The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin network offers a variety of courses and lab and field experiences that will help you broaden your skills, perspectives and professional networks.
A number of water-related courses are available to undergraduates students at any UW System institution. Courses may be in-person, hybrid or fully online. Work with your advisor to determine how a Collaborative course may fit into our academic degree plan and what you will need to do to enroll and transfer credits.
You can also enhance your skills by participating in lab and field experiences in rural and urban settings at UW System campuses throughout the state, including on the Mississippi River, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and many rivers, streams and wetland areas.
Check out our current offerings below:
Summer 2023
June 5-16, 2023
Institutions: Taught by UW-River Falls and UW-Madison on the UW-River Falls Campus
Open to any College Student
Laboratory and field training are essential in water-related fields of study; thus, through a collaboration between UW-River Falls and UW-Madison campuses, this two-credit transformative summer course focuses on laboratory and field techniques for freshwater-related work. The objective is to increase students’ field and laboratory skills to support professional development and cultivate interest in freshwater sciences. The course will focus on practical knowledge of field measurements related to water quality and nutrient analysis and good laboratory practices pre-and post-sampling.
The course will be located at the UW-River Falls campus, with lodging and accommodations provided for selected participants through funds awarded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.
Students who wish to enroll and are not currently attending UW-River Falls or UW-Madison should contact instructors Dr. Bahareh Hassanpour (Bahareh.hassanpour@uwrf.edu) and Dr. Grace Bulltail at bulltail@wisc.edu for details about the selection and enrollment process.
Environmental Field Sampling & Analysis (Course EGRT 374/574)
June 12-23, 2023
Institution: Hosted by UW Oshkosh in Door County and Land O’Lakes
Open to Students at Any UW Campus
Students enrolled in this two-week, three-credit field experience will spend one week at the Lowenwood campus (former Conserve School) in Land O’Lakes and one week at Crossroads at Big Creek in Door County. They will learn how to sample for various contaminants; how to take, preserve, transport and analyze field samples; and how to interpret and present analytical results in light of current regulations. Open to UW Oshkosh and non-UW Oshkosh students.
For more information about the course, syllabus, field locations, costs or how to enroll as a non-UW Oshkosh student, contact: Dr. Greg Kleinheinz, kleinhei@uwosh.edu, 920-424-1100 or Dr. Marcel Dijkstra, dijkstrm@uwosh.edu, 920-424-7106. This course can be applied to the new digital badge in Environmental Monitoring and Analysis at UW Oshkosh.
Limnology: Conservation of Aquatic Resources (Course Zoology 315)
July 17-Aug. 13, 2023
Institution: Hosted in-person and virtually by UW-Madison
Open to Students at Any UW Campus
Limnology: Conservation of Aquatic Resources (ZOO 315) will be offered as a 2023 summer course in the Department of Integrative Biology at UW-Madison as part of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. The course focuses on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and processes of freshwater ecosystems, as well as environmental issues and rehabilitation of lakes. The summer course also includes multiple field trips on Lake Mendota, one of Wisconsin’s most famous lakes! Students can take the course completely in-person OR mostly virtual.
The summer course is scheduled for July 17-August 13, Mondays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Please email Dr. Rob Mooney (rjmooney@wisc.edu) for details about the virtual option.
Fall 2023
Port and Terminal Management
Sept. 6-Dec. 15, 2023
Institution: Offered by UW-Superior
Course meets Tuesdays and Thursdays on campus
This three-credit course applies management principles to the operation of ports, terminals, warehouses, and distribution centers. Key topics include governance, administration, regulations, hazardous materials, materials handling, intermodal connections, labor relations and environmental impacts. Additional concepts such as location analysis, warehouse management systems, containerization, inventory management, waterfront management, sustainability and impacts of climate change will be addressed. Students not enrolled at UW-Superior can contact Admissions at admissions@uwsuper.edu for guidance on how to enroll in the course.