Course Offerings

This course addresses the importance of water in biological, ecological, physical, climate and economic systems, and the consequences of distributing the natural water cycle. This course meets the Natural Science General Education Requirement at UW-Milwaukee. It is also open to high school students enrolled in the Early College Credit Program. Students earn three college credits. UW-Milwaukee students interested in this course can enroll via PAWS. Students not enrolled at UW-Milwaukee must enroll as a guest student first.

Dive into a hands-on learning adventure focused on the limnology, web based climate and weather models, and biogeochemistry of Lake Michigan! This unique 3-credit course, taught by expert faculty and scientists from UW-Milwaukee and UW-River Falls, uses a problem-solving approach to tackle real-world environmental challenges affecting Lake Michigan, especially coastal resilience in the era of climate change.

This course is open to 10 students on a first-come, first-served basis. Preregistration is required to reserve a spot. Students who preregister by February 1, 2025, are eligible for double-occupancy dorm rooms. Meals during class time and lodging are covered by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. Course schedule and registration/enrollment information available at https://uwm.edu/freshwater/fcw2025/

Download flyer

Get hands-on experience in designing experiments, conducting fieldwork, and analyzing real-world data using R! This immersive course covers everything from sampling techniques and regulatory frameworks to mastering lab instruments and data interpretation. With field trips, expert guest lecturers, and a capstone project, you’ll gain the skills to tackle critical freshwater research challenges.  Prerequisites: UWM BIO SCI 152 Foundations of Biological Science II and UWM CHEM 104 General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis; (or equivalent courses).

Non-UWM students can enroll as non-degree (grad) or university special (undergrad) students if they meet the prerequisites. Contact Mal Kaul, malkaul@uwm.edu, for more information.

Master cutting-edge tools to study aquatic environments! This course blends modern geochemical analysis with nucleic acid/genomics methods, featuring hands-on lab work and real-world applications. Ideal for graduate and advanced undergrad students in freshwater, biological, environmental, and geosciences, it equips you with skills in analytical instruments, genomic methods, and research techniques to advance your studies or career. Prerequisites: UWM BIO SCI 152 Foundations of Biological Science II and UWM CHEM 104 General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis; (or equivalent courses). Non-UWM students can enroll as non-degree (grad) or university special (undergrad) students if they meet the prerequisites. Contact Mal Kaul, malkaul@uwm.edu, for more information.

Learn environmental sampling in Door County and at the Lowenwood campus in Land O’ Lakes. Through short lectures and hands-on labs and field trips, students learn how to sample for contaminants; how to take, preserve, transport and analyze field samples; how to interpret and how to present analytical results in light of regulations. Students learn how to determine the water quality of natural systems (e.g. lakes and rivers) or the quality of water from wells and engineered systems. Hands-on activities include field sampling, lab analysis and sample preservation along with an explanation of the theoretical concepts needed to understand, execute and design activities performed.

Open to any student enrolled at any UW campus. Available for undergraduate or graduate credit through UW Oshkosh. Includes topics relevant for those seeking a master’s degree or are in need of continuing education credits at the master’s level. UW Oshkosh tuition plus a course fee to cover field experience. Housing is provided.

Contact Dr. Greg Kleinheinz (kleinhei@uwosh.edu) for a tentative syllabus or details on cost or the process of registration. There are sections set-up for UW Oshkosh and non-UW Oshkosh students to enroll.

This is a three-credit introduction to fish culture techniques with a focus on model fish (zebrafish) and aquaculture fish for food or conservation (Lake sturgeon, yellow perch, and walleye). Prerequisites: Bio Sci 150 (or equivalent), Chem 102 (or equivalent), graduate standing, or consent of instructor. Each class will include one-hour lectures and three-hour laboratory exercises. Taught at UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences. Students interested in this course can enroll via PAWS. Students not enrolled at UW-Milwaukee must enroll as a guest student.

This three-credit course describes the most important natural resource on Earth: freshwater, through an exploration of past, present, and future dimensions of water use and misuse, protection and waste, security and scarcity. This course will cover the essential physical, chemical, and biological aspects of water in the context of socially relevant topics required to understand contemporary economic, political, and environmental water issues with a local, national, and international scope. Three-hour lecture. Students from any UW campus may enroll and should contact Dr. Jessica Orlofske (orlofske@uwp.edu) for enrollment information.

How has Wisconsin’s freshwater coast been impacted by climate change, wastewater runoff, agricultural runoff and coastal erosion? Students taking this summer field course along Lake Michigan’s coast will become familiar with Great Lakes ecosystem complexity by comparing natural areas against human impacted harbors. They will explore habitats from Green Bay, Peshtigo, Manitowoc and Sheboygan to the more urban areas of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, learning basic sampling techniques and technologies to study the human impacts on the coastal ecosystem.The course is taught by faculty from UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay and UW-Parkside. No prerequisites.

This is a 3-credit blended course with online and in-person portions. This course is open to any student enrolled at any UW System campus. Lodging and all meals are provided. Spaces are limited. Interested students must apply and be accepted to enroll. This course is also offered for continuing education credit for Wisconsin residents.

Water is essential for all life and humans rely on freshwater for food production, industry, and multiple forms of recreation. The course provides an introduction to freshwater and the critical role it plays in supporting people and ecosystems. The class will be rooted in the signature question: How do people understand and create a more sustainable world? The fundamental learning outcome is to summarize and evaluate the ways freshwater is important to society and natural ecosystems. Students will achieve learning outcomes from presentations, readings, class discussions, and lecture, laboratory and field exercises.

This three-credit course will focus on the biology of microorganisms and microbial processes and their effects on other organisms and the environment, and the impact of these relationships on biogeochemical cycles. Students will explore how the environment shapes microbial communities and how microbes affect the environment while gaining hands on experience on topics related to metagenomics and microbial ecology techniques.

Laboratory and field training are essential in water-related fields of study. This two-credit transformative summer course with faculty from UW-River Falls and UW-Madison focuses on laboratory and field techniques for freshwater-related work. Students will increase their field and laboratory skills, support professional development, and cultivate interest in freshwater sciences. The course focuses on practical knowledge of field measurements of water-related processes such as water quality, soil properties, greenhouse gas emissions, and good laboratory practices pre- and post-sampling. Students will also work on data analysis and presentation.

Students must apply for enrollment. Lodging and accommodations provided for selected participants. For more information and to apply, please contact Dr. Bahareh Hassanpour (Bahareh.hassanpour@uwrf.edu), Dr. Susanne Wiesner (susanne.wiesner@uwrf.edu), and Dr. Grace Bulltail (bulltail@wisc.edu).

We enjoy scenery and outdoor recreation along the Upper Mississippi River, but how “natural” is it really, and what role should people play in shaping it? The “Mighty Mississippi” is a prime example of human interaction with the natural world, demonstrating how rivers connect all of us.

The goal of this course is to connect you to your watershed(s) and foster an understanding of how changes in one part of a hydrologic system impact those upstream and downstream. This course examines how land and river management have resulted in infrastructure we depend on and also significant environmental damage. Students will study past and present Mississippi River management through readings, field trips, guest lectures, and discussion. The course will examine reasons for river management, underserved communities along the river, and controversies with river transportation, flooding, recreation, pollution, and invasive species. Sustainability and Environmental Studies invites us to draw from diverse types of expertise to study this dynamic and highly manipulated part of our landscape.

This collaborative course will introduce students to laboratory and field methods used to assess the environmental and health effects of water pollution. Students will spend one week online (the first week), and two weeks on the UW-Whitewater campus, with field trips to field sites and to UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, participating in state-of-the-science approaches to examining water pollution, in both field and laboratory settings. Experiences will include field sample collection, water quality and chemical analyses, acute and chronic toxicity testing, introduction to pollutant-induced gene expression, and time on UW-Milwaukee’s research vessel. Meals during class time are included. Students needing accommodations eligible for double-occupancy dorm rooms. Meals and lodging are covered by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.