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At the University of Maine Graduate & Professional Center (Maine Center), we prepare leaders with cross-disciplinary skills to advance their careers, foster entrepreneurship and innovation, and address real-world opportunities to drive meaningful economic impact in Maine and beyond. We are Maine-focused, nationally competitive, and globally relevant.

Our Focus

The Maine Center is a hub for graduate and professional education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. We drive value creation across Maine and beyond by leveraging the strengths of our universities, industry, and strategic partners.

We accomplish this across four main focus areas:

  • Graduate Education
    Fostering interdisciplinary learning, experiential programs, leadership development, and professional connections for graduate students in business, law, policy, engineering, and computing.
  • Executive Education
    Delivering market-driven learning that enhances real-world skills, practical knowledge, leadership, and careers of today’s professionals.
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    Nurturing innovation and supporting entrepreneurial ventures by leveraging resources from across Maine’s public universities and strategic partners.
  • Convening
    Cultivating a culture of collaboration that elevates impact, innovation, and the exchange of ideas

The Maine Center is an initiative of the University of Maine System based in the state’s commercial center in Portland. Our core academic partners include the University of Maine Graduate School of Business, University of Maine School of Law, University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service, and the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. The Maine Center’s collaborative model fosters meaningful connections across disciplines and sectors, empowering individuals and organizations to drive creative problem-solving and cultivate the talent and innovation needed to advance Maine’s economic growth.

Our Support

The Maine Center was made possible by the Harold Alfond Foundation’s $55 million investment as part of their visionary $320 million commitment to the University of Maine System, UMS TRANSFORMS (External Site). The goal of UMS TRANSFORMS is to bring transformative change to the state’s largest educational, research, innovation, and talent development asset. The grant is both a gift and a challenge for everyone who believes education is our highest and best hope to change lives and shape a better, more inclusive future.

The $55 million investment in the Maine Center builds on prior gifts from the Alfond Foundation to advance curriculum innovation, real-world relevance, and stronger connections among educators and employers. As part of the grant, the Maine Center will raise an additional $50 million to support building infrastructure, faculty, scholarships, and academic, professional and entrepreneurial programming.