Mountain Lake Biological Station

Summer Course Fees and Information

Course Fees

General Course Information

All MLBS courses are part of UVA Arts and Sciences Summer Session.

Application Deadline

There is no course application deadline. Course registration is open until the course fills, and as late as the day before the course starts. Review of applications for course financial aid begins on March 15. So if you are requesting financial aid as part of your course application it is best to have your application in by then (see below).  ► Application

Enrollment and Registration Limits

Enrollment is limited to twelve students per course. Registration is limited to one course per session (except when enrolling for "Biological Research"). Enrollment is not automatic. Participatiopn in MLBS courses is not limited to current college or university students.  All course applications require approval.

Course Level

Most courses are appropriate for undergraduate or graduate students and may be taken for undergraduate or graduate credit. Please contact the station if you have questions about prerequisites or course level expectations. Course numbers are often set high to accommodate graduate student participants and other university requirements. Do not assume you are not qualified. Courses count as upper-level lab credits towards the biology major at the University of Virginia.

Class Schedules

Classes generally meet for lecture and discussion in the mornings and lab or field work in the afternoons. Class schedules vary, and while most course obligations occur Monday through Friday, instructors may schedule activities for any day or time during the session. 

Course Demands

Field courses can be strenuous and physically demanding. Participants should be willing to embrace long hours under rugged field locations and in all weather conditions. Nothing heroic here, just a lot of working outside! 

Credit

Course credit is usually easily transferable to other institutions. However, your home institution makes this decision. Check with them. Most courses (BIOL course numbers) meet lab course requirements in the Department of Biology at UVA. You should confirm applicability of specific courses with the MLBS office and with your UVA advisor before registering. Students who wish to apply credit earned at Mountain Lake toward a graduate degree from the University of Virginia must be admitted to the graduate program at the University before enrollment in the course. 

Payment 

Once admitted to an MLBS course you will be instructed on how to register through the Summer Session office.  All payments of tuition and room and board must be made before the start of your class.

Refund Policy

 Contact the Summer Session Office for information on refunding of tuition and course dropping procedures and regulations. 

Honor Code

Students at Mountain Lake are considered students of the University of Virginia and are therefore bound by the University's Honor System.  Students are responsible for knowing its content and are required to follow its procedures. 

Liability and Vertebrate Animal Use

Students must complete the"Field Station Risk Acknowledgement Application" (Liability Waiver) during or after the on-line application process, but before arriving at the station. If the course description includes the note: "This course involves the use and handling of vertebrate animals" then students must check the appropriate button on the waiver form.

Financial Aid

MLBS Scholarships are available based on academic record and need. Statement of need and letter of recommendation are required. Review of applications begins March 15. Awards will be made while funding and positions remain available. Use the course application to apply for financial aid.

► Application