NEW GLOUCESTER — Unity Environmental University is implementing Artificial Intelligence in its new 90-credit applied Bachelor of Science program.

According to a representative of the university, the school “embedded its own AI tutor directly into the learning management system to provide real-time, course-specific support while reducing the environmental footprint of traditional large-scale AI.”

This is known as Una Tutor.

“Una Tutor engages students in Socratic-style exchanges,” the school announcement reads, in part. “[The tutor] prompts self-reflection and provides 24/7 feedback within the context of Unity’s own courses, making its answers more precise and relevant than those from generic AI models.”

With the approval of the New England Commission of Higher Education, the school says it is “the first institution in Maine to announce and accept applications for accreditor-approved programs of this kind.”

The school also claims the program will allow many students to finish their degrees in three years or less and save them more than $14,000 in tuition.

“Higher education has been slow to adapt to the needs of today’s learners and employers,” said Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, president and CEO of Unity Environmental University. “With the Applied Bachelor’s, Unity is leading a national conversation on how to deliver rigorous, accredited degrees that are faster, more affordable, and more relevant.”

Applications are now open, with the first students set to begin classes in 2026.

According to the school, the initiative will debut with five programs, all available online.

The school will offer Applied Bachelor’s in sustainable business management, psychology and human services, culinary innovation and food systems, entrepreneurship and environmental crime investigation.

Visit unity.edu to learn more.