Launch Your Business Career in the Ocean Industry

Does the ocean hold the key to your success? A truly unique major that combines study in business and marine sciences, UNE’s B.S. in Marine Entrepreneurship allows you to nurture passions and career aspirations simultaneously. Our seaside campus, including a mile of coastline and a private island just off our shores, is the ideal environment for you to explore the intersection of business, management, economics, and marine science. Let the new ocean economy work for you.

A student holds a frog egg mass while standing in a vernal pool
Natalie Ippolito

Natalie Ippolito ’20

Business Administration

Why UNE

When I was a kid, my family used to vacation on Hills Beach. I was so young then that I later didn't even remember that there was a college campus right there. When I was looking around at different colleges, my mom said to me, “What about the one we used to pass by?” I remember looking into UNE then, but I wanted to go to UMass Lowell because that’s where a lot of my friends were going. Then one day I was hiking with my brother, and he told me that I should challenge myself to go somewhere that none of my friends were going. I took that challenge, and it led me here to UNE.

We have a very different setup than other schools because the Business Department is small compared to the health science majors here. It’s close-knit because of that. All of the professors tailor their classes to the students and what the students want to learn. I think that is the coolest part. Rather than just following a set curriculum, they'll see what the students are interested in and try to engage us more.

Welcoming Community

Everyone is very friendly here at UNE. When you pass by people, you don't even have to know them, they’ll smile and wave. I think that's really cool. It’s a very welcoming environment, and I really appreciate that. It's very much geared toward getting students involved in different things, and I think that allows for a lot of freedom and opportunity.

I learned a lot about myself from being here at UNE. I remember coming into college…I thought, “Oh, I'm just going to do my classes, study hard, and not do anything aside from that.” I got sucked into the culture, though. There is so much community here. It started with my involvement in [the undergraduate theater club] UNE Players and went from there.

I remember when I first came to UNE, I thought it was pretty, and I liked it here. It was a shallow interpretation of the place. After a few years at UNE, though, I have a much deeper connection. I think that UNE Players helped me feel that way and find my place. I developed friends through participating in the plays.

All of the professors tailor their classes to the students and what the students want to learn. I think that is the coolest part.

Business Administration

Why UNE for Marine Entrepreneurship

Located just feet from the ocean, our Marine Science Center is an ideal hub for research, housing an array of Ocean Clusters that focus on sea vegetables/seaweeds, aquaponics, aquarium sciences, and other areas related to the marine industry.

  • Only program of its kind in the U.S.
  • Makerspace for innovative ideation and prototype development
  • University-owned island and research vessels
  • Hands-on, innovative business methods
  • Green Learning Community for integrated study of environmental issues
  • Student Innovation Challenge (idea-stage competition)

Career Paths for Marine Entrepreneurship Grads

Fuse your newly acquired knowledge of marine sciences and business in imaginative ways through research in the Marine Science Center and projects in our Makerspace. By combining these experiences with internships that expose you to marine industries and develop your business acumen, you can set your sails for success as a marine entrepreneur.

Marine Entrepreneurship majors may explore a wide variety of professions, including:

  • Sustainable Business Developer/Consultant
  • Ecotourism Coordinator
  • Climate Change Analyst
  • Fisheries Biologist
  • Aquaculture Technician
  • Seafood Broker
  • Marine Policy Advisor
  • Environmental and Marine Lawyer

Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.

95%

of undergrads employed or in ongoing higher education within one year of graduating

2016-2023 UNE graduate surveys
#1

in Maine for getting a job

Zippia 2023

What will you study? Marine Entrepreneurship Curriculum Overview

Examples of Available Courses

There are many ways you can navigate this major. The following are just some examples of the fascinating courses that the Marine Entrepreneurship major offers:

  • Discovering the Ocean Environment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Economics
  • Marine Biology
  • Creating Social Enterprises
  • The Marine Economy

To learn more about the program see the Academic Catalog.

Green Learning Community

First-year Business, Communications, Sport Leadership and Management, and Marine Entrepreneurship majors are able to participate on a competitive basis in the Green Learning Community (GLC). The GLC is an intentional community of professors and first-year students dedicated to studying human relations to the environment through many ways of knowing. You will study environmental issues through the integrated lenses of biology, literature, environmental studies, and economics.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.

Meet Jillian, Marine Entrepreneurship graduate

Experiential Learning in Marine Entrepreneurship

UNE’s Marine Entrepreneurship major allows you to interact with people from marine communities in order to address real-world problems and consider real-world solutions. Make your idea a reality by creating a device prototype in our Makerspace. You may even enter your solution in UNE’s Student Innovation Challenge, a university-wide idea stage competition. From hands-on research in the lab to exciting internships in the field, you’ll be doing far more than getting your feet wet.

Research

UNE provides a breadth of research opportunities not commonly offered to undergraduate students. So whether you’re interested in fighting the effects of neurotoxic algae, exploring ways to use the invasive green crab as lobster bait, or using tidal energy to increase the productivity of oyster production, we have a research project for you. 

Internships

We offer rewarding internships with industry partners, including:

  • Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce
  • Saco River Salmon Club and Hatchery
  • Simonton Cove, Inc.
  • Shy Beaver Trout Hatchery, Inc.
  • RAS Corporation
  • Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems
  • Marine Ecological Habitats, Inc.

For more information, contact the CAS Internship Office Marine Sciences contact, Cynthia Simon at (207) 602-2540 or csimon@theabsolutelongestwebdomainnameinthewholegoddamnfuckinguniverse.com.

Global Education in Marine Entrepreneurship

See The World

Study Marine Entrepreneurship on the other side of the world by taking part in our Global Education Programs.

The world is your oyster. At UNE, your opportunities for study abroad are rich and plentiful. Spend a semester in IcelandSpainFrance, or at UNE’s own global campus in Morocco. Choose from several shorter travel courses that will take you to Belize, Mexico, Panama, Cuba, the Galapagos Islands, or many other exciting locations.

Interested in studying abroad? Make a plan with your advisor.

Bachelor of Science in Marine Entrepreneurship FAQ