Field courses are a unique and important part of our department’s undergraduate program!

Field course information sessions will be held November 17, 2011 and January 18, 2012 

The EEB 2012 Field Course Application is now available.  Please click on the following link:  2012 Field Course Application (excluding EEB406H1). The deadline to submit an EEB field course application is February 8, 2012.  Please note that we will continue to accept applications for EEB Field Courses until all spaces are filled. 

E-mail your completed application to the EEB Undergraduate Office at undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca.

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Field courses are a unique and important part of our department’s undergraduate program. We offer three to four field courses each year to such locations as the New World tropics, Algonquin Provincial Park, and at U of T’s Koffler Scientific Reserve located north of Toronto.

In addition, U of T participates in a province-wide field course program -- Ontario University Program in Field Biology (OUPFB) -- which allows U of T students to take field courses offered by 13 other universities in Ontario without having to apply for transfer credit. See the OUPFB website for more information.  The deadline to submit an OUPFB application is January 27, 2012.  OUPFB applications will still be accepted after the deadline provided there is space available in the module.  Please contact the EEB Undergraduate office (undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca) for more information.

What is a Field Course?

Field courses are university credit courses that take place away from the university campus usually at a research station in a rural or wilderness location. Most field courses have a very small class size (usually 20 students or less), so they provide an opportunity for students to interact closely with the course instructor(s), and to collaborate with other students who share the same interests.

How do I apply/register?

Application:

Students who wish to take a University of Toronto EEB field course must complete the U of T Field Course Application and submit it (via email) to the EEB Undergraduate Office.

Email your completed application to undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca by deadline stated above.

Priority for spaces is given to applications received on time.

This application period is not first come, first served. Students will be accepted into courses based on their need and academic background. Students must ensure that they have the prerequisites for the course(s) they are requesting. Successful applicants will be contacted by e-mail.

Applications will be accepted after stated deadline should space be available. While applications will be accepted after deadline; priority for spots will be given to students who submit their forms on time. There is no guarantee there will be spots left in the course(s) of your choice if your application arrives late.  If you are still interested in a field course that is full you are put on a waiting list.  If an opening occurs, we will contact you.

Students who wish to take one of the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology (OUPFB) modules should apply via the department coordinators on their respective campuses (see below for contact information). The OUPFB application form can be found online (in December).

Registration:

*N.B.:  Students do not enrol for field courses on ROSI.  Students are added to field courses by the EEB department at the beginning of the session in which the field course is offered.*

Going through the application process does not automatically register you in the course. Students who successfully apply for an EEB field course offered through the St. George campus will be registered by the EEB department. Details will be given as to deadlines for deposit payments in the email of offer you will be sent.

St. George students who take a two-week module in the program offered by the University of Toronto (Tropical Field Biology, Temperate Ecology and Evolution, etc.) will be registered under the U of T number (EEB403H, EEB405H, etc). Students who take field courses in the summer should be aware often grades cannot be processed during that session. For example, if you want to take a field course in August and are registered as a summer student, we may not be able to post a grade until end of the fall session. If this is a concern for you, or you are looking to convocate in November, please contact:  undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca.

St. George students who take a two-week module offered by OUPFB will be registered under the course code EEB406H1.

After you have been added to a field course on ROSI, you will be charged tuition for a 0.5 FCE course if you are still paying per course. If you do not pay the required amount of summer session tuition by the deadline, you will not be registered, you risk being removed from the course and not receiving a final grade.

For those students who are paying the program tuition fee, you are exempt from paying summer tuition; but the field course must count towards your program. 

How much does it cost?

The cost for field courses will vary depending on the location of the course. In the past, field course prices have ranged from $600 to a few thousand dollars.

All field courses will have a cost for room and board. Some field courses will have a cost for travel, while others will expect you to get to the destination on your own. This will be stated clearly in the course description (pdf's posted on either our web site or the OUPFB web site depending on the course you are interested in).

A deposit may be required by a specified deadline -- deadlines will be given in the email of offer. For example, U of T students must pay their course deposit (to take an EEB field course) to the EEB department. Make your cheque payable to “University of Toronto” and include on the cheque the course number, your name and your student number.

If you plan to take an OUPFB field course, a deposit cheque of $250 made out to the University of Toronto is due with your application form. If you are accepted, the cheque will be cashed immediately.

Again remember, the money you give the EEB department is for room and board -- it does not cover your tuition if applicable. You will be billed for tuition once you have been added to the course(s).

Is there financial aid?

The University of Toronto offers grants to assist students with unmet need with respect to their educational expenses.  Requiring financial assistance to help cover the cost of travel and the course fee associated with taking a field course does qualify as reasons to apply for a grant. Grants for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science are administered by the colleges. Contact your college registrar's office to obtain information on how to apply. An application is required where you present a budget and a personal statement. It is expected that prior to applying for a grant, students will have explored all sources of funding (e.g., OSAP or other government assistance, lines of credit, assistance from family, etc.).  Please click on the following link for the application:  Undergraduate Grant Application

How do I withdraw from a field course?

U of T Field Courses:

If you wish to cancel a U of T field course at any point, please contact your campus Field Course Coordinator as soon as possible.  Please note that if the field course balance has been paid and you are unable to attend, you will be eligible for a balance refund. 

OUPFB Field Courses:

If you have been admitted into a module and later decide to be removed, you should inform your home university's OUPFB Field Course Coordinator (not the instructor of that specific module) as soon as possible.

U of T St. George: Colleen Kerluk, 416-946-8612 undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca

UTM: Yen Du, 905-828-3999, yen [dot] du (at)utoronto [dot] ca

UTSC: Prof. Ivana Stehlik, 416-287-7422, ivana [dot] stehlik (at)utoronto [dot] ca

Remember that the OUPFB deposit you paid is non-refundable unless someone else can be found to take your spot.  Please keep in mind that the University cannot guarantee that the spot will be filled and that the deposit will be refunded. The sooner you inform the office you are unable to attend the course, the better the chance of recovering your deposit.

How do I get more information? 

For information contact: undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca

Field courses for May to August 2012 are listed below.

1) EEB405H - Temperate Field Biology
- Location: Koffler Scientific Reserve, King City, ON
- May 6-19, 2012

2) EEB406H - Inter-University Field Course
- participate in a 2-week field course offered by another Ontario university between May and August, and receive a U of T credit
- 32 field courses were offered in 2011 by the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology (OUPFB website)

3) EEB403H - Tropical Field Biology  
- Location: Peru
- August 15-30, 2012

4) EEB410H - Lake Ecosystem Dynamics
- Location: Harkness Laboratory, Algonquin Park, ON
- August 20-31, 2012

5) NUS 443H0 – Field Studies in Biodiversity
- field course in S.E. Asia offered by the National University of Singapore, as part of U of T Exchange Studies
- course dates: TBA (includes a 7-day field experience)
- for more information contact Loraine Au Tham (l [dot] autham (at)utoronto [dot] ca) in the Centre for International Experience (CIE) office; travel grants up to $2,500 are available

6) EEB360H1 F - Entomology (Fall 2012 session course)

Introduction to the morphology, physiology, development, behaviour, ecology, evolutionary history, and biological significance of insects. 

Labs include making an insect collection and learning the major groups of insects. 

Mandatory one week of fieldwork in southern Ontario at the end of August. EEB360H1 can fulfill a programs field course requirement. 

(Offered in alternate years; offered in 2012-13).

Prerequisite (BIO120H1, BIO220H1)/BIO150Y1

Exclusion EEB356H1/ ZOO356H1/ZOO360H1

Hours [24L/36P]

This course is offered in the fall and is an E enrolment course.  You must fill out the application and hand it into the Undergraduate Office by Friday, June 15, 2012.  Once accepted into the course you will be added by the Undergraduate Office in July.