Presented By: University of Michigan Biological Station
U-M Biological Station Information Session for Students
Explore field-based courses available in Spring and Summer 2027
Wake to loon calls, conduct research beneath towering pines and end the day with a sunset swim in Douglas Lake.
The University of Michigan Biological Station is recruiting undergraduate and graduate students for immersive, field-based courses and research fellowships during its four-week spring and summer 2027 terms in northern Michigan.
Students can explore the opportunities at an Information Session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Room 1040 of the Dana Building on U-M’s Ann Arbor campus.
UMBS staff and recent students will discuss courses, credits, scholarships, undergraduate research fellowships, cabin life and dining. No prior field experience is required, and students of all majors from colleges and universities worldwide are welcome.
“This is more than school. This is a life-changing experience,” said Hassan Mustapha, a U-M senior and pre-med student who took classes at UMBS in summer 2026.
Located along Douglas Lake and Burt Lake about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge, UMBS is a more than 10,000-acre living laboratory where students learn and conduct research in forests, rivers and lakes. Most courses include a research component.
Avery Schestag, a U-M senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology, arrived with little field experience. In spring 2026, she studied how leaf litter affects soil nitrogen in forests across northern Michigan as part of an ecology class.
“It was really cool to do the research,” Schestag said. “I enjoyed being able to go out in the field a lot and come back to the lab.”
Students also learn directly from conservation professionals, researchers and community partners.
Isa Reyes, a U-M graduate student studying ecosystem science and management and geospatial data science in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), served as the 2026 CLEAR Fellow and took the Conservation Biology in Practice class.
“It was really cool to meet with so many practitioners — the people who do a lot of great conservation work — and then go out in the field and see unique species like Kirtland’s warblers and dwarf lake iris,” Reyes said.
UMBS welcomes students from across disciplines. Bailey McClive, a U-M chemical engineering junior, studied microbiology and Great Lakes policy and management during the 2026 summer term.
“Getting the chance to come out and connect with nature is not something I get to do a lot for my major,” McClive said. “Building connections with Michigan professors, research scientists from around the world, and regional stakeholders is so valuable.”
The residential experience at UMBS creates a close-knit community. Students, professors, researchers, staff and their families share meals, explore northern Michigan and live in cabins.
“At the Biological Station, I met so many people who are similar to me in so many different ways,” said Annie Wesorick, a U-M junior studying ecology and evolutionary biology. “I feel like I made 50 new friends while I was here.”
For Zafir Maker-Agha, who studied business administration and environmental science at U-M, UMBS provided a memorable finish to his undergraduate experience.
“The campus is gorgeous,” Maker-Agha said. “I would wake up and go on a run, see the sunrise along the lake and maybe go fishing before breakfast.”
The spring 2027 term runs June 1 through July 1. The summer 2027 term runs July 13 through Aug. 12.
The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
Our vast campus engages all of the senses. Its remote, natural setting nurtures deep thought and scientific discovery.
Founded in 1909, UMBS supports long-term research and education through immersive, field-based courses and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for data collection and analysis to help any field researcher be productive. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.
The University of Michigan Biological Station is recruiting undergraduate and graduate students for immersive, field-based courses and research fellowships during its four-week spring and summer 2027 terms in northern Michigan.
Students can explore the opportunities at an Information Session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Room 1040 of the Dana Building on U-M’s Ann Arbor campus.
UMBS staff and recent students will discuss courses, credits, scholarships, undergraduate research fellowships, cabin life and dining. No prior field experience is required, and students of all majors from colleges and universities worldwide are welcome.
“This is more than school. This is a life-changing experience,” said Hassan Mustapha, a U-M senior and pre-med student who took classes at UMBS in summer 2026.
Located along Douglas Lake and Burt Lake about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge, UMBS is a more than 10,000-acre living laboratory where students learn and conduct research in forests, rivers and lakes. Most courses include a research component.
Avery Schestag, a U-M senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology, arrived with little field experience. In spring 2026, she studied how leaf litter affects soil nitrogen in forests across northern Michigan as part of an ecology class.
“It was really cool to do the research,” Schestag said. “I enjoyed being able to go out in the field a lot and come back to the lab.”
Students also learn directly from conservation professionals, researchers and community partners.
Isa Reyes, a U-M graduate student studying ecosystem science and management and geospatial data science in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), served as the 2026 CLEAR Fellow and took the Conservation Biology in Practice class.
“It was really cool to meet with so many practitioners — the people who do a lot of great conservation work — and then go out in the field and see unique species like Kirtland’s warblers and dwarf lake iris,” Reyes said.
UMBS welcomes students from across disciplines. Bailey McClive, a U-M chemical engineering junior, studied microbiology and Great Lakes policy and management during the 2026 summer term.
“Getting the chance to come out and connect with nature is not something I get to do a lot for my major,” McClive said. “Building connections with Michigan professors, research scientists from around the world, and regional stakeholders is so valuable.”
The residential experience at UMBS creates a close-knit community. Students, professors, researchers, staff and their families share meals, explore northern Michigan and live in cabins.
“At the Biological Station, I met so many people who are similar to me in so many different ways,” said Annie Wesorick, a U-M junior studying ecology and evolutionary biology. “I feel like I made 50 new friends while I was here.”
For Zafir Maker-Agha, who studied business administration and environmental science at U-M, UMBS provided a memorable finish to his undergraduate experience.
“The campus is gorgeous,” Maker-Agha said. “I would wake up and go on a run, see the sunrise along the lake and maybe go fishing before breakfast.”
The spring 2027 term runs June 1 through July 1. The summer 2027 term runs July 13 through Aug. 12.
The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
Our vast campus engages all of the senses. Its remote, natural setting nurtures deep thought and scientific discovery.
Founded in 1909, UMBS supports long-term research and education through immersive, field-based courses and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for data collection and analysis to help any field researcher be productive. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.
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