(Biddeford, ME) – This year, the University of New England has celebrated the launch of its brand new College of Business, hoping to lead the business education field in the State of Maine. With their brand new dean, Norm O’Reilly, at the helm of this change, The College of Business’ introduction established three new majors, with more to come,  and two new centers of learning, offering students experiential learning opportunities unique to UNE. 

Norm O’Reilly has an extensive background in the world of business. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and both his MBA and PhD in marketing. When the opportunity arose to become the dean of a brand new College of Business, O’Reilly was thrilled.

“It’s my favorite job I’ve had yet,” O’Reilly said, “It’s exciting, there’s pressure, and we’re building something from the ground up.”

With its vision and mission recently approved and published, the UNE College of Business plans to become a leading experiential learning center for business students. 

“The culture here is fantastic, and we want to fit into that,” said O’Reilly, explaining his vision for the new college. 

Some of the changes implemented, which are aimed at supporting this vision, are the introduction of the Nor’Easter 400’s — a requirement that all business majors accrue 400 hours of work experience while in college — and the planned introduction of an MBA and PhD in marketing in UNE’s graduate program catalog. 

“There isn’t a graduate program in Business in the state of Maine yet, and we are going to lead that,” explained O’Reilly. 

The College of Business works directly with external companies to provide students with experiential learning opportunities. These experiences are based on the two new learning centers introduced to UNE this year, the Sales Center and the Center for Sport Business Innovation. With 40 students already in paid positions at the Sales Center and five fellows being introduced to the Center for Sport Business, these new programs have quickly gained popularity among students. 

One of the most notable corporate partnerships held by UNE is with the NFL, giving students the opportunity to go to the Superbowl and work for the NFL, getting paid, earning credit and earning invaluable hands-on marketing experience. 

New majors that have been introduced by the new College of Business include marketing, finance, accounting, and outdoor business innovation. A new economics major and a supply chain major are currently in the process of being approved. The new college also inherited the sustainability in business major and the marine entrepreneurship major. 

With over 200 applicants for the 2025-2026 school year, the College of Business is seeing great success and growth in its first year of operation. Eventually, the College of Business hopes to see every student getting a job in the field that they want, hopefully before even graduating. The college also hopes to launch graduate programs, making history in Maine as the first business graduate program in the state.