SWAGÊÓƵ

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) offers preparation for the undergraduate degrees of bachelor of arts and bachelor of science. CAS also offers master of science degrees in biological science and marine science. CAS programs of study are on the Biddeford Campus.

College of Arts and Sciences Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences at the SWAGÊÓƵ is a coeducational college committed to academic excellence. We seek to help students find and fulfill their own unique potential. Through study and research in the arts and sciences, the faculty of the college challenge students to set and reach for higher intellectual and professional goals and to develop powers of critical assessment, analysis, expression, aesthetic sensibility, and independent thought. The faculty and administration of the College also endeavor to help students participate in shaping the culturally diverse and interdependent world in which they live. Curricular offerings give students the tools to face life challenges by enhancing their awareness of environmental, social, and global issues, and by fostering values that sustain healthy communities. Students are urged to pursue these objectives not only in their course work, but also through attendance at cultural events, participation in campus organizations and activities, and services to others.

Schools and Areas of Study

• School of Arts and Humanities
• School of Biological Sciences
• School of Marine and Environmental Programs
• School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• School of Professional Programs
  • Department of Business
  • Department of Education
• School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Westbrook College of Health Professions

The Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP) is a large, complex college of 14 distinct programs ranging from baccalaureate to doctoral. Majors at the undergraduate level include Applied Exercise Science (AES), Dental Hygiene, Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies (HWOS), Nursing, Nutrition, Public Health, and Social Work (BSW). A B.S. in Pharmacy is also offered; master's degrees in Athletic Training, Nurse Anesthesia, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work (MSW). The college offers professional doctoral degrees in Pharmacy (PharmD) and Physical Therapy (DPT).

Undergraduate education in WCHP occurs on the residential Biddeford campus. The exceptions are the dental hygiene and nursing majors, where students spend the first two years on the Biddeford campus followed by the junior and senior years in Portland. The athletic training program is fully delivered on the Biddeford campus. All remaining graduate programs of study are located on the Portland campus.

Westbrook College of Health Professions Mission

The Westbrook College of Health Professions educates a dynamic, collaborative workforce responsive to the evolving needs of society, thus advancing the health and well-being of all people.

Departments and Areas of Study

• Department of Exercise and Sport Performance
• Department of Dental Hygiene
• Department of Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies
• School of Nursing and Population Health
• Department of Nutrition
• School of Nurse Anesthesia
• Department of Occupational Therapy
• Department of Physician Assistant
• Department of Physical Therapy
• School of Social Work
• School of Pharmacy

College of Osteopathic Medicine

The SWAGÊÓƵ College of Osteopathic Medicine (SWAGÊÓƵ COM) grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.) and holds the distinction of being Maine's only medical school.

Guided by the tenets of Osteopathic Medicine, we prepare students to become skilled, caring, and successful osteopathic physicians. Our integrated curriculum provides varied learning experiences to help students develop the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to become competent physicians. Along with our affiliated clinical training sites, SWAGÊÓƵ COM prepares students who consistently score at the top in national licensing exams. SWAGÊÓƵ COM has been recognized in the top ten of all US medical schools for graduates obtaining the residency of their choice. While two-thirds of graduates practice in primary care, the remainder choose careers in specialty and subspecialty medicine. Our graduates are leaders in health care at the local, state, and national levels throughout the US, and in all branches of military service. Over 70% of SWAGÊÓƵ COM graduates practice in underserved areas, caring for our most vulnerable populations.

At SWAGÊÓƵ COM, we recognize and support the role of research in all educational, clinical, and biomedical science activities and provide fellowship opportunities to encourage student participation in research. Both undergraduate and graduate/medical students work with faculty, professional staff, and peers to conduct exciting and innovative work in a number of areas, including cancer and metabolic disease, immunology and infectious disease, anatomy and interventional pain management, medical education, and through our internationally renowned neuroscience and pain research.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine has taken a leading role in facilitating our students’ involvement with Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Practice. We are proud to share educational experiences with programs in dental medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant, occupational and physical therapy, and social work. COM shares many collaborative enterprises with our health profession colleagues including rural emersion experiences, scholars programs, research opportunities, and shared clinical training assignments.

The SWAGÊÓƵ COM Office of Continuing Medical Education (CME) maintains dual accreditation with the American Osteopathic Association and the Maine Medical Association; authorizing SWAGÊÓƵ COM's sponsorship of collaborative CME activities for osteopathic (D.O.) and allopathic (M.D.) physicians. SWAGÊÓƵ COM is one of a handful of providers in the country that holds this distinction.

College of Osteopathic Medicine Mission

The SWAGÊÓƵ College of Osteopathic Medicine fosters health care leaders across the continuum in undergraduate, predoctoral, graduate, and continuing medical education. SWAGÊÓƵ COM advances exceptional osteopathic health care locally and globally through practice, research, scholarship, education, and community health. 

Departments and Areas of Study

• Department of Primary Care 
  • Division of Family Medicine
  • Division of Geriatrics
  • Division of Internal Medicine
  • Division of Psychiatry
  • Division of Pediatrics
  • Mature Care Clinical Services
  • Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition
• Department of Specialty Care Medicine
• Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Department of Biomedical Sciences

College of Graduate and Professional Studies

CGPS Vision

To advance the fields we serve by functioning as a nexus for relationships between scholars and professionals, and by educating clients to lead in that evolving convergence.

CGPS Mission

CGPS educates and supports future leaders in industry and service via programs designed to catalyze meaningful career development.

CGPS Values

• Growth: To grow in community, infrastructure, and scope, in order to give more options while making all options stronger.
• Relationships: To cultivate the agency necessary to grapple with and execute on opportunities.
• Agility; To cultivate the agency necessary to grapple with and execute on opportunities.
• Sustainability: To consider ourselves an ecosystem built first upon the healthy balance of all our values, and second upon the exploratory process necessary to our evolution.

Academic Core Values

Critical and Innovative Thinking

Graduates of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS) programs are capable of critical analysis of the scholarship in their discipline. Graduates are able to synthesize and interpret theory and apply it to their field of practice; evaluating what is most appropriate for their professional setting is a habit of mind leading to deeper learning.

Oral and/or Written Communication

Graduates of CGPS programs are able to effectively and accurately communicate with industry stakeholders, professional colleagues, and academic peers. Graduates communicate with coherence and organization. Graduates’ work exhibits proper mechanics and grammar, along with accurate style and citation relevant to their discipline. Graduates are able to offer both oral and written products to meet the needs of the intended audience

Ethical Reasoning and Practice

Graduates of CGPS programs have a sound understanding of ethics in their area of expertise. Graduates have an understanding of the pertinent regulations that protect the communities or industries that they serve. Graduates are able to enter into their field of practice with the ability to make ethical decisions and to engage in culturally sensitive behavior to enhance the greater good.

Application of Scholarship and Research

Graduates of CGPS programs are critical consumers of research and evidence. Graduates are adept at analyzing and translating the findings of primary sources, including literature, data, and research. Graduates are able to synthesize current literature and propose novel research in their field of study. Graduates understand the importance of evidence-based decision-making and utilize data to support their professional practice.

*Field-based learning, practicum, capstone, and ePortfolio demonstrate mastery of all core academic values*

Departments and Areas of Study

• Applied Nutrition (online master's degree and RD Track)
• Education (online certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees)
• Healthcare Administration (online master's degree and graduate certificates)
• Health Informatics (online certificates, and master's degree)
• Pre-Requisite Sciences Courses (online science and math courses for credit)
• Public Health (online certificate and master's degree)
• Social Work (online master's degree)

College of Dental Medicine

The College of Dental Medicine is located on the Portland Campus and grants the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. 
 
The educational experience at the College includes the recruitment of compassionate students who demonstrate a commitment to leadership, social responsibility, and professionalism. Students are treated as professional colleagues and supported in a learner-centered environment grounded in trust, collegiality, and high ethical standards. They benefit from a comprehensive, integrated education in the basic and behavioral sciences, and they understand and appreciate the many connections between oral health and overall health. What’s more, students enjoy extensive practical experience, from providing care to a simulated patient in their first year; to providing direct patient care in patient-centered general practice teams in our Oral Health Center during their second and third years; to extending their clinical experience into community-based clinics during their fourth year. The College of Dental Medicine shares SWAGÊÓƵ's global initiatives and philosophy to strengthen our students' competencies in the global economy and prepare them to work successfully in a demographically changing United States by embedding their education and training in a variety of diverse cultural environments. Research and international practice opportunities allow our students to find common solutions to diverse access to care issues. 

In addition, integrated throughout their four-year curriculum, students gain clinical service experiences that cover the life span of individuals and a variety of uninsured and underserved populations. Such opportunities include Head Start and elementary school-based prevention programs that focus on the prevention of childhood caries; working with primary care offices that integrate oral health into their practices; oral assessments with the developmentally disabled; for persons experiencing homelessness; and prevention education for the elderly at long-term care facilities. Communication skills that are culturally and age appropriate are stressed early on in the community-based experiences. These activities are specifically aimed to prepare new graduates with the skill sets needed to address access to dental care for the most vulnerable populations.

Learning methods that support the development of critical thinking skills are infused throughout our curriculum. Our students learn how to access and evaluate information, including the very latest scientific research, as well as how to intelligently use that information to provide the finest care to their patients. Classroom and clinical experiences expose students to the latest innovations in dental practice, including the appropriate use of modern technology. The college provides ample opportunities for dental students to learn and work with students of other health professions at SWAGÊÓƵ in an interprofessional environment. Through this collaboration, our students grow to appreciate the role that each profession can play in delivering high-quality, comprehensive care to their patients. Students also learn communication and leadership skills, and our curriculum exposes them to the business side of health care practice. In addition, our students become knowledgeable about the many issues related to access to care, health policy, and public health while in the program.

Ultimately, our graduates will be ethical, caring, competent oral health care providers who will continue to learn and develop new skills throughout their professional careers. They will also appreciate the importance of balance in their lives and will serve as leaders in their families, their communities, and beyond.

College of Dental Medicine Mission

The mission of the SWAGÊÓƵ College of Dental Medicine is to improve the health of Northern New England as well as rural and underserved areas while shaping the future of dentistry through excellence in education, discovery, and service.