Begin Your Outdoor Adventure on the Coast of Maine

Are you seeking a career that will allow you to combine your love of the outdoors with an interest in business and innovation? Outdoor recreation is poised to remain a large and dynamic part of the U.S. economy. With UNE’s location on the coast of Maine, you will be well situated to start your career in this thriving industry.

Graduates of this program will develop deep-level expertise about the industry, its intersection with sustainable community development, environmental policy, and small business management and entrepreneurship. In addition, graduates will leave UNE with valuable professional experience through their internships. We will work to match you with leading businesses in the outdoor industry.

Three students stand on a rock in front of green mountains
A male student demonstrates how to use a flint to light a fire

Why UNE for Your B.S. in Outdoor Business and Innovation

We worked closely with outdoor professionals and businesses to design and build an experience that will prepare you to succeed in the industry.

  • Opportunities for paid internships with global companies and start-ups to give you industry experience
  • UNE’s location on the coast of Maine places you in the middle of a thriving community of outdoor business innovators
  • Faculty with experience as business owners
  • Opportunities for global travel through study abroad and travel courses
  • Curriculum designed to prepare you for additional graduate degrees in business

The Outdoor Business and Innovation major has been a valuable opportunity for me to explore the concepts of business while maintaining a focus on the outdoors and environment.”

Fritz Van Winkle ’26

A student in a wetsuit holds up a surfboard from the top of a rocky coastline on the ocean

What will you study? Outdoor Business and Innovation Degree Curriculum Overview

Within this major you will complete foundational business courses, outdoor recreation courses, outdoor industry specialization courses, and environmental courses.

B.S. in Outdoor Business and Innovation Courses

  • Outdoor Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability and Eco-Tourism
  • Innovation Through Technology
  • Conservation and Preservation
  • Outdoor Recreation Planning and Management
  • Wilderness First Responder
Five students pose together in front of a river with a small Maine town on the other side

Career Paths for Outdoor Business and Innovation Majors

Outdoor recreation creates more jobs than computer technology, construction, finance and insurance, transportation and warehousing, food and beverage service, education, and real estate, rentals/leasing industries respectively (OutdoorIndustry.com).

Some professional settings this major will prepare you for include:

  • Global outdoor products companies
  • Outdoor industry marketing agencies
  • Tourism service providers
  • Wilderness camps
  • Entrepreneurial ventures
  • Outdoor recreation centers
  • Eco-tourism companies

Be a Part of Maine’s Outdoor Economy

According to The Maine Office of Outdoor and Recreation (MOOR) outdoor recreation made up 3.7% of Maine’s economy in 2023, making Maine 6th in the country in the value outdoor recreation adds to a state’s economy. That year, manufacturing of outdoor recreation equipment generated $311 million, with retail sales contributing $824 million.

9%

the percentage by which employment in Maine’s outdoor recreation economy grew from 2022–2023, increasing to 29,862 jobs

$3.4 Billion
the amount outdoor recreation adds to Maine’s economy

Get outside with our Outdoor Business and Innovation program

Explore Inspiring Land and Seascapes

Travel in any direction from our Maine campuses and you will find yourself in an outdoor enthusiast’s wonderland. Whether it’s surfing, kayaking, hiking, skiing, or plain old-fashioned exploring, the areas around UNE offer a plethora of adventures just waiting to be experienced.

On and Near Campus

  • 4,000 feet of campus shoreline
  • Campus Beach
  • UNE’s 363 Acre Forest
  • UNE’s Ram Island
  • UNE Nature Trail
  • Saco River
  • Saco Bay/Atlantic Ocean
  • The Saco Heath raised peatland (bog)
  • Biddeford Pool
  • Goose Rocks Beach and other Maine beaches

Around Maine

  • Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region
  • Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
  • The Wells National Estuarine Research
  • White Mountain National Forest
  • Acadia National Park
  • Downhill and Cross-Country skiing
  • Rock climbing
  • Ice Climbing
  • Hiking
  • Kayaking
  • Canoeing
  • Sailing
  • Road and Mountain biking
Two students soldering in the Makerspace

Office of Innovation

Innovation is integrated in the design of everything we do, and the Office of Innovation is the champion for innovation at UNE. In our Makerspace — a fully equipped laboratory for creating and building — you’ll find graduate and undergraduate students from different disciplines working on projects to bring positive change. As an Outdoor Business and Innovation major, you will use the Makerspace to develop product prototypes that can be used in the Saco River bordering UNE’s Biddeford campus.

Sustainability

The University of New England is deeply committed to sustainability, and we're recognized by The Princeton Review in its Guide to Green Colleges. In fact, environmentalism is an institutional value. Explore how you can get involved in sustainability at UNE, and learn more about how our ways of teaching, living, and building support a healthy environment.

Learn more about our sustainability commitment

The ability to make connections with business professionals through your professors allows you to get feedback and guidance on what you want to accomplish, which is what makes the major so beneficial. The internships and post-graduate job opportunities allow you to succeed in something meaningful to you.”

— Brendan Curley ’26

A U N E student casts a line while in a lake on a foggy autumn day

Experiential Learning in the Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Business and Innovation Program

Hands-on Learning for Outdoor Business and Innovation Students

Outdoor Recreation and Entrepreneurship

Ram Island, UNE’s private one-acre living laboratory right in Saco Bay, and its surrounding waters are home to songbirds, harbor seals, and various intertidal flora and fauna. Outdoor Business and Innovation majors visit Ram Island for a “Survivor” experience, focusing on survival skills and outdoor recreation.

Within a short walk or drive from UNE’s Biddeford Campus, you may explore a variety of unique habitats, including the University’s 363 acres of contiguous forest. The State of Maine Natural Areas Program has labeled the land a “habitat of significant value” due to its high density of pocket swamps and vernal pools. The area contains both uplands and wetlands and is home to many species, including wild turkeys, deer, coyotes, and moose.

Ram Island: Our Own Research Ecosystem
Discover UNE’s 363-acre Forest

Internships for Outdoor Business and Innovation Majors 

We offer dynamic internships specifically designed to match your interests with business that matters.

Some of our outdoor partner brands:

  • Maine Outdoor Brands
  • LL Bean
  • Flowfold
  • Kennebunkport Conservation Trust
  • Portland Trails
  • Patagonia

Global Education for Outdoor Business and Innovation

Arctic Adventure Tourism Course

See the World

Get down to business on the other side of the world by taking part in our Global Education Programs. In addition to our semester abroad programs in SpainFranceIceland, and at UNE’s own international campus in Morocco, you have the opportunity to take a shorter-term travel course to Iceland.

The Arctic Adventure Tourism course focuses on Arctic marketing, management, and communication relevant to the adventure tourism industry.

You will gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to design and produce sustainable nature- and culture-based experiences. You travel to Iceland in the spring and participate in activities related to Arctic adventure tourism and meet with local business owners in the field.

Learn more about UNE’s faculty-led travel courses

Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Business and Innovation FAQ

For more information please contact Program Director Aimee Vlachos, Ed.D., at avlachos@yueziqi.com or (207) 602-2441.