COMING SOON: Spring 2026 Semester of Immersion!
- Department of Biology offers students opportunities to engage in authentic experiential, research-based courses in a variety of topics!
- Immersion semester students take three 4-credit courses ONE at a TIME (as opposed to taking 3 or 4 courses concurrently over 15 weeks).
- Immersion courses meet DAILY over about 5 weeks giving students time and flexibility to deeply engage with the subject.
- Immersion course experiences can include field trips, overnight stays in biological field stations, research cruises and immersive laboratory research at UF.
You’ll produce and analyze real data, gain valuable experience applicable to your future career, and make memories and friends that will last a lifetime!
Semester of Immersion FAQ
When does the Semester of Immersion occur?
Immersion Semesters are offered in the spring terms of even years. The next one is in Spring 2026, so watch this space!
Information about the offered courses and fees will be posted by June 2025.
Applications will be linked on the Spring 2026 Semester of Immersion website and are due early in September 2025.
How do I join an upcoming Semester of Immersion?
Students apply through the application link on the Spring 2026 Semester of Immersion website.
Students are selected to participate based on a variety of criteria and their course preferences.
Selection criteria may include:
- Class standing (juniors and seniors are prioritized)
- Career goals and interests
- Preparatory coursework and experience
Some courses may require skills like swimming due to the nature of the fieldwork. This will be included in the course descriptions and application.
Do Immersion courses count towards requirements for my degree?
Many immersion courses count toward core degree requirements in the Botany, Zoology, and Marine Science programs and as Additional Life Science electives for Biology majors.
Please contact the Biology Major Program assistant, at biology-major@ufl.edu for more information or contact your major academic advisor.
Who is eligible to participate in Semester of Immersion courses?
Students are usually CLAS Biology Department majors or from CALS (WEC, Marine Sciences, Biology etc.) but anyone can apply!
Some courses have prerequisites such as BSC2011 which will be listed in the course descriptions. If you aren’t sure if you can or should join a course, contact the professor to be sure and discuss with your academic advisor.
Are there additional costs to take immersion courses beyond tuition?
IMPORTANT: Please note that the listed course fees do NOT include tuition.
There are typically additional courses fees for Semester of Immersion courses, although it depends on the course!
What types of things do the course fees cover?
- Laboratory materials
- Day trips
- Overnight travel
- Field station fees
- Use of boats and local transport vans
The upcoming Semester of Immersion course list will specify fees for each course including what is covered and not covered. You can get a rough estimate of costs by looking at the webpage for the previous Semesters of Immersion.
These course fees will be posted to your university bursar account.
In some cases, additional purchases may be required including plane tickets, personal field gear, meals, etc. Please read the information for each course carefully!
Listed course fees do NOT include tuition. Tuition will be paid at your usual per-credit rate (in-state, out-of-state, etc.). Any financial aid you have for tuition will typically apply to that cost, but not to the course fee.
Check with Financial Aid if your financial aid covers course fees like off-campus activity fees or if there may be additional funding opportunities for you.
Are there scholarships available for course fees?
Several internal scholarships are offered to help defray costs of course fees and increase access to our courses! Scholarship application information will be available on the Semester of Immersion application webpage.
Scholarships are typically $500 awards, so you may still have to pay for fees in excess of the scholarship. Scholarship awards are largely based on financial need in addition to merit.
There are other often other opportunities available as well, such as the CLAS Beyond120 Experiential Scholarships.
Does my existing financial aid apply (e.g. Bright Futures)?
Financial aid that covers your tuition will apply to the tuition for the 12 credits you will take in the Semester of Immersion which is NOT included as part of course fees.
Check with Financial Aid if your financial aid covers course fees like off-campus activity fees or if there may be additional funding opportunities for you.
Upcoming Semester of Immersion