Field Camp Information
What is Field Camp?
Field camp is a tradition in the education of a geologist. It is an intensive course that applies classroom and laboratory training to solving geological problems in the field. Skills developed during field camp typically include: collection of geologic data, constructing a measured section, interpreting geologic structures and geologic mapping.
At UWM, students attend a field camp run by another institution and then receive transfer credit for Geo Sci 455 – Field Geology course.
Who needs Field Camp?
Field camp is required for the Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in the Geosciences Department. UWM does not offer a field camp (Geo Sci 455) through the Geosciences department, and students must take a field camp through another accredited university. You must request your transcript from the field camp university to be sent to UWM in order to receive transfer credit.
Field camp course pre-requisites: Prerequisites vary between different field camp courses, but often include Geo Sci 414 (Structural Geology), 511 (Stratigraphy and Sedimentation), 301 and/or 302 (Mineralogy, Petrology).
When is Field Camp?
Field camps are typically 5-7 weeks long in the summer. For the BA, a 3-credit course is acceptable, but a minimum of a 5-credits are required for the BS. Typically students do their field camps the summer after their junior or senior year, but it can be completed anytime.
How to Choose a Field Camp?
There are many field camps to choose from; however space is limited at many of them so you must apply early. Choosing a field camp is dependent on several factors, including cost, length of the field camp, where the field camp takes place (is there a certain region you would like to work in) and the type of exercises being done (e.g. geologic vs. hydrogeologic).
Most field camps focus on geologic field mapping exercises but some also have environmental or hydrogeological applications.
Past students have been to field camps that do field work in the United States, Canada, Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand.
What’s the cost?
Field camps vary in cost depending on which University you choose.
UWM is part of a consortium with the South Dakota Schools of Mines & Technology that allows our students to attend their field camp for a reduced rate. They have field camps in Wyoming, South Dakota, Turkey, the Himalayas, and Iceland. http://geologyfieldcamp.sdsmt.edu/
The UWM Geosciences department offers summer field work scholarships every spring and many geology-related organizations offer scholarships for field work. Check out the Scholarships section of the UWM Geosciences homepage.
Financial Aid is also available for field camps. However, to be considered a full-time student for the purpose of financial aid, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits!
What’s the Process?
- Choose the field camp that’s right for you, and apply for admission
- If admitted, enroll in the accredited university’s field camp course
- If you are applying for financial aid, complete all requirements before June 1st
- Attend the field camp
- Request a transcript from field camp university for UWM transfer credit (Geo Sci 455)
Send official transcript to:
UW-Milwaukee
Department of Enrollment Services
P.O. Box 749
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Enrollment Services will review and post transfer credit to your UWM transcript. Once the credit is posted, you will see it on your PAWS account in the My Academics section. - Share your photos and experiences with us!
Field Camp Information (4-9 credits; field camp location and length in parenthesis)
- South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (3-5 weeks; UWM is a consortium member with SDSM&T and offers reduced rates on field camps for UWM students. They run field camps in the Western US, Turkey, the Himalayas, and Iceland)
Other universities offering field camps (this list is not inclusive):
- Austin Peay State University (Tennessee) (Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- Ball State University (Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota; 5 weeks)
- Boise State University (Sardinia, Italy; 5 weeks)
- Bowling Green State University (Ohio) (Colorado; 6 weeks)
- Clemson University (Hydrogelogy Field Camp, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina)
- Colorado Field Camp for Geophysics (4 weeks)
- Concord College (New Mexico, Colorado, Utah)
- Cornell University (Argentina; 4 weeks)
- Eastern Illinois University (South Dakota; 6 weeks)
- Eastern Washington University (Montana; 6 weeks)
- Emporia State University (Kansas and Southern Colorado; 5 weeks)
- Florida State University (New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- Fort Hayes University (Colorado and Utah; 6 weeks)
- Idaho State University (Idaho; 5 weeks)
- Illinois State University (South Dakota; 6 weeks)
- Indiana University (Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming; 7 weeks)
- Iowa State University (Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- James Cook University (Australia) (Outback or Barrier Reef; ~4 weeks for both)
- James Madison University (Virginia) (Virginia; 5 weeks)
- Kent State University (Ohio) (South Dakota and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- Lehigh University (Pennsylvania) (Several Options of Varying Lengths)
- Louisiana State University (Colorado and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- Massey University (New Zealand; December through February)
- Miami University-Ohio (Montana, Wyoming Idaho and Canada; 6 weeks)
- Michigan Technological University (Africa; South Africa or Kenya)
- Minnesota State University-Moorhead (Colorado, Utah, Bahamas)
- New Mexico Tech (New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- Northern Illinois University (South Dakota and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- Oklahoma State University (Colorado; 5 weeks)
- Oregon State University (Oregon; 4 weeks)
- Penn State University (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho; 7 weeks)
- Southeast Missouri State University (Missouri and Utah; 4 weeks)
- Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (Montana and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- Southern Utah (Utah; 6 weeks)
- State University of New York at Buffalo (Colorado and New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- State University of New York at Cortland (New York; 3 weeks)
- Stephen F. Austin State University (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah)
- University of Akron (South Dakota and Wyoming; see site for length)
- University of Alabama (New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- University of Alaska-Fairbanks (Alaska; see site for length)
- University of Arkansas (Northern Rockies; 5 weeks)
- University of California, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics SAGE (New Mexico; ~4 weeks)
- University of Florida (New Mexico; 4 or 6 weeks)
- University of Michigan (Wyoming; various options, see website)
- University of Minnesota (Field geology in Colorado and hydrogeology in northern Minnesota)
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (Utah and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (Minnesota; 6 weeks)
- University of Missouri, Columbia (Wind River Range Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- University of Montana (SW Montana; 4.5 weeks)
- University of Nebraska Lincoln / Iowa State University (Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- University of Nevada, Reno (Utah, Nevada, California; 6 weeks)
- University of New Mexico (Volcanology in north-central New Mexico; unsure of length)
- University of North Carolina (New Mexico and Colorado; 6 weeks)
- University of North Dakota (same as South Dakota School of Mines; 4 weeks)
- University of Oregon (Montana; 6 weeks)
- University of Pennsylvania (Southwest Montana; 5 weeks)
- University of Texas-Arlington (New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- University of Texas-Austin (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas; 6 weeks)
- University of Texas-Dallas (West Texas, northern New Mexico, and Utah; 4 weeks)
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Montana and New Mexico, see website for lengths)
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Utah; 6 weeks)
- University of Wyoming (Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico; 6 weeks)
- Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand; 6 weeks)
- West Virginia University (West Virginia and New England; 5 weeks)
- Western Illinois University (Black Hills area and Wyoming; 6 weeks)
- Western Michigan (Hydrogeology; Michigan; 6 weeks)
- Wheaton College (South Dakota)