Students must apply to enroll in KBS undergraduate courses and the ELME graduate stats courses.  Due to limited on-site housing, we prioritize accepting students who plan to take multiple courses within a session, or across sessions.  So check with your adviser to see which courses will work for you!

Following your acceptance KBS will work with our partnering MSU departments to process your enrollment when summer course registration opens each March.

***Note you will need to provide  a PDF of your unofficial transcript(s) so we can ensure course prerequisite requirements are met.

Click HERE for the Summer 2020 Application

**Non-MSU students can take courses at KBS by first filling out MSU’s FREE application to become a MSU Lifelong Education student.  After you have been accepted by MSU and your personal identification number (PID#) is assigned, you will then fill out the KBS course application.

If you have any questions please email: KBSsummer@kbs.msu.edu

Room and board rates for 2020 students = $360/week (includes Breakfast: M-F, Lunch: M-F, Dinner: M-Th, Brunch: Sat-Sun).

Each summer over 100 undergraduates and graduate students from MSU and around the country live at KBS.  Resident Mentors facilitate student life activities at KBS including bonfires, volleyball games, group meals, camping trips and weekend excursions.

KBS is located on beautiful Gull Lake, which is 1.5 hours from the MSU main campus. Students can choose to live at KBS, or commute for their summer courses. There is recreation, dining, and shopping around the lake and within a 5-20 minute drive from KBS in the towns of Richland, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.

All student housing at KBS is shared in the KBS Apartments or the Orchard Dorm Suites.  Depending on availability, the KBS Conference Center may be able to honor a request for private housing, but additional charges will apply.

***To secure your housing, room and board scholarship, and seat in your KBS course(s) you must pay a 1-week, non-refundable deposit after you are accepted. The deposit will be deducted from your total due upon arrival at KBS.

Due to generous donations to support students at KBS, ALL students taking at least 4 credits of KBS summer courses (or a 2-week intensive) in each session the student plans to attend, will be awarded a 50% housing scholarship to offset the cost of living at KBS (reducing your cost to $180/week).

Students taking at least 4 credits of KBS summer courses (or a 2-week intensive) in each session the student plans to attend, and eligible for Federal Pell Grant awards will be awarded a 100% housing scholarship. To be considered for this scholarship, eligible students must submit a PDF of their most recent MSU Financial Aid Award letter demonstrating they are Pell Grant eligible when they apply for courses at KBSsummer@kbs.msu.edu.

***All housing scholarships will be transmitted directly to the KBS Conference Center on behalf of each student and reported to MSU Financial Aid.

For questions please contact the Academic Programs Coordinator at KBSsummer@kbs.msu.edu.

Tuition for courses at KBS is the same as tuition for courses on MSU’s main campus. Your tuition will depend on where you live, and whether you currently attend MSU.  You can estimate how much your tuition will be by using MSU’s Summer Tuition and Fees Calculator.

MSU students can apply for tuition scholarships through the MSU Office of Financial Aid and the MSU Student Affairs Advancement Office.

**Non-MSU students can take courses for credit at KBS by first becoming a MSU Lifelong Education student, and the application is FREE!  After you have been accepted by MSU and your personal identification number (PID#) is assigned, you will then fill out the KBS course application. Note that you are responsible for working with your home institution to ensure that your course credits transfer.

We offer a set of integrated courses BS162 (3 cr) + BS172 (2 cr) + STT224 (3 cr) during Session 1 that are requirements for several majors and fill quickly on campus.

Students can take this set of courses during Session 1, then couple them with 1 or 2 courses during Session 2.

This could put you a full semester ahead (up to 15 credits!), fill necessary prerequisites, and give you the skills needed to jump into your upper level curriculum back on campus.

These are the Launch Your Major Program integrated courses (BS162, BS172 & STT224), and because they are integrated courses where you learn concepts in BS162, design experiments to test these concepts in BS172, then analyze the experimental data in STT224, the 3 courses must be taken together concurrently.

Course Code: BS 162 (3 credits)
Dates: May 19 to June 18
Meeting time: Class meets all day Tuesday & Thursday
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Bierema (MSU – Integrative Biology & CISGS) 

Prerequisite: BS 161, LB 145, or equivalent

Biological diversity and organismal biology. Principles of evolution, transmission genetics, population biology, community structure, ecology.

Course Code: BS 172 (2 credits)
Dates: May 22 to June 19
Meeting time: Class meets all day Friday
Instructor: Dr. Sara Garnett (IBIO/KBS)

Prerequisite: BS 161, LB 145, or equivalent

Nature and process of organismal biology including experimental design, statistical methods, hypothesis testing in genetics, ecology, and evolution.

Course Code: STT 224 (3 credits)
Dates: May 18 to June 17
Meeting time: Class meets all day Monday & Wednesday
Instructor: Dr. Sara Garnett (IBIO/KBS)

Prerequisite: MTH 103 or MTH 116 or MTH 124 or MTH 132 or MTH 152H or LB 118

Probability and statistics with computer applications for the analysis, interpretation and presentation of ecological data. Data analysis, probability models, random variables, estimation, confidence intervals, test of hypotheses, and simple linear regression with applications to ecology.

Course Code: ZOL 355 (3 credits)
Dates: May 18 to June 17
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Monday & Wednesday
Instructor: TBA

Prerequisite: BS 162, LBS 144, LBS 148H, approval of the instructor.

Students learn about the relationships between plants, animals and the physical world. The class explores population, community and ecosystem level processes in a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Students are introduced to basic ecological principles and how they can be used to solve environmental problems. Students will learn a variety of sampling techniques, how to analyze data, and will present results of the field research to the class.

Course Code: IBIO 355L (1 credit)
Dates: May 29 to June 19
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Friday
Instructors: Dr. Danielle Zoellner (KBS)

Prerequisite: BS 162, LBS 144, LBS 148H, approval of the instructor.

Students learn about the relationships between plants, animals and the physical world. The class explores population, community and ecosystem level processes in a wide variety of habitats. Students are introduced to basic ecological principles and how they can be used to solve environmental problems. Students will learn a variety of sampling techniques, how to analyze data, and will present results of the field research to the class.

Course code: PLB 418 (3 credits)
Dates: May 19 to June 18
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Tuesday & Thursday
Instructor: Dr. Todd Barkman (Western Michigan University)

Prerequisite: PLB 105 or BS 162, LBS 144 or LBS 148H or approval of instructor.

A field-oriented systematics course, emphasizing native flora identification and classification. Each day starts with a one and one-half hour lecture on systematics and plant family characteristics. The remainder of the day is spent in the field identifying habitats and the factors controlling plant distribution, understanding biodiversity and human effects.  Skill-building for continuing new species identification are emphasized.

Textbook: Edward Voss, Anton A. Reznicek. Field Manual of Michigan Flora (2012).

OR

Part I. Gymnosperms and Monocots. Bulletin 55.
Part II. Dicots (Saururaceae – Cornaceae). Bulletin 59.
Part III. Dicots (Pyrolaceae – Compositae). Bulletin 61.

Course Code: CSUS 433 (3 credits)
Dates: May 19 to June 18
Meeting time: Class meets 10 am – 3:30 pm, Tuesday & Thursday
Instructors: Dr. Catalina Bartlett (MSU-WRAC)

Prerequisite: Completion of Tier 1 writing requirement.

Theoretical and practical background for proposal writing. Program and strategic planning. Fund-raising and organizational advancement.

Course Code: ENT 461 (3 credits)
Dates: June 8 to June 19
Meeting time: Class meets all day Monday through Friday
Instructors:  Dr. Jean Tsao (MSU-FW) & Dr. Michael Kaufman (MSU-ENT)

This course is designed to give students experience in the surveillance and identification of arthropods associated with the transmission of human and animal diseases, and to introduce them to ideas and methods necessary for understanding the dynamics of the disease systems. We will focus on mosquito and tick vectors of diseases in Michigan such as West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Lyme disease, but will also examine aspects of Epizootic Hemorrhagic disease and other pathogens transmitted by arthropods. We will also do field work with animal hosts for diseases (e.g., birds, rodents) and will cover molecular techniques involved in the assays for pathogens involved.

Course Code: IBIO 355 (3 credits)
Dates: June 29 to July 29
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Monday & Wednesday
Instructors: TBA

Prerequisite: BS 162, LBS 144, LBS 148H, approval of the instructor.

Students learn about the relationships between plants, animals and the physical world. The class explores population, community and ecosystem level processes in a wide variety of habitats. Students are introduced to basic ecological principles and how they can be used to solve environmental problems. Students will learn a variety of sampling techniques, how to analyze data, and will present results of the field research to the class.

Course Code: IBIO 355L (1 credit)
Dates: July 10 to July 31
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Friday
Instructors: Dr. Danielle Zoellner (KBS)

Prerequisite: BS 162, LBS 144, LBS 148H, approval of the instructor.

Students learn about the relationships between plants, animals and the physical world. The class explores population, community and ecosystem level processes in a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Students are introduced to basic ecological principles and how they can be used to solve environmental problems. Students will learn a variety of sampling techniques, how to analyze data, and will present results of the field research to the class.

Course Code: FW 417 (3 credits)
Dates: June 30 to July 30
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Tuesday & Thursday
Instructors: Dr. Steve Hamilton (KBS & Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies), Todd Losee (Niswander Environmental)

Prerequisite: IBIO355 or equivalent and completion of Tier I writing requirement

Wetlands have increasingly been recognized as ecosystems of particular value, yet many of our wetlands have been lost or degraded by agricultural land conversion, river regulation, and urban development. As a result wetlands now receive special attention and protection in natural resources management and policy. This course covers the ecology of wetlands, and how this ecological knowledge can be applied to the sustainable utilization and conservation of wetlands. Students will visit a diversity of sites to learn about why wetlands are so ecologically variable, how wetlands are delineated, the plant and animal life they harbor, the ecosystem services they provide, and how they can be managed—or even created from scratch. Lead instructors include Dr. Steve Hamilton, an aquatic ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist, and Todd Losee, an environmental consultant who practices wetland restoration and has also worked in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Dr. Tiffany Schriever, a freshwater ecologist with extensive experience in wetland research across the US and Canada, will also have a role in instruction.

Course Code: FOR 419 (4 credits)
Dates: June 29 to July 31
Meeting time: Class meets all day on Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Instructors: Dr. Ali Locher (GVSU), Josh Green (GIS Professional), Lisa Vormwald (GIS professional)

Prerequisite: None

Application of geographic information systems, remote sensing, and global positioning systems to integrated planning and management for fish, wildlife, and related natural resources.

Course Code: IBIO/PLB/CSS 891 Section 401 (1-2 credits)
Meeting time: Please visit the Eminent Ecologist course page for specific dates for class meetings.
Instructor: Dr. Nick Haddad (KBS-IBIO)

This course is also known as the “Eminent Ecologists” series.

Distinguished scientists in ecology or evolutionary biology who reside at KBS for a week over the summer will offer formal seminars, informal discussions and one-on-one dialogue with students. To prepare for the seminars, students are expected to read selected publications by each speaker in his or her current research and participate in post-seminar discussions.

Please visit the Eminent Ecologist course page for specific dates of class meetings. All seminars begin at 5 pm in the Academic Building Auditorium.

***You do not need to apply for this course, but can register yourself directly through MSU’s online course registration system.

The ELME (Enhancing Linkages between Math and Ecology) course is designed to provide students with an introduction to mathematical and statistical tools that are important for research in ecology, evolution and related disciplines. The course is taught in three one week units (described below) and students can enroll in 1, 2 or all three units for the appropriate credit (1-3). The sessions are independent, and complementary, so that students can participate as needed. Some sections provide the opportunity to work with date provided by the student, but instructors can also provide relevant data sets that can be used during (and after) the course.

Students should fill out an application (see below for the link) and indicate which sections they plan to participate in and credits they will enroll in. Students are encouraged to be in residence during ELME (but this is not required) and scholarships funds are available to assist with the cost of room and board at KBS. Limited funding is available to assist with tuition for those students who do not have tuition paid for the summer.

Course Code: PLB809 Section 431 (1-3 credits)
Meeting time: Class meets all day Monday thru Friday; Week 1 = June 15-19; Week 2 = June 22-27); Week 3 = June 29-July 2)
Instructor: Dr. Chris Klausmeier (KBS-PLB)

Week 1: June 15-19
Topic: Theoretical Population and Community Ecology
ELME Distinguished Scholar: Dr. Thomas Koffel (MSU-KBS)

This course will present an overview of the mathematical theory of populations and communities, organized around a few core ecological principles. Topics covered will include models of exponential growth, structured populations, population regulation, predator-prey dynamics and competition. The course will be taught in a lecture and discussion format coupled with laboratories involving both pen-and-paper and computer-based modeling exercises. The students will learn how to read, build and analyze an ecological model, with an emphasis on solving for the model equilibria and analyzing their stability.

Week 2: June 22-27
Topic: Quantitative Analysis of Movement
ELME Distinguished Scholar: Dr. Elizabeth Crone (Tufts University)

Introduction to theoretical models of movement and population dynamics in heterogeneous environments, as well as methods for relating these models to data from plant and animal populations.  Material is loosely based on Turchin’s (1998) book of the same name, updated with some of the many empirical, theoretical and computational advances from the past ~20 years.

Week 3: June 29-July 2
Topic: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
ELME Distinguished Scholar: Dr. Sandra Marquart-Pyatt (MSU-Sociology & ESPP)

This course provides an overview of and experience with estimating structural equation models (SEMs).  The topics covered include path analysis, recursive and non-recursive structural equations with observed variables, confirmatory factor analysis, incorporating multiple indicators and measurement error into structural equations, alternative estimators, and how to assess model identification, fit, and modification.  Course materials—lectures as well as computer applications—will include examples from ecology, sociology, and integrated socio-ecological systems.  Students are encouraged to bring their own datasets to analyze; we will also have the opportunity to examine data from the KBS LTER.

Click HERE for the Summer 2020 ELME Course Application

***If you are a PhD student attending an institution in the Big 10 Academic Alliance, you may become a BTAA Traveling Scholar in order to register and pay for KBS courses through your home institution.  Please contact the BTAA representative at your institution at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of your course to begin the process.  Please list Dr. Chris Klausmeier (KBS Faculty) as the faculty mentor on your BTAA application.