your professional goals.

A look at the Cannabis Business Certificate

This certificate is a strong fit for undergraduate students who want to complement their major with environmental coursework, whether they are studying business, education, health, the sciences, or the social sciences. The certificate is also well-suited for adult learners and working professionals seeking to build knowledge and skills related to sustainability, conservation, environmental policy, or community planning.

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YourPace Partnership Program

This University of Maine at Farmington certificate is powered by YourPace at UMPI. This innovative YourPace partnership program provides adult learners with an incredibly flexible, accessible, and affordable pathway to degree completion and career advancement. 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.

NECHE

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Farmington are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

University of Maine System

UMPI and UMF are respected members of the University of Maine System.

C-BEN

UMPI is proud to be a member institution in the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN).

Next Step: Admissions

We’re so excited that you’re considering this University of Maine at Farmington certificate, powered by YourPace at UMPI! No matter what stage of life you are in, we can help you take the plunge into higher education and put you on YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS!

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UMF Environmental Studies Certificate

Discover this 100% online certificate