This Freshmen immersion course is a chance for incoming marine biology majors to spend two weeks on the Oregon coast, living at OIMB and learning about coastal and marine habitats. This experiential course will enable students to connect with fellow marine biology majors, meeting OIMB faculty and receive early advising at the UO’s marine lab. Students will enroll in summer term before moving into UO housing on main campus in Eugene for fall term.

NEW! Summer Freshmen Immersion Course

September 8-12 and Sept. 15-19, 2025

BI 199 Habitats of the Oregon Coast (4 quarter hour credits) This course provides an introduction to the marine habitats of the Oregon Coast and the abiotic and biotic factors that impact the distribution of marine organisms in these habitats. Lectures and labs will be supplemented with field trips to rocky, estuarine, and sandy beach intertidal habitats as well as subtidal habitats aboard the R/V Megalopa.

FAQs

Where is OIMB and where would I live?

The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is the University of Oregon’s marine laboratory down in Charleston, OR. Students will live in the OIMB dorms, have a meal plan for the two-week BI 199 Habitats of the Oregon Coast class and be in class from 8:30am-5:00pm on weekdays with a day trip to the Oregon Dunes, on Saturday, Sept. 13^th.

How do I register for the class?

1. Fill out the application of interest form so that we know you wish to take the class and need housing/meal plan at OIMB.
2. Fill out a non-degree seeking student registration form to enroll for summer term.
3. Once you have a #95 (likely from UO admissions) and an initial PAC (personal access code), you can register for the BI 199 Habitats of the Oregon Coast course in Duckweb

We know that you WILL be degree seeking but you won’t formally start at the UO until fall term. These credits WILL apply to your degree starting in fall term.

Please reach out to Maya Watts or Tykeson advising, if you are having trouble registering for the course after you fill out both forms and have your #95 and PAC in hand. You may also be able to get help for the summer course registration during IntroDucktion if you have an early IntroDucktion date. We suggest registering as soon as you can though.

When is move-in?

Students should arrive at OIMB on Sunday, September 7^th to move into the OIMB dorms. The first meal in the dining hall will be dinner Sunday evening at 5:30pm.

How would students get to OIMB if they are an out-of-state student that is flying in?

We hope to coordinate the students flying in from out-of-state so that they all arrive Saturday afternoon-ish. We hope to make only one shuttle run from the Eugene airport to OIMB that day. It is a 2.5 hour drive from Eugene to the OIMB campus.

How would this impact move-in to the UO residence halls?

The move-in date for the UO residence halls for fall is Thursday, September 25^th. However, students participating in our BI 199 Habitats class can move in one day early, Wednesday Sept. 24^th. By moving in a day early, students won’t have the same red-carpet move-in as Thursday but they will avoid the chaos of the Thursday mass move-in.

Students are welcome to leave OIMB on Saturday September 20^th to return home or to leave with parents and then move into UO housing on Wed or Thursday for move-in at UO. However, we are offering an optional “Oregon Coast Excursion” on Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 22 and 23) for those students staying at OIMB after the course. If students stay for the excursion, we will provide a shuttle up to the UO residence halls on Wednesday Sept. 24^th for their move-in. Parents can meet their student in Eugene to help with move-in on Wednesday if they have students is participating in the two-day excursion.

How much will it cost?

The cost is the regular summer session tuition (and fees), which differs based on residency (see Undergraduate 2025 Tuition Cohort). If you make sure you have clicked on Summer 2025 and either resident or non-resident, the 4 credits line should be accurate ($1885 for residents and $3332 for non-resident).

In addition to the tuition/fees, there is a $409/week cost of your housing and a meal plan (7 days a week, 3 meals/day) at OIMB.

If you decide to participate in the optional “Oregon Coast Excursion” there will be small costs (~$100 for Aquarium tickets and camping gear rental plus food money for those two travel days).

Are there scholarships for this class?

Once people fill out the application of interest, we will send them information on how to apply for a small need-based scholarship (in the $500- $1000 range).

What should I bring with me to OIMB for the BI 199 Habitats course?

Once you complete you application of interest and register for the course, you will get a “Welcome Packet” from OIMB with the details of what you will need to pack for OIMB and what supplies you will need for the class. Knee high rubber boots are a must.